Tag Archives: graduate school

Changing Interests

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In high school, I was known as the girl that had her life all figured out. My plan was to go to college, major in Political Science, apply my senior year to a top law school, and start law school the following year. I’d then work as a public defender in Los Angeles. This was my plan in seventh grade and it didn’t change until this fall when my world came tumbling down (maybe that was a little too dramatic). I finally realized that I might want to go into business a.k.a. the corporate world a.k.a. the great “evil” (just kidding).

It might have been The Fullbridge Program (read all of Jessica’s posts– they’re great!) or some realization that I want to do something more dynamic, but I’ve found consulting to be a particular area I’m interested in. I’m fully aware that the lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but I’m attracted to the idea of working with others in teams, traveling to meet clients in different places, and working my hardest on a daily basis to help businesses solve their problems.

This shift in my life plan that was left unchanged for s-i-x years has left me in a complete state of confusion. All the internships I’ve ever had and all the clubs I’ve been involved in were directly related to my interest in wanting to pursue a career in law. And now, I’m just starting to build my resume again to be aligned with my new interests. I never believed people who tried to convince me that my career aspirations might change in college. That was just not me. I had a plan and I was going to stick to. But they’re right.

I’m all for making life plans and trying to reach goals along the way. What I’ve learned is that despite how sure you are that you want to pursue a certain career, things might change and your interests may shift. Diving into your newfound interests is the only way to get started!

Graduate School: Not Only About the School

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As a Organismal Biology major entering her senior year, I am beginning my search for the next step in academic career: graduate school. As many Scripps students  know, there are a number of factors to consider when it comes to deciding on a next-level institution. However, one aspect that few consider is that which is not encapsulated within the school grounds. The surrounding university town or city, that many schools share with local residents, can be an important indicator as to the nature of the institution itself.

The way I approach this dynamic is from my own career interest. As a genetic counselor, one must focus on both the genetic and psychology, or counseling, facets. Often, these two aspects require very different environments and support systems in which students can learn and thrive. Genetic research, like most forms of scientific research, requires the lab and experimental tools to contribute to the worldwide genetic database. That means that research focused institutions don’t need to interact much with the outside world in order to conduct research; students can work in contained or removed spaces without relying on the community. In reality, this translates to more isolated, independent institutions focusing on lab-based genetic research. On the other hand, the counseling feature, by definition, requires real patients and other participants in order to practice. This normally means having an involved, present, and helpful student body or relying on opportunities outside of the school. The institution-town interaction is extremely important, as students that have symbiotic relationships with their surrounding neighbors can both benefit from and assist their communities. This may be a vital criteria for a student or faculty members who is very interested in working with actual patients who need their help. This results in schools whose students are extremely active in the community and who leave their respective institutions with plenty of applicable clinical experience. If it wasn’t already apparent from my previous blog posts, I am searching for the latter type of graduate experience.

Now, as college students, we tend to evaluate a potentially city or town by factors like food variety, living costs, and distance to the closest pharmacy. What if I told you that, because I am interested in working in medicine, it is far more important for me to find a graduate school where there is a large number of hospitals in the surrounding area? When you phrase it like this, it seems to make sense, right? More important that my living conditions per se will be my academic conditions. Though not always a true indicator, many clinically focused schools are based around lots of different hospitals in an attempt to utilize their resources and to give their students practical outlets. Additionally, the specialties of the surrounding hospitals and the services they offer may also influence the school’s curriculum. Keep in mind, this relationship is important for more than just medical institutions. Want to work in economics, finance, or accounting? Search for schools outlined by various financial firms or around large business or companies where your skills may be valued. Want to teach? Many graduate universities have relationships with small tutoring and teaching companies in the area to get you started. In nearly all cases, both the school and the town in which it resides can be symbiotic indicators for each other. The dynamic relationship they share may help you to make that important decision.

