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 My interest in graduate school began while taking a general
microbiology course during my junior year of college at Stephen F.
Austin State University. As the semester progressed, I found myself
increasingly fascinated with this particular field, especially in the
areas of environmental and clinical microbiology. My initial involvement
in research began while carrying out an undergraduate project involving
the process of bioremediation (detoxification of contaminated soil
through stimulation of endogenous flora) during my senior year. Upon
completion of my Bachelor of Science degree, I pursued a Masters degree
continuing my work in environmental microbiology. I used this time to
decide if I wanted to seriously pursue a career in research and
eventually decided to proceed on this course. My decision was to
continue in the field of microbiology, but my growing interest in
infectious disease research impacted my decision to pursue a Ph.D. in
clinical microbiology.
I wanted to
attend an institution that allowed me to remain in Texas and relatively
close to my family and friends. I also felt that there were plenty of
reputable schools within the state in which to seek my degree. To
increase my chances of admission, I applied to every state institution
offering a doctoral degree in microbiology. I was granted interviews to
several schools which included Texas A&M, University of Texas Medical
Branch, Baylor College of Medicine, and University of Texas Health
Science Center in Houston.
After interviewing at various schools and receiving several letters of
acceptance, I decided to pursue my Ph.D. at The University of Texas
Medical Branch. There are several reasons why I made this choice. First
of all, I was currently working as a research assistant in a cancer
research lab at UTMB and thus I already had some insight into what the
school and graduate program had to offer. I had also concluded that UTMB
had a much more diverse faculty which could provide a wider selection of
research interests in comparison to other institutions at which I had
interviewed. This was one of the critical factors on which I based my
decision. I had not yet decided on a particular area to pursue my
research, and, therefore, I wanted the flexibility of attending an
institution which provided me with the most options. Other
factors included competitive stipends, location, and cost of living. The
UTMB Graduate Program offered competitive funding and Galveston seemed
to be most reasonable choice when addressing the other factors.
The
interview process at UTMB and the other institutions was very similar
regarding the interviews and activity schedule. This mainly included a
full day of back-to-back interviews, meals with different students and
faculty, and touring the local area with nightly activities. Some
institutions presented a more sociable and relaxed atmosphere, while
others appeared were less personable and exhibited almost a
business-like environment. The latter was definitely a concern when
considering that I would be working in this environment for several
years. I found UTMB to be an intermediate between these two settings and
that was the work environment that I found most appealing. I found
myself to be in a unique situation during some of my interviews. Some of
the schools sent me letters of acceptance prior to being interviewing. I
must admit that the stress of the interview process was relieved to a
great degree when interviewing with these schools which contrasted the
traditional interview process. I found my experience to be more of one
in which I was evaluating the schools to make my decision on which to
attend as opposed to which schools would admit me into their program. My
interview with UTMB gave me an overall idea of what to expect during my
first year of graduate school, but no one could really provide insight
into the highs and lows of what I would be going through my first year
of the program.
My
experiences with the integrated first-year curriculum were both positive
in some respects and negative in others. I liked the option of having
the freedom of not being forced to choose a department during my first
year of graduate school. The three core classes (Cell Biology,
Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics) were set up such that different
lectures were taught by different faculty members who specialize in that
subject area. The major flaw I found with this arrangement was that not
all faculty members were effective lecturers, and, thus, there would be
both productive and non-productive lectures based on the individual
lecturing styles of the speakers. This became a problem when preparing
for exams because questions based on lectures taught by the less
effective speakers placed me and my classmates at a disadvantage in
studying that material. This was due to the fact that the material was
not presented clearly and in an understandable manner thus resulting
with misinterpreted information or material which was not understood at
all. The core classes did, however, provide a nice foundation of
material from which I and my peers could expand upon as we began taking
our departmental classes. Another problem with the first-year curriculum
was the length and number of required course electives. These eight-week
courses were too brief to gain any depth of information from each class.
