David Beavers

Biomedical Engineering Major
University of Texas at Austin
SRTP Project: Locating the Gene for Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia
SRTP Faculty Mentor: Louis Ptacek, M.D.

How did you hear about the SRTP?
I was accepted to a program through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute called the EXROP program. I was then able to select from a list of projects all over the nation. I chose to work with Dr. Louis Ptacek at UCSF. Since I was an undergrad researching at UCSF for the summer, I was also placed in the SRTP program.

What were your expectations going in to the program? Did the program meet these expectations?
I really did not have a ton of expectations for the program because it was the first time I had ever spent a summer doing something like SRTP. I expected the research to be very time consuming and not to have too much free time. I thought that I would probably be known as 'the undergrad' in the lab and to be treated like that. I also expected the other students in the program to be really 'dedicated to school' and not very sociable.

In reality, there was a lot of time spent working, but since it is what I enjoy doing and can see myself doing in the future, it was a pleasure. However, there was definately no shortage of free time. I had plenty of time to tour the city, see movies, play basketball, head to Golden Gate park, take weekend trips to places like Lake Tahoe, go to baseball games, bonfires on the beach, parties at the dorm, and more. The students in the program and the S.A.'s were an amazing group of people that were fun to come home to and see throughout the day. I looked forward to going to work in the morning to work on my research and then I looked forward to coming home in the evening to hang out with my friends. In the lab, I was treated like a fellow researcher by my mentor and members of the lab. It made me very comfortable in the lab to feel so included in everything from lab discussions to lab social activities.

What did you learn / what skills did you acquire? Did you learn anything unexpected?
Of course I gained experience and learned about the environment of 'life as a grad student.' Immersing yourself in the setting as opposed to putting in a couple hours a week my home institution helped me learn a little more what going to grad school is like. I developed skills in public presentation. I was able to present my data in bi-weekly lab meetings as well as the final oral and poster presentations. By learning so much throughout the experience about my research, I gained confidence in presenting my research. This was the first time I had ever given an oral presentation of my work. The S.A.'s and the general meetings helped me prepare and I felt very comfortable. One thing that I learned unexpectedly was a little more about independence. I was completely independent in my lab, and it was up to me to make progress. Going into the program I would have been intimidated by the idea of not having a grad student right by my side guiding every step. In my circumstance, my grad student mentor actually had to go out of town for a three week period because of an unforseen situation. I knew that I had to step up and claim my project and not be scared of doing the work that I knew how to do and to also ask questions of other lab members and discussing issues with my mentor. I learned to be confident in my own abilities, knowledge, and skills in my work. This also helped when it came time to present my research. It helped me to develop a dynamic relationship with a lab that was mainly post-doc researchers.

Socially, I learned to take the most of situations. It was really fun to invest time and energy at making the most of being in San Francisco for a summer doing research. Putting energy and time into the research that excited me, putting effort to see the city, and to build connections with mentors, colleagues, and other SRTPers. It really made the most of the experience by not focusing on just one thing.

What did you think of the learning environment?
I had a very supportive lab that helped me develop my own tools to conduct research, even within my secondary analysis....they helped me relearn statistics and that alone is invaluable.

What are your future plans? Did the SRTP have any influence on these plans?
I am currently planning to apply to medical school and either pursue an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree. SRTP helped me learn a lot about the M.D./Ph.D. path and provided me with some contacts to help me with my decision.

Would you recommend SRTP to other students in your field of study?
The biomedical engineering field is really broad and so I would definately recommend other students in my discipline to do SRTP. SRTP gives the opportunity to work in a specialty that you are specifically interested in, or it allows you to branch off from your current focus and research in an area that you think you may want to pursue or are interested in. Definately a great way to spend a summer and get experience to put on grad school applications as well.

Do you have any additional comments about the SRTP that you'd like to share with students interested in applying?
This program went above and beyond what I ever expected from a summer program. It truly was a summer that won't be forgotten. I had an amazing time. I met great friends that I am still keeping in contact with, and I met great contacts at a renowned institution. I fell in love with the city and tasted almost everything it has to offer; from the music and culture to all the touristy sights to the people. It was very hard to leave it all behind. While the work demands time, if you love the idea of doing research at a great school in a great city with great people, then SRTP is a perfect fit for summer plans.