Getting my Foot in the Door

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Dear Charlotte,

We would like to thank you for your interest in the College Volunteer Program at xxxxxxxxxx Hospital.  We receive a large number of application requests, yet we have a limited number of openings for new Volunteers.  This means that we are not able to accommodate all requests. At this time, your request was not selected.  We would however, like to encourage you to make another request in the future.

This is an email that I recently received in response to an application to become a volunteer at a local hospital. Unfortunately, this type of response for this type of position is not abnormal.

* Before I go any further, I feel the need to clarify a few things. Academically and occupationally, I am specifically interested in clinical work and clinical research. During my time at Scripps, I’ve found that commonly available lab bench work, while informative and a useful scientific experience, can be tiresome and not as fulfilling as I hoped it would be. This, however, is just my personal preference. If you are inspired and excited by bench work, please do not get discouraged by this blog post. Scripps College has some amazing opportunities to conduct research and I suggest that you speak with one of the many W.M. Keck Science Department faculty, as they are always open and willing to accept new research students.

As I stated above, I am a more of a clinical buff. I’ve developed my opinions surrounding science during my time at the Claremont Colleges and I have come to the conclusion that, for me, it is vitally important to share your knowledge and experience with those in need. (This is how I developed my career goal of genetic counseling, which, if you are interested in discussing or learning more about, please leave a comment on this post.) Exposure to the clinical world is key in developing a solid foundation for further studies, ie. medical school. However, as an undergraduate, these types of opportunities have been incredibly difficult to obtain. The doctors or practitioners we would normally consult with for these positions site the regulations surrounding patient privacy as one of the biggest obstacles facing a non-certified student. In my experience, doctors also tend to display an misunderstanding as to the depth of research in which undergraduates may be involved. While I may be speaking from a Scripps perspective, it is not necessarily common for undergraduates at large universities to be conducting research alongside professors and mentors. However, even traditional research may not be enough of an active gateway for most undergraduate clinical internships and applications.

In the summer of my sophomore year, I was accepted into the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) Summer Student Program. I was ecstatic when I was accepted, as, from what I’d read and heard, I thought that this would be the perfect program for me. While I realized during the internship that research was not for me, I was given the unique opportunity to shadow one of the doctors at the Children’s Hospital Oakland, a direct affiliate of the institute. I observed a genetic counselor for one or two days during the CHORI program. I saw her actively working with patients, which really got my blood pumping. In the past, I’d only been able to hypothesis about my love for patient work, but had never had the chance to see these connections actually being made. She became my guiding light, who helped to believe that I would, and could, make my way into  the clinical world.

Nowadays, I am being a bit more selective in my internship and job searches, making sure that I will be participating in meaningful and interesting work. Slowly but surely, I am learning the best, most successful ways of getting involved (as it is still not always easy) and gaining experience by volunteering in the absence of structured internship programs. (Tip for all you clinically-minded science students: volunteering and interning are equally beneficial and valid experiences in the eyes of medical and graduate schools. They both imply a specialized set of acquired skills that are valuable and worth your time). Like always, hindsight is 20-20 and I do wish that I could have learned some of these lessons earlier on. However, I am still thankful for all of the experience I have gained through my internship missteps and I am currently looking forward for what the future can bring me.

What is this thesis thing?

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My lovely friend Sanskriti proudly posing with her finished and bound thesis.

As fall semester draws to a close, seniors writing a fall thesis finish their last edits, get their 30-, 60- or 90-pagers bound, and post photos with their finished work on Facebook  while everyone writing a spring or two semester thesis looks on enviously. All of this has me thinking about what thesis is and why it’s important for us as undergraduates. Plenty of schools don’t require seniors to write theses—in fact, many of my friends at Pomona don’t have to write them simply because there are too many students in their major for the professors to read all their theses.

The crew at CMC’s Fountain Party for fall semester. Congratulations!

