<p>Hi, everyone!
So I JUST got accepted to an internship at my nearby college for biomedical engineering (I think). Currently, the prof. and the post-doc (who will be the one guiding me) are doing stem cell research. I'm really excited, but nervous, because my absence of lab experience and my lack of knowledge (only have bio and chem honors knowledge) are probably not that helpful. I actually just read a ton about stem cell basics on the NIH website and other resources. But she did accept me, so I do get a chance to show them that I won't bother them and help them as much as I can! Can anyone give me any advice? THANK YOU!</p>
<p>By the way, the reason I want to stay in this internship so bad is because I'm really interested in biomedical engineering and other similar areas. I think that research and hands-on lab experience would help me SO much. Of course, I probably won't get to play with the chemicals and cell culturing until I learn more about lab safety :P</p>
<p>I was in the same boat. I’m in an organic chemistry lab this summer, and going in all I remembered from general chemistry was stoichiometry. </p>
<p>It has been really overwhelming at times, but I have definitely learned so much! Just go in willing to learn and if you don’t understand something, just ask questions. Researchers don’t accept high school students into their labs and expect them to know everything. Although my mentor just threw me in and had me running my own syntheses within the first few days, and I made many mistakes, I’m come a long way in just the past five weeks. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Wow, thank you so much! I’m sure this advice will help me a lot, because I have no clue what to expect in the lab I’m working at (although I was able to look around a little).
I’ll probably be reading a ton of science publications on stem cells, until I can actually talk and sound like I have an idea of what goes on. Meanwhile, I’m just going to be helping him with supplies and making solutions, haha.
If you don’t mind me asking, what grade are you in/going to be?</p>
<p>Yeah, when I got there the first thing my mentor did was hand me a textbook and said “start reading.” Haha! </p>
<p>I’m going to be a senior this year.</p>
<p>Haha yeah, I just realized my professor meant that she wanted me to do non-lab work. -________- Does anybody think that means I’m not supposed to come there anymore?</p>
<p>Maybe that you will be working more with data summary or something like that, not as much hands on with the experiments/lab work? They will still want you at the same location.</p>