Could I use my rare disease to find research?

[giolaskl]

Hello everyone,

I'm a first-year student attending a CC in California. I've already reached out to more than 30 professors at CSUs and UCs near me, but I've been told it's complicated to host students who aren't affiliated with the school's lab. I have a rare autosomal disease called PCD, a lung disease that effects only 1/1500 people. I was wondering if I could reach out to labs conducting PCD clinical trials, both as a research subject and possibly as an assistant. I'm curious if would really work and if anyone has had a similar experience.

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[stew_md]

Hello everyone,

I'm a first-year student attending a CC in California. I've already reached out to more than 30 professors at CSUs and UCs near me, but I've been told it's complicated to host students who aren't affiliated with the school's lab. I have a rare autosomal disease called PCD, a lung disease that effects only 1/1500 people. I was wondering if I could reach out to labs conducting PCD clinical trials, both as a research subject and possibly as an assistant. I'm curious if would really work and if anyone has had a similar experience.

I doubt it as you may be introducing bias into the study from being on both sides. Look up "subject-researcher" bias. You may unintentionally influence data collection or interpretation of outcomes.

Edit: you would be better off waiting until you transfer to a four-year school with more research opportunities. Focus on getting good grades and other ECs until you eventually transfer.

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone,

I'm a first-year student attending a CC in California. I've already reached out to more than 30 professors at CSUs and UCs near me, but I've been told it's complicated to host students who aren't affiliated with the school's lab. I have a rare autosomal disease called PCD, a lung disease that effects only 1/1500 people. I was wondering if I could reach out to labs conducting PCD clinical trials, both as a research subject and possibly as an assistant. I'm curious if would really work and if anyone has had a similar experience.

Focus on being a good student and get in some clinician shadowing and/or clinical exposure first.

 

[giolaskl]

Focus on being a good student and get in some clinician shadowing and/or clinical exposure first.

As for clinical exposure, I'm volunteering at a local hospital as a nursing assistant. I'm not sure if this is enough, so please let me know. For shadowing, is the process similar to finding research where I just cold-email doctors?

 

[Goro]

As for clinical exposure, I'm volunteering at a local hospital as a nursing assistant. I'm not sure if this is enough, so please let me know. For shadowing, is the process similar to finding research where I just cold-email doctors?

That's good, but you'll need to be on your toes for the inevitable question about "why not nursing?"

Yes, shadowing can be a cold call thing. But, a good place to start is with you own doctor, or with any doctors you meet at your hospital.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Is this a career goal or application deficiency to address?

I'm sure you aspire to be a physician who can help find a cure for their own illness. (Articles on Dr. Fajgenbaum)

University of Pennsylvania doctor finds treatment for rare diseases through nonprofit 'Every Cure'

"The way I look at is, I'm not supposed to be here and I don't know how long I will be, but as long as I am, I am on a mission to make sure that we find as many as these hidden cures and unlock them to save lives," said Dr. David Fajgenbaum.

6abc.com

One doctor’s race to save his own life — and others’

David Fajgenbaum, MD, nearly died five times. Then, using his own records and blood samples, he found an existing drug that offered hope.

www.aamc.org

https://www.science.org/content/article/young-doctor-fights-cure-his-own-rare-deadly-disease

If your own illness is something you want to focus on, then decide if you want to be on the research side or the diagnosis/clinic side to address. It may help you better discern a strategy (that could include both).

 

[giolaskl]

Is this a career goal or application deficiency to address?

I'm sure you aspire to be a physician who can help find a cure for their own illness. (Articles on Dr. Fajgenbaum)

University of Pennsylvania doctor finds treatment for rare diseases through nonprofit 'Every Cure'

"The way I look at is, I'm not supposed to be here and I don't know how long I will be, but as long as I am, I am on a mission to make sure that we find as many as these hidden cures and unlock them to save lives," said Dr. David Fajgenbaum.

6abc.com

One doctor’s race to save his own life — and others’

David Fajgenbaum, MD, nearly died five times. Then, using his own records and blood samples, he found an existing drug that offered hope.

www.aamc.org

https://www.science.org/content/article/young-doctor-fights-cure-his-own-rare-deadly-disease

If your own illness is something you want to focus on, then decide if you want to be on the research side or the diagnosis/clinic side to address. It may help you better discern a strategy (that could include both).

Yes, this is a career goal, and I am leaning more to the treatment/diagnosis/clinic side of things. In that case, would it be better to focus more on clinical hours/experience rather than research?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes, this is a career goal, and I am leaning more to the treatment/diagnosis/clinic side of things. In that case, would it be better to focus more on clinical hours/experience rather than research?

If you want to be a physician, you should focus on diverse clinical experience and not just one subspecialty. If you want to be an expert in the disease, go for the research and the Ph.D. Put the right horse before the cart if you want to be like Dr. F.

 

[eigen]

In addition to the suggestions to focus on your coursework and get good grades, I'd suggest applying for summer research opportunities.

NSF funded "REU" or Research Experience for Undergraduates are a good source, as well as SURP (Summer Undergraduate Research Programs) and SHPEP (Summer Health Professions Experience Programs). Any of those acronyms will lead you to some national lists of possibilities. The applications are usually winter-ish (December through February), and some focus specifically on providing research opportunities for students who don't have them at their current school (i.e., CCs).

Even for students at my school where there are research opportunities, I typically recommend students wait until their first summer or second year to start: you really want to focus in your first year on building a foundation to be successful in courses, then start adding other things in as you gain skills and progress.

 

[giolaskl]

In addition to the suggestions to focus on your coursework and get good grades, I'd suggest applying for summer research opportunities.

NSF funded "REU" or Research Experience for Undergraduates are a good source, as well as SURP (Summer Undergraduate Research Programs) and SHPEP (Summer Health Professions Experience Programs). Any of those acronyms will lead you to some national lists of possibilities. The applications are usually winter-ish (December through February), and some focus specifically on providing research opportunities for students who don't have them at their current school (i.e., CCs).

Even for students at my school where there are research opportunities, I typically recommend students wait until their first summer or second year to start: you really want to focus in your first year on building a foundation to be successful in courses, then start adding other things in as you gain skills and progress.

Oh I see, thank you for letting me know.