In addition, a number of these electives were required during the first
year of school which made me feel that the curriculum was substituting
quality for quantity in terms of these electives.
To pursue
my studies in infectious diseases, I decided to join the Microbiology
and Immunology Department upon entering my second year of the graduate
program. The criteria I used to base this decision included choosing a
department that would provide me with a strong foundation of basic and
traditional course work from which I could further extend my knowledge
of infectious diseases and their causative agents. With this department,
I felt confident that I could find that foundation through the required
departmental courses (Pathogenic Bacteriology, Virology, and Advanced
Immunology). I also felt very comfortable interacting with the
departmental faculty and staff, which is an element I didn’t experience
with other departments.
When
choosing my laboratory rotations, I attempted to select diverse labs
focusing on different pathogens and carrying out work on different
aspects of each microorganism. These rotations included working in labs
carrying out research in the fields of bacteriology and virology, each
focusing on different areas, such as molecular signaling mechanisms,
pathogenesis, surface protein characteristics, therapeutic treatments,
and genetics. I believe that choosing a lab is one of the most
significant decisions to make as a graduate student. Two major factors
which can impact an individual’s progress and overall experience as a
student include the working environment of the lab and the relationship
established with the primary investigator. When considering these
factors, I felt that additional rotations were a wise investment during
my search for a lab and pursued three rotations beyond the traditional
three required for my program.
I was also
looking for a mentor who would be supportive of my progress as a student
in their lab and one who would not treat me as just another technician.
On a personal level, I wanted a mentor to be someone who would allow me
the freedom to do my work at my own pace in their lab to meet my
personal deadlines. I also wanted a mentor who would make time in their
schedule for personal meetings so I could receive suggestions and
feedback regarding the progress of my work and interpretation of my
experimental data. As I progressed through my rotations it became
increasingly clear that I was interested in the field of bacteriology
and I was fortunate to find a mentor and a lab that I felt comfortable
joining and which satisfied most of the attributes I was looking for.
While my interactions with other researchers during my rotations were
very positive experiences, those labs did not satisfy my expectations
for the environment in which to work for the duration of my graduate
studies. In the event that I would have been forced to choose between a
laboratory which conducted research focused specifically on my
scientific interest or a lab which provided a positive and productive
work environment, I would have chosen the latter. I feel that your work
environment can have a major impact on your attitude towards your
research and productivity in the lab. When looking at the process of
graduate school as a whole, this is only a temporary compromise until
graduation after which you can pursue your own particular research
interests for the remainder of your career.
The most
miserable and yet fulfilling experience that I have experienced as a
graduate student has been the dreaded qualifying exam. This exam has
been a major decisive factor for the direction my own career as well as
my fellow graduate students. I have witnessed my peers both successfully
excel through this “trial by fire” and continue in their graduate
programs while others were dismissed from their respective departments
or chose to leave of their own accord. It eventually becomes a decision
of what one is willing to sacrifice to acquire their doctoral degree. In
my case, I had already sacrificed enough of my time and money to
complete the first half of my graduate studies. I had already survived
the onslaught of first year classes and departmental classes, and I was
determined to graduate. I spent several months writing my proposal and
preparing for my oral examination. For those who have never taken this
exam, it is quite difficult to decide how to prepare for it due to the
variability among committee members for each student and different
departmental requirements. I felt that I prepared as thoroughly as I
could and was overwhelmed with the amount of information I attempted to
learn both from my classes and the scientific literature on which my
proposal was based. As I presented my proposal to my committee I started
to have difficulty in defending certain aspects of my experiment designs
which I proposed in my aims sections. The questions seemed to increase
and I started to feel my confidence decline further and further. It is
at this particular point that one’s committee members start to “smell
blood and then go in for the kill”. It was not that I felt my committee
members were unfair in their evaluations and final decision, but,
regardless, the final judgment was not in my favor. It is at this point
I felt like someone had just dropped a car on my head. I was devastated,
angry, sad, and extremely disappointed. After a few days of reflection,
I looked at my options which were: one, to re-evaluate my career choice
or two, to re-take the exam in a year (this was standard procedure for
my department). After much thought, I decided to pursue option two. Much
to my excitement and joy, the results of my second examination were the
exact opposite of the first. Not only was my committee pleased with my
performance in contrast to my first examination, I was ecstatic by the
compliments from different committee members with respect to my overall
presentation. This made my decision to retake the exam well worth the
wait. What I took away from this experience is that one should never
give up own their career goals, but to remain focused and persistent
until they finally reach that goal.
