Effortless perfection is a term that a Duke student came up with to describe what women at this school are supposed to epitomize. A classic example of this is the girl on the elliptical machine at the gym who is simultaneously highlighting her copy of Alberts (Molecular Biology of the Cell :).

“They strive to be “that girl” who naturally makes straight A’s in the classroom, has plenty of friends,stays up on the latest fashion trends, plays on a varsity sports team, is active in multiple civic and social organizations,and in her spare time, volunteers at a local charity. This paradoxical lifestyle of working hard to create the appearance that one is hardly working has come to be identified on college campuses as ‘effortless
perfection’.” – Rae Krucoff

I’ve thought about this a great deal while going to different medical school interviews. Anyway, do you guys feel the pressures of effortless perfection as scientists? I’m curious.

Today I visited the School of Public Health (SPH) at Michigan to discuss my projects for the summer. :)

The last time I worked there, I was in a sketchy hallway on top of a tanning salon, but then this was built shortly after:

It’s lovely inside. I have never met an unfriendly person at SPH. As soon as you walk in, it’s all smiles and waves (not in a creepy way). The “save the world” energy is awesome. In a basic science research building, you don’t automatically sense that…it’s intense and most people keep to themselves. You occasionally might say hi to someone you know as they head to the autoclave room but unless they just found the perfect band on a Western blot that day, you won’t get a beaming smile. It’s hard to put on that kind of smile if positive results are far and rare, but it’s nice to be in a new environment.

The first project I will be working on is CATCH-PATH: Community Approaches to Cardiovascular Health: Pathways to Heart Health. That’s the other thing about working at SPH: TONS OF ACRONYMS!!! For example, my last project was called GEMINI: Genetics, Ethics, and Meaning Initiative.

Anyway, CATCH-PATH is an intervention program that promotes physical activity in Detroit to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in low-income communities. The program creates walking groups, because walking is an easy and effective form of exercise since gyms are pretty limited and expensive. In recent years, Detroit has been named one of the most obese cities in the country. CATCH-PATH is hoping to get more members of the community into shape.

Since many of the participants don’t have regular primary care providers, SPH employees and volunteers also check blood pressure and cholesterol levels to give participants an idea of their health before the start of the program.

On Saturday mornings, I will be heading to Detroit to distribute pedometers and translate for Spanish-speakers. I am really looking forward to meeting the participants!! I really admire their goals of getting in shape…especially considering that some of them have never exercised before in their lives.

For the second project, I will help a recent graduate of SPH write a manuscript for a book on lice for the public. I had never really thought about lice before in serious terms, but today I learned that it is a big social health issue. I will be calling major school districts in the nation to ask about their lice policies, and focus on the racial or class discrimination that may exist in these policies. Since I’m working with someone with a non-science background, I’ll do research for a chapter about the biology of lice.

I’m really excited about these projects. I hope to learn a lot and contribute positively. :)

Thanks for reading!

btw, I’m still trying to come up with a title for my blog…I’ve seen some really clever ones on NN!!

Thank you to everyone on NN for the warm welcome! I said my next post was going to be about bSMART, but I need to let this out.

A friend recently told me that the med school application process would be filled with emotional ups and downs. Let’s just say last night was a huge DOWN.

In the case that a med school admissions officer decides to google my name and finds this, I’m sorry but I have to be honest about the process. Gaining admission into academic institutions has become a commodity. Pay Kaplan and Princeton Review your thousands, and your results are “guaranteed.”

I went to a public high school that didn’t provide me with high end counseling services, so I was quite proud when I got into Duke on my own. Now that I’m applying to medical school, I feel like it’s a whole new ball game. I want to believe that passion, creativity, and genuine interest are valued but yesterday I had a rude awakening.

As per my father’s request that I get some important questions answered, I had a meeting with an admissions consultant at a prep company who also happened to be an admissions officer and graduate of a medical school I’m considering (conflict of interest, anyone?). I had heard about these services but always believed that it was up to me, the candidate, to best represent myself.

After taking a quick look at my personal statement, the consultant just goes “why do you talk so much about your research?” I told him that the essay shows who I am. Did he want to hear the sappy, emotional, “I have to be a doctor because it is my calling” type of thing? I think it’s a wonderful profession and I want to commit my life to providing excellent patient care, but my essay is not going to be a tearjerker.

