The First Days

I've just finished up my first two days here at UK, and I can't wait to go back tomorrow! I spent most of today and Monday taking online safety classes before I was allowed to actually start working, and although I'm definitely not disappointed about being done with those, at least now I have six new certificates attesting to my expertise in things like "Chemical Hygiene" and "Hazardous Waste Communication."

Working in a microbiology lab isn't necessarily something you would expect someone majoring in neuroscience to do, and I think that's why I'm so excited about completing this experience. I know I want a career that involves research, but as of now that's really the only thing I know. I've already changed my major once (biology to neuroscience), and I've been thinking about changing again. The required first year classes for most of the science-related majors are pretty similar, and that's definitely not helping me decide. So far the only major-specific class I've taken was a freshman neuroscience seminar that was really beneficial as far as knowing my options after graduating with a neuroscience degree, but it didn't really provide me with a chance to really understand what any of those options would be like.

I want this summer experience to help me decide if microbiology is something I want to spend the rest of my life studying--or at least help me to decide that microbiology is not. While I'm doing that, I'll also be working on improving my knowledge and proficiency in using various lab techniques. Since medicine is another career path I'm considering, and because there are several hospitals very close to where I'm staying, I'm also hoping I have time to shadow some of the doctors who work around here (particularly those who work in the Neuroscience Institute).