Since the
qualifying exam, I have gained a renewed determination to push forward
with my research and graduate with my doctoral degree. I am currently in
the process of applying for candidacy and forming the supervisory
committee for my dissertation project. I maintain positive relationships
with my fellow students, departmental faculty, and staff. All of these
individuals can be very helpful on many levels--whether it be advice on
a particular experiment or help in making handouts for a presentation. I
feel I have a good relationship with my mentor. He is very supportive of
my work and growth as a student. I’m given the freedom to carry out my
research at my discretion and seek independent support and guidance from
other faculty members. I am satisfied with my lab and the availability
of equipment that I use to carry out my research. Moreover, in the event
my lab does not have what I need to perform a task, I can always seek
assistance and equipment from neighboring labs which is a nice
alternative. At this point in my graduate career, I have no regrets
about the lab and mentor I have chosen. After almost two years of
research and being awarded external fellowships, I feel that if I had to
change mentors it would be at a great disadvantage to me, considering
the amount of research I have completed and the time I have invested in
my work. I feel that the guidance I have received from my mentor thus
far has been very valuable, and the continued support I receive from
other faculty members has had a major impact as I continue through the
second half of my graduate career. I’ve had limited interactions with
the Dean’s office and the graduate school administration, but those few
interactions have been very positive and efficient when support was
requested.
My
experiences, thus far, from the graduate program have definitely
confirmed my decision to further pursue clinical research in the
academic or private sectors. I am even considering pursuing an M.B.A. to
become more competitive for potential jobs if I do decide to look into
business-related areas such as biotechnology. However, my future
direction has not yet been formulated. I’m keeping my options open to
see what opportunities become available as I approach graduation. My
present career objectives remain consistent with my goals from beginning
the graduate program at UTMB. Two major contributing factors which have
helped me stay on track continue to be the support I have received from
my mentor, peers, and departmental faculty, and the encouragement given
to me by my qualifying exam committee after completing my second
qualifying examination. In addition, my determination and persistence
have helped me to continue my journey through the graduate program until
I acquire my degree. After graduation, I look forward to continuing my
career as a scientist and contributing to my respective scientific area
of interest.
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 After
college, I was employed as an emergency room
technician for two years. At that time, I was
still interested in getting into medical school
and wanted to work in a medically related field
to bolster my next application. However, the
longer I worked in a hospital setting, the more
I realized that I wanted to do something else
with my life. I began looking into other
careers, besides clinical medicine that I could
pursue with my bachelor’s degree in Biology.
Noting that the choices were limited unless I
sought more education, I looked into several
programs that were Master’s level since I felt I
wasn’t academically prepared for doctoral work.
I was accepted into the University of the
Incarnate Word Graduate Program and was about to
take classes when the graduate advisor took an
interest in me and offered me a research
position in his lab. Since I was a minority
student, I qualified for funding through the
South Texas Doctoral Bridge Program, which
sought to promote underrepresented minority
students to obtain a Master’s degree with the
notion that they will continue onto a doctoral
program in the biomedical sciences. I was
immediately intrigued and fascinated with the
research that was being conducted in my mentor’s
laboratory and it was soon after that I would
continue on after I was finished at UIW in
pursuit of a Ph.D.
