Megan Makela 9 January 2014 Problem 2 Reflection

1. Think about all that you learned, discussed, and completed as you worked through this mission. Write a ONE paragraph reflection describing TWO subjects covered in this mission. Describe your level of interest in these subjects and why you would or would not like to pursue these topics further.

Problem 2 brought together many different subjects and topics that we had discussed in previous years of the biomedical program, as well as in other courses. Two subjects that were particularly prevalent in this mission were statistical analyses and wiring an experimental design. Both of these topics are relatively interesting to me, and I am very familiar with writing and following an experimental design. Obviously, statistics is a field of mathematics that deals with the collection, analysis, and presentation of any type of data. Statistics and statistical analysis arent limited to use with exclusively experimental data, but are also used in observational data and in everyday situations like advertising or class rankings. Statistical analyses are very useful in providing a unbiased interpretation of data, but they can also be manipulated in several different ways. Closely tied with data collection is an experimental design, a written scientific document that describes a problem, as well as a procedure for collecting data and the analysis of that data. Experimental design is very interesting to me, and I love the process of creating and carrying out an experiment, whether its true experimental or quasi-experimental (observational).

2. Consider the various biomedical career fields involved in the topics covered in this mission. Describe TWO of these career fields and explain which career, if any, you would be interested in pursuing. Explain why this field interests you. If you are not interested in any of the careers, explain why not.

Although this mission brought together many different careers, from advertising agencies to cardiologists, the two that we focused the most on were research scientists and biomedical scientists. Research scientists are found throughout many fields of science, including medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and more. Their jobs are pretty straightforward: the do scientific research. To lead scientific research projects, these scientists usually must had a graduate degree in a related field (chemistry, molecular biology, etc.), and additional knowledge about statistics and bioinformatics. These research scientists plan and conduct experiments, write and submit reports, and collaborate with other scientists and institutions, among other things. Biomedical scientists are similar to research scientists, but have a more specific doctoral degree in biomedical sciences. They research they do about cells, molecules, and organisms (healthy and diseased) fills the gap between basic science and medicine. Biomedical science is very interesting to me, although Id rather pursue a graduate degree by going through medical school. My undergraduate major, however, is biomedical engineering. Ill get to study aspects of biomedical sciences, as well as the physical sciences that engineering deals with. I actually plan to apply for a summer internship program to spend completing biomedical science research.

3. Propose an additional (ONE) problem or question for scientific investigation that relates to clinical medicine or effective patient care.

Does the age and gender of an individual effect his/her ability to return to resting heart rate after aerobic exercise?

AGCAS Editors. (2013, October). Research scientist (medical). Retrieved from http://www.prospects.ac.uk/research_scientist_medical_job_description.htm Association of American Medical Colleges. (2014). Ph.d. in biomedical sciences. Retrieved from https://www.aamc.org/students/research/phd/