Monday Major Madness: Chemistry

Each Monday, we highlight a certain major here at UA. Regardless of the particular major's sanity or lack thereof, we like to call it Monday Major Madness...

Also, Happy Valentine's Day.

In today's installment of Monday Major Madness, Honors College student Emily Wayman talks about her experience as a Chemistry major.

Why did you choose your major?
I’ve always been fascinated by science and medicine. In high school, I thought I wanted to be a pharmacist. But I soon realized I did not want a career counting pills! I was actually interested in the science behind pharmaceuticals, so I chose chemistry as my major. At UA, there are different tracks within the chemistry major: Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Pre-Health. As I became more and more interested in the interface where biology and chemistry meet, I chose the Biochemistry track and an additional minor in Biology.

What are your career plans?
My next step is going to graduate school for my PhD. Fair warning to those considering a major in chemistry: a bachelor’s degree in this field qualifies you to do little more than wash dishes. While graduates with a B.S. in chemistry can (and do) go on to positions as research technicians, a chemistry degree is more often used as a stepping-stone to an advanced degree. Most people go on to graduate school or medical school.

I will be going on to graduate school in the biomedical sciences, more specifically, medical genetics and genomics. I want to be involved in clinical and translational research. Translational research, or “bench-to-bedside” research, is research that has direct applications to human health (as opposed to basic science research). You may have heard of dual MD/PhD programs for those who want to be a physician scientist—a doctor who also does research in his/her specialty. I want to do similar research that is very closely connected to medicine, except I don’t really want to be a doctor. Most MD/PhD’s eventually find themselves focusing on either medicine or research because of the training, experience, and narrow focus it takes to really be exceptional in either field, so why waste the time getting both degrees? Many medical schools across the country have recently been developing programs to address this need, incorporating medical curriculum and emphasizing clinical and translational research in order to produce PhD’s who have an understanding of medicine. (For more information on this type of program, check out http://www.hhmi.org/news/20081218MedintoGrad.html.)

Someday, I hope to work in clinical or translational research in an industry setting, probably in pharmaceutical research or in a hospital-based lab.

What has been your favorite class (required for your major) so far?
My favorite chemistry classes have been Biochemistry I and Biochemistry Lab, which should come as no surprise, given my concentration in biochem! I really liked these classes because they cover topics of biological importance: DNA, proteins, enzymes, and the chemical processes taking place in living cells. In the lab, we learn experimental techniques to observe, monitor, and even manipulate those processes in order to answer questions about how they work.

How many hours per week do you spend working on major-related activities?
That’s hard to say, because of course some classes are easier than others. One thing to realize is that lab courses involve more “contact hours,” but often require less time spent outside class studying the material. For example, this semester, I am taking Biochemistry Lab, a 3 credit hour lab course. We meet in the classroom for a brief lecture and instructions from 12pm-1pm, then the lab lasts from 1pm-7pm. That’s a long lab. However, because the course is focused on learning experimental techniques in the lab, there’s not much to study outside of class. I usually spend about an hour or two each week working on my lab report, and sometimes I’m even able to work on it in the lab while I’m waiting on a reaction to finish! Lecture courses, on the other hand, typically require a lot more time spent studying the material on my own.

Outside of class, I also devote a lot of my time (8-12 hours per week) to undergraduate research…read on to the next answer.

Anything else you would like to share?
Definitely get involved in undergraduate research! Most faculty are eager to let you work in their lab, as long as they have space available. All you have to do is ask! In order to find a professor whose research interests you, read their bios on the department website. You can also find out more about undergraduate research at UA by going to this website: http://www.as.ua.edu/undergraduateresearch/

If you don’t have the opportunity to do research during the semester, apply for summer internships. My internships helped me decide what I want to pursue for a career. Most research internships pay a decent stipend (maybe even housing), look great on your resume for graduate or medical school, and help you discover if science is the right field for you! The most valuable lessons I’ve learned in college have come from my participation in research. In science, new discoveries are being made every day. Many of the “facts” being taught in courses today will be changed or expanded upon soon after I earn my degree. What I will take from my education is not the facts I’ve memorized, but the curiosity to always be asking questions, and the knowledge and techniques necessary to be able to form hypotheses and test assumptions.