The research that I conducted for my Master’s degree focused on
both parasitology and immunology. As I was
looking at various Ph.D. programs that focused
on both areas, I was happy to find that UTMB had
faculty whose research interests coincided with
mine. I did look into other programs as well,
but they were much further from my home and the
areas of research were not as compatible with my
own. UTMB won out over the others after I had an
opportunity to come down to Galveston and meet
with the faculty and departmental staff of
Microbiology and Immunology. I was able to see
first hand the many opportunities for
collaboration across disciplines and departments
which was very appealing to me, especially
coming from a small University where access to
such experts was not available.
The entire interview process here at UTMB was extremely well
organized. Transportation, lodging and daily
events were all taken care of so we as potential
students could focus on the interviews and the
weekend itself. All the students and staff
involved in the recruitment activities were
truly enthusiastic about the graduate school and
encouraged us to give UTMB the chance to provide
us with the same experience. It was a very
pleasant event in comparison to my other two
interview trips. On both trips, the weekends
were not well organized and the interview
sessions seemed more like interrogations.
Instead of placing a welcoming front, the
faculty had an attitude that we should consider
ourselves lucky to be there and that they were
doing us a favor by taking time out of their
busy schedules to talk with us. On both of my
other interview trips, we were made to feel like
that the whole process was thrown together at
the last minute, rather than timely and
thoughtfully organized as was the case here at
UTMB. Overall, the recruitment weekend was the
final factor that helped me decide to come to
UTMB for my continued graduate education.
During the UTMB interview process, I asked many
questions about the first year curriculum. One
of the main areas of concern, at that time, was
the status of the Biochemistry course. The class
before experienced high attrition rates due to
the disorganization and difficulty of the
course. Therefore, the summer prior to my
enrollment, I spent time reviewing old material
from my college course in order to get a head
start. Thankfully, my prudence paid off as I did
well in the class. Had the present students not
informed us of the problems that had been
occurring, I would not have been as prepared to
face all the challenges that class would
present. It is my firm belief that I was
provided all the necessary information in order
to begin my graduate work here at UTMB. All the
advice and forewarnings cannot replace actual
hands on experience. Fortunately, I was ready
for this phase of learning.
When I received my letter of acceptance, I was immensely thrilled
that I had been accepted into the graduate
program. It was the culmination of many years of
hard work and sacrifice finally paying off.
While I was excited about the chance to do my
doctoral work here at UTMB, I also knew that it
was going to take continued dedication and
perseverance in order to excel in the graduate
school to finally obtain my goal of earning my
doctoral degree.
The BBSC was one of the other attractive features of the UTMB
graduate school. In all the other universities
that I looked it, this was the only one that had
such a program, which I thought would be highly
beneficial. I felt that both the Biochemistry
and the Cell Biology courses were well organized
and taught. However, the Molecular Genetics
course was overburdening at times. There was too
much information and many of the instructors
felt quantity was more important than quality,
although there were several lecturers that did
an excellent job in relaying the material. The
modular courses were good overall. However, at
that time, there were too many with limited
flexibility as to which one could take.
Fortunately, this issue has been resolved.
The degree of difficulty and the demands of the
core curriculum were quite challenging, but
overall fair. In most instances, all the
instructors involved were very helpful when we
sought additional information covering their
topic area. They also made themselves available
for out of class consultations if we needed more
interaction beyond the allotted class time.
I feel that the integrative BBSC curriculum did
help open my horizons by pointing out other
perspectives in science to address the questions
that I was most interested in. While the area of
research that I wanted to participate in did not
change, I believe by going through the BBSC, it
allowed me to consider approaches, techniques
and methodologies that I would not have known
were available had I not taken those courses. In
essence, I think that BBSC helped make me a more
well-rounded student, as well as a researcher.
My major research interest is parasitology;
however, as part of my career goals, I wanted to
gain expertise in other areas of infectious
disease research, namely microbiology and
immunology. The M&I department was perfectly
suited for my interests and were responsive to
me since day one. In my brief interactions with
both the faculty and the staff, I found them to
be welcoming and helpful, which further
facilitated my decision to join the department
after BBSC.