Last week was CMC’s Fountain Party, held both fall and spring semester on the day all CMC thesis-writers submit them to their readers. On the way to my 1:15 class, I stopped by the fountains outside the Hub to say hi to lucky CMC friends. They were seriously celebrating with extremely loud music, bathing suits, water guns, and the like. Someone tried to dump a trash can filled with water on my head and I had to run away, but it was incredibly heartwarming to see people celebrating such a huge accomplishment. Of course, it also reminded me that I’m not even close to finishing my mine.

Since looking at Scripps as a prospective student I’ve been aware that I’d be writing a thesis as a senior. It’s built up each year as senior friends go through the grueling process and we see them zombie-ing around campus after days of no sleep. I remember particularly last year, when looking in at different rooms in Browning and Dorsey in preparation for room draw, seniors excusing the state of utter chaos in their rooms with a single word: “Sorry– thesis”. But it must mean different things for different people. I know plenty of people who see it as simply a hurdle that must be jumped through to graduate. For others, it’s a chance to explore more fully a subject that truly intrigues them.

I’m hoping Columbia will be impressed with my thesis!

So what does thesis mean for me? As I think more seriously about applying to graduate school, I view thesis as something that could be very beneficial in applying and actually getting in. Especially as my thesis heavily incorporates ethnographic research I conducted myself while in Beirut this summer, I feel (and have been reassured by a number of my professors) that it will be an asset when applying because it will demonstrate my skills with and dedication to Anthropology in the Middle East around the topic of religion, something I’d like to pursue in graduate school. For this reason, and because I find my thesis topic endlessly fascinating, I am planning on trying for Honors in Middle Eastern Studies. I feel lucky to have the opportunity that is this thesis thing. Thanks, Scripps!

“Confidently, Courageously and Hopefully” – Things I’ve Learn From My Women’s College Experience

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Given the recent events in Pakistan, I feel as though it is important to share how I feel my women’s college is benefiting me both now and in the future. I feel blessed to have been afforded an opportunity for an education and it saddens me that not all girls and women have education readily accessible to them. As a tour guide, I repeatedly get the question, “So, how do you feel about the umm…all-girl thing?” My response to this is always, “Oh, a women’s college?! I love it!” Before I came to Scripps—while already desperately in love with the school—I found myself having to justify my choice to both myself and to others. I’d explain that, “Scripps isn’t reallllly a women’s college because it’s part of a consortium.” Now, after having been at Scripps for over a year, I have found that one of the things I love most about it is the fact that it is a women’s college. Having experienced all-women classes, I have a different appreciation for a women’s education than I would have otherwise. And, most importantly in this context, I think that coming from a women’s college many Scripps students are more prepared than they might otherwise be, because of their women’s education.

Statistics show that women who attend women’s colleges participate more in the classroom, get better grades in classes than they would at co-ed colleges, are more likely to get professional degrees, attend grad school and hold higher positions in their careers. I’m the first to admit that I didn’t think being in an all female classroom would impact my class experience, but it does. I have found that even I—the girl who has never been afraid to show that she has a brain—feel more relaxed in the classroom. And, not only that, I also feel more inspired, creative and driven. I have found that in classes such as Core, my professors, my peers and I have challenged myself to come up with new ideas.

It is has been shown (mostly through the media) that people behave based on what they see happening around them. That is, when women are objectified in the media, society mimics those actions and interacts in the same way. However, Scripps comes along with amazing on-campus student leaders and highly successful alums. Every time I meet Scripps alumnae, have a conversation with a faculty member or strike a debate with my friends, it inspires me to work harder. I see highly motivated, strong and intelligent women surrounding me on a daily basis, and it encourages me to do the same.

It is so easy to take an education for granted when in the midst of finals, papers and reading. Our education is part of our key to success, but sadly there are many girls and women in the US and around the world who aren’t afforded the same opportunity. Are there any parts of your women’s college education you think will be particularly useful when you enter the work force? Are there any parts of your education you may have taken for granted over the years?

Click here for more information about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen who was attacked by the Taliban for demanding an education for girls.