A couple research-related questions

[Thundrstorm]

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1. I think my interests for the future lie in infectious diseases, but the 2 areas of research that I'm doing in undergrad are centered around Parkinson's Disease and teratology/birth defects. I absolutely love what I'm doing now and I'm working with great people, but will it matter that it's not my primary area of interest? When (well, if) I apply to MD/PhD programs, am I expected to know immediately what kind of research I want to do?

2. I will have about 2.5 years of solid research experience when I apply and hopefully, I'll do something independently by my senior year, but if I don't, is assisting (in all steps of the research) enough or will I need my own research/ideas to be competitive for MD/PhD?

3. Based on my experience so far, I really love research, but I'm worried that I won't be able to come up with innovative ideas and things to research. I'm just now getting into more advanced science courses, so I realize that I have alot to learn before I'm at that point, but does anyone else worry about not having what it takes to conceive of their own research ideas?

 

[ptiger]

1. I think my interests for the future lie in infectious diseases, but the 2 areas of research that I'm doing in undergrad are centered around Parkinson's Disease and teratology/birth defects. I absolutely love what I'm doing now and I'm working with great people, but will it matter that it's not my primary area of interest? When (well, if) I apply to MD/PhD programs, am I expected to know immediately what kind of research I want to do?

This doesn't matter at all. Your interests will change, even after you attend med school. My friend started MD/PhD interested in immunology but is now working in a neuro lab. The adcoms know that we are going to change our interests. They aren't looking for a great immunologist and a great neurobiologist when they accept people; they're looking for good scientists.

2. I will have about 2.5 years of solid research experience when I apply and hopefully, I'll do something independently by my senior year, but if I don't, is assisting (in all steps of the research) enough or will I need my own research/ideas to be competitive for MD/PhD?

This should be great.

3. Based on my experience so far, I really love research, but I'm worried that I won't be able to come up with innovative ideas and things to research. I'm just now getting into more advanced science courses, so I realize that I have alot to learn before I'm at that point, but does anyone else worry about not having what it takes to conceive of their own research ideas?

I worry about the same thing. I'm sure we all do. That's why we are doing a PhD -- we aren't supposed to be independent researchers yet. We will learn that with time 🙂

 

[Vader]

Those are great responses from ptiger. I'll just add that no one expects you to have all the specifics of your future career planned out quite yet. What admissions folks really want to see is enthusiasm, scientific thought process, maturity, dedication, flexibility and creativity. These are qualities that will enable you to be successful in graduate school, an MD/PhD program, and many other facets of life. Also, if you do have an interest in ID, then be sure to think through your reasoning behind the interest so that when interviewers ask, you can give a well-thought-out, clear response.

The most important aspect of graduate school is learning how to think like a scientist. This involves reading the relevant background literature, formulating questions and ways of testing your hypotheses, and ultimately synthesizing and publishing the results. No one expects you to be an independent investigator at this stage... that is why you work under a PI who can guide you along as you develop your own research abilities.

It sounds like you have some great experiences already. EVERYONE worries to some degree (although they may or may not show it) whether they have what it takes to succeed, no matter what field they are in. Good luck in applying! 😀