While the BBSC curriculum was challenging, the
courses and course load in the Micro department
were even more intensive. However, since my
interests lie in these areas, I accepted the
difficulty head-on and tried to learn everything
that I could read. I felt that the departmental
specific curriculum was extremely well organized
and most instructors were very enthusiastic
about their particular topic area. The subject
matter was broad, but not too much so as it
covered more in depth areas that were also of
significance. I also believe that the degree of
difficulty was proper in preparation for taking
my qualifying examinations that followed in the
Spring semester.
After my acceptance to UTMB, I had already
picked two potential mentors that I wanted to
work for. The summer before I started classes, I
got in contact with Dr. Lynn Soong, whose
research focused on New World Leishmaniasis. She
had interviewed me during my recruitment weekend
and we discussed several projects that I found
interesting. After we met during the summer, I
wanted to do my first rotation in her lab and if
everything worked out, I would join as a full
time member after the second. Thankfully, I
found the research in her lab intriguing and the
questions that I could pose limitless. After
this rotation, I already decided that I wanted
to do my dissertation research her lab. I felt
that Dr. Soong’s research was a perfect
compliment to my interests, but also allowed me
the flexibility to venture into other areas
depending upon the direction of my findings. She
also exhibited trust and confidence in me during
my rotation in order to allow me to learn
without the fear of reprisal for making a
mistake. These reasons were important in helping
me decide to pick her as my mentor.
As for my second rotation, Dr. Soong helped me
to select an area that was far out of my range
of knowledge to help broaden my experiences. I
did a sixteen week rotation in Dr. Rafeul Alam’s
laboratory in the Internal Medicine Department.
The techniques and approaches that I learned
during this time were helpful once I returned to
Dr. Soong’s lab permanently. I don’t think that
I made any concessions during my rotations and
felt both experiences were equally helpful in
deciding on the laboratory that I would do my
dissertation research in. Dr. Alam left UTMB
shortly after my rotation. I have had no contact
with him subsequently, but I feel that he would
be receptive if I requested him to write on my
behalf.
The Micro department, unlike others, allows its
students to write their qualifying grant on
their potential dissertation research. This was
helpful on many levels. It forced me to
significant dive into the literature in my area
in order to get a firm grasp on the current
knowledge and what questions needed to be
addressed. It also was beneficial since I was
able to see the potential problems and pitfalls
with my research and learned how to avoid or
address these concerns. In essence, the entire
experience taught me first hand what I could
expect whenever I present my work at a
conference or symposium.
Thankfully, I passed my qualification exam the
first time and for the next several months, I
worked on improving my aims until I felt
confident that they were ready to be submitted
to the graduate school. The actual candidacy
application itself was easy since the graduate
school provided all the necessary instructions
and templates on how to submit our proposals. In
some ways, entering into candidacy is
unceremonious; however, it is highly significant
since it is a major step closer to achieving my
doctoral degree.
Everyone in the department has been incredibly
helpful and professional. From secretaries all
the way up to the department chair, we as
students in Micro are very fortunate to have
such a great support staff at our dispose. Dr.
Kley Hughes our program director and Dr. David
Niesel our chairman are both wonderful student
advocates and try to do everything in their
power to help improve the department, as well as
address student needs and problems. We are
indeed lucky to have two fine professionals such
as them who are watching out for our best
interests.
Like any relationship, my association with my
mentor has its good days and its bad days.
Fortunately, we are both professionals and are
able to work constructively through our
differences in order to reach our combined
goals. Apart from my research, I am also
responsible for keeping inventory on all our
animal stocks in the animal facilities,
monitoring our liquid nitrogen stores and
maintaining our parasite stocks. We are
fortunate to be well equipped in the lab for
nearly all of our research and the equipment
that we do lack is readily available via
departmental core facilities. This has
profoundly aided my work in that there is no
delay or little coordination with other labs in
order for me to generate data. This has made my
experience much more positive and less
frustrating in comparison to other students in
less equipped labs. I am confident in my
decision to join this lab and enjoy the research
that I am currently undertaking.
