• Question: what made you want to become a scientist

    Asked by mitch to Emma, James, Jayne, Kara, Sharon on 18 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Sharon Sneddon

      Sharon Sneddon answered on 13 Mar 2011:

      Hi Mitch,
      Biology and chemistry were my best subjects at school and I had a really great biology teacher who really got me excited about science. I originally thought about becoming a dentist, but after some work experience in a lab, I decided that research was what I wanted to do.
      I’m really glad as I love what I do!

    • Photo: Jayne Charnock

      Jayne Charnock answered on 13 Mar 2011:

      Hi Mitch

      The funny thing is- I never wanted to be a scientist!
      I wanted to be a doctor and although I was offered a place at university to study medicine, but I didn’t get good enough A-levels. I decided I’d study Biology instead and use that degree to get into medical school afterwards.

      I did quite well in my 1st year at uni and I was offered the opportunity to go and work for a pharmaceutical company for a year in Germany for my 3rd year. I really didn’t want to go as I hated the lab work part if our course, with 200 other people all trying to do the same experiment at once! But, other students who had been before said it was great, so I thought I’d bite the bullet, pack my stuff and go.

      Within about 15 minutes of arriving at the lab in Germany I realised I’d nearly made the biggest mistake of my life by not going! I loved it, it was so different to university practical work and I was working on a method to find new drugs to cure lung disease. It was great doing something useful! I decided there and then I’d carry on in science for as long as I still enjoyed it, and 6 years later I still am 🙂

    • Photo: Kara Cerveny

      Kara Cerveny answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Great question — For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in the world around me, in looking deeper and trying to figure things out. I love learning, and as a scientist and science writer/editor, I get paid to learn. It is kind of like being in school, but without the tests…and you get to study exactly what you like…

    • Photo: Emma King

      Emma King answered on 18 Mar 2011:

      Hi Mitch, I really like learning about new things and I like that science has so many other implications for our society.
      Do you like science?

    • Photo: James Chan

      James Chan answered on 18 Mar 2011:

      hi mitch, I became a scientist because I loved asking questions and finding out how things worked. I did medicine because I wanted the science to be relevant and be able to help people. I am doing research now because I wanna be able to be part of the development of stem cell technology, which I think will be the next big thing to help save lots of people.

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