Unlike for a lot of pre-meds, research just wasn’t some hollow vessel that I used to get my foot through the door. It introduced me to an aspect of medicine that I really enjoy. In addition to learning about diseases, I established problem-solving skills that I can apply to clinical research. Just because you enjoy working in a lab doesn’t mean you want to do a PhD. And why should I not emphasize research? It was a really important part of my undergraduate experience. Plus, I don’t want to be like the Chief of Radiation Oncology (at a great hospital) I met last year who did not know what p53 or cyclins were.

I also discussed my involvement with service in my essay; I started an ESL program in the Durham Public Schools two years ago. It gave me a level of social awareness that is important for providing the best patient care. The consultant seemed as if he could care less and made it quite obvious that I wasn’t iterating what med school admissions officers “wanted” to hear. Not all pre-meds these days work in HIV clinics in Kenya (greatly admire those who do) or get Science publications (luck, anyone?) or run triathlons and pull a 40 on the MCAT. He used these people as examples of “stand-out candidates” who are just “made of a different DNA.” Well, I guess that resolves the nature versus nurture debate! Genius!

He made a point of scaring me about the process…telling me stories of mean admissions officers who made him feel like walking right out of the room. At that point, I hope he realized that he was exactly the type of person he seemed to despise.

At the end of the hour, I simply could not believe that someone could be so arrogant and rude in judging students. Quite frankly, I don’t want to go to a medical school that doesn’t treat all prospective students with respect and value. This person made me question whether the school would even be a good fit for me. The worst part was his candidness about the job: “You know, I’m on an admissions committee already so I figured I’d just make extra money doing this…It’s great money.” Seriously?! That’s exactly what these prep companies are all about. These resources are so unequally distributed and their affordability is completely class dependent. The cost of $800 for a class or counseling is the combined monthly cost of rent+food for many families!

After I left, my dad asked how it went and whether meeting with him in the future would be helpful during this process. I just remained silent. I know who I am and why I want to be a physician. I am not going to dump money so that an “expert” can craft me into whoever admissions officers want me to be. Despite the plummet in my self-esteem yesterday, I do think it’s possible that other admissions officers will appreciate me for who I am and all the other students who are made of normal DNA.

My name is Trisha Saha and I will be an undergraduate blogger on Nature Network!

I’m from Ann Arbor, Michigan, but I’d say there is more blue devil than wolverine in me…

My first summer at Duke, I worked in Margaret Kirby’s heart development lab through a Howard Hughes summer program. That’s when I started science blogging! http://researchblogs.duke.edu/tns6

I spent the past summer at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute/MGH studying induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and cardiac progenitors. I think iPS cells are absolutely fascinating!!



Cardiovascular Research Center, MGH

I combined my interests in heart development and stem cell biology as a member of a biomedical engineering lab last year where I helped design a cardiac patch.
This summer I plan on working at the University of Michigan School of Public Health on a health disparities project. It is a big change from wet lab work, but I really value getting exposure to different fields of work. I like viewing science in a more multidisciplinary way. Right now, I’m in the process of applying to medical school so I’m doing my best to think about the future while living in the moment.

I think Nature Network is a wonderful way to learn about new fields of research and the different career paths in science. After science blogging a couple summers ago, I realized that I wanted to be a part of this community that is revolutionizing the scientific atmosphere. Matt was so kind in letting me start my own blog.

My goal is to capture the experiences of a younger generation of scientists. It is so great to see so many institutions encouraging undergrad research these days. We are all truly grateful for the mentorship we’ve received from graduate students, postdocs, and PIs. :) In addition to my own thoughts, I want to highlight the contributions other undergrads are making in science.

My next post will be about bSMART, the Biological Sciences Methods and Research Teaching Program. Started by Rebecca Liu at Duke this summer, bSMART pairs local high school students with undergrad mentors so that they can get some exposure to the lab environment. The goal is to show high school students that science is fun, exciting, and relevant! I admire my peers for participating in this program and encouraging young students to consider careers in science.

Rebecca Liu, Duke Class of 2010

I hope to share some photos and profiles of the high school students and undergrads who are participating in bSMART in my next post.

Until then, I look forward to getting to know many of you on NN! I hope you enjoy my blog!