Witnessing first hand the excellence in academic
research here at UTMB has further reinforced my
determination to seek an academic post-doctoral
position upon graduation, My ultimate goal is to
seek a university position in order to become an
independent investigator. I have enjoyed the
cross-discipline and intradiscipline
interactions with my peers and professors and
look forward to years of continued
collaboration. My career objectives remain
consistent with my plans prior to enrollment to
the graduate program.
Outside of classwork and labwork for the past 1½
years, I have served as the President of the
Microbiology and Immunology Student
Organization. Last year I acted as the Micro
student representative to the Graduate Student
Organization. Throughout this time period, I
have also served as the student representative
on the Microbiology department’s Curriculum
committee.
The people and the potential knowledge that I
can gain from the interactions with my peers and
professors make it very satisfying to come to
work. Also, the possibility to learn something
new through my experimentations also makes me
look forward to coming into the lab and working
on my project. As much as I enjoy research, the
pitfalls and failed experiments can also make my
job very frustrating. Although I do recognize
this reality as part of the process, it still at
times can be disheartening.
Last year I attended the American Society for
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene meeting in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I had the
opportunity two present two talks, as well as
attend several symposia and other presentations
in my field. I felt I gained tremendous
knowledge and insight as to the current
direction of research in Leishmaniasis, as well
as other tropical diseases. I believe that my
preparation from my coursework, qualifying
examinations and research have more than
adequately prepared me for those talks.
Comparatively, many of the graduate students
that I encountered did not present papers.
Rather, they only had posters and many didn’t
even participate in those sessions. The training
that I have received at UTMB has made me very
competitive in the world of research and I
believe that I will have a tremendous advantage
over students when I seek to establish my
laboratory upon completion of my post-doctoral
training.
The mixture of cultures here at UTMB is quite
unique. Coming from institutions that were
predominately Hispanic, the experience here as
given me the opportunity to interact with people
from literally all over the world. It has been
an enriching experience and I feel that it has
greatly benefited my education, as well as my
growth as an individual. With the economics of
this century changing rapidly, we must be
conscious that all disciplines are becoming more
global and being able to interact with people
from very different backgrounds and with
different ideologies is critical for success.
Although the field of science has been more or
less borderless for years, I believe that we as
scientists have an added burden of getting
through the barriers of both spoken language and
scientific lingo in order to communicate
effectively with our colleagues from across the
globe. Therefore, maintaining and even improving
on the diversity at UTMB should be all our
concern as we march further into the
twenty-first century.
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 In 1996
I received a Masters of Science in Veterinary
Science (Microbiology) from Tuskegee University,
Tuskegee, Alabama. During my studies there, I
was involved with two major research projects.
The first project dealt with monitoring the
prevalence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7
in the gastrointestinal tract of slaughtered
cattle from the Southeastern United States. The
second endeavor was designed to determine
polymorphisms in the chromosomal-mediated
attaching and effacing (eaeA) gene of E. coli
isolated from humans and cattle. Shortly after
graduation I was commissioned into the United
States Army. During my tours of duty, I’ve
served in many places from the Southwestern
United States to Southwest Asia to Western
Europe and held positions such as Assistant
Chief of Microbiology, Humanitarian Medical
Civil Assistance Officer, and Chief, Immunology
Branch, respectively. Since graduating from
Tuskegee University and being commissioned in
the Army, my interest in microbiology (clinical
and research) has grown immensely. My quest for
a greater understanding of microbiology
stimulated me to pursue a terminal degree in the
biomedical sciences. I am certain that I am more
suited to serve military patients, healthy
soldiers, and civilians alike by the knowledge I
gained and will gain through the pursuit of a
Ph.D.
During my search for a graduate school, the
University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) was
highly regarded by certain senior ranking
military officials. I was informed that this
institution had established a very good working
relationship with the Department of Defense
particularly with the Army. Furthermore, I was
informed that forthcoming collaborations would
be of significant military importance. Taking
these factors into account my search for a
graduate school was narrowed considerably. Since
I was stationed in Germany, I was not required
to travel to the United States to conduct a
traditional graduate school interview at UTMB.
Members of the Microbiology and Immunology
Department conducted the interview
telephonically. I believe this process was as
informative as the normal interview process. I
did nevertheless interview in person at one
other institution and that experience was quite
pleasant. However, upon being informed of my
admission to UTMB, I was excited and my search
for a graduated school ceased.
My first month at UTMB was overwhelming. I had
been away from academia for over seven years and
developing the discipline to study was very
difficult. Once I overcame this obstacle and
learned the necessary background information,
the integrative Basic Biomedical Science
Curriculum (BBSC) was extremely informative and
enjoyable. The exposure to other areas of the
biomedical sciences is very import for students
since many are deciding on a field of study.
Given that I was sent here to continue my
education in the field of microbiology, my
curiosity for working in other fields was not
explored. My initial interests were to
concentrate on the immunology and molecular
genetics of biological warfare agents. At this
point my approach to solving issues that are
relevant to our fighting forces has changed.
This is due to the opportunity to participate in
novel work relating to the role of anthrax toxin
in immune cell death conducted here at UTMB.
Because I have a preset number of years to
complete my Ph. D., I needed to hit the ground
running. Other Army officers who completed the
Army’s fully funded long-term health
education-training (LTHET) program informed me
to choose rotations in laboratories that
collaborate. Subsequently all the work would be
applicable to my dissertation and I would gain
an additional six months in the laboratory.
Following this advice I was very fortunate to
find mentors who are conducting research that I
am very interested in and with dispositions that
are not disagreeable. In fact I truly believe my
mentors genuinely are concerned about my
progress as a student and as a soldier. This is
evident by the support given during my
preliminary exams for candidacy.
In the department of Microbiology and
Immunology, the qualifying exam consists of a
written grant proposal and an oral defense of
that proposal. Preparation for candidacy was the
most stressful event of my life and yet it was
invigorating at the same time. The stress arises
from being responsible for all the information
taught during your studies, but mostly from the
concern of failing. The invigoration is
stimulated by all that you learn from preparing
your grant proposal and the urge to defend your
ideas. Once you’re admitted into candidacy it’s
a glorious feeling to know that it’s only a
matter of subtraction of candidate from the
title Ph.D. candidate and you have achieved a
milestone of tremendous significance. I am
confident that the Microbiology and Immunology
Department’s curriculum prepared me to function
at the research scientist level commensurate
with my experience.
Upon completing my preliminary exams, I immersed
myself in solving the hypothesis of my proposal.
This is not always done by experimentation.
There is still a considerable amount of
literature review and tutoring by my mentor.
Regardless of how dedicated I am to my work
delays occur due to logistics, contamination, or
equipment failure. However, I must admit that
our laboratory and the department in general are
well equipped with the latest technology.
Overall I am very pleased with my current
situation. Foremost, I am treated with respect
as a human being. Additionally, given that this
field requires a certain level of cognitive
ability, I am very satisfied with the manner in
which my mentor receives my ideas even if they
are rejected. The atmosphere in the laboratory
creates an environment that is very conducive
for a developing student and research all
together. I have no regrets about my chosen
mentor or my daily routine. To use a military
term, my morale is very high. Furthermore, I’m
thankful for this opportunity to contribute to
science consequently the performance of my
duties are very gratifying.
Unfortunately, being on a timetable does not
allow for many extracurricular activities. I
have established many relationships with
students from many of the schools at UTMB. I
found it very interesting and informative to
learn about concerns of students in the other
schools. It is also encouraging to find students
of many different backgrounds and ethnicities
here at UTMB. This creates an environment that
more closely resembles our society.
Disappointingly, the faculty is not as diverse
as the student population; nevertheless they
have been very kind and welcoming. I have also
developed a fairly good relationship with many
of the secretaries and members of the
administrative staff. To date, everyone has been
cordial and willing to assist in any way
possible.
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