Synopsis: In this episode, we hear from Spencer, a PhD student currently participating in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Graduate Partnership Program (NIH-GPP) at Georgetown University. He shares his journey into the field of neuroscience research, including his experiences as a post-baccalaureate intern at the NIH and his decision to pursue a PhD. Spencer discusses the importance of being comfortable with failure in research as well as the value of asking creative questions and seeking out mentors for guidance. Spencer also reflects on the benefits of a career in research, including the opportunity to be creative and the satisfaction of making new discoveries.
Connect with Spencer with LinkedIn
Takeaways:
- The NIH-GPP program: Spencer is a second year neuroscience PhD student (predoc IRTA Fellow) at Georgetown who is part of the NIH-GPP. There are several benefits to being a part of the NIH-GPP, including conducting research and reaping the resources of the NIH. Georgetown, among other universities like Brown and Johns Hopkins, partners with the NIH to provide this program that effectively allows students to complete their course work at their home university and conduct research at the NIH.
- Let your values guide your way: Spencer was always interested in the foundations of behavior and cognition, so he originally thought that he’d pursue a career as therapist or psychiatrist. He ultimately chose to pursue a PhD so that he could be at the forefront of improving treatment options for mental illness.
- If you’re unsure about research, do research: Spencer’s time during a NIH post baccalaureate program (Postbac IRTA Fellow) solidified his interest in pursuing a PhD, as it allows the creative freedom to ask new questions and subsequently run experiments.
- Expectations are just expectations: Upon entering his PhD program, Spencer expected heavy literature review but did not expect that neuroscience would be so wide-ranging and interdisciplinary.
- Don’t be afraid to fail: Spencer advises undergraduate students to be comfortable with failure and to not be discouraged by null results or experimental failures, as they can still lead to learning and skill development.
- Goals: In five years, he hopes to have completed his PhD and be working as a staff scientist or principal investigator. In ten years, he hopes to still be involved in neuroscience research at an academic or private institution.
Reflection:
Spencer was the first talent I interviewed. Admittedly, I was pretty nervous. But I quickly realized how receptive he was to my questions. This generally made it easier to ask questions and gather helpful information about the program he’s in, and uncover his prior and current experiences.
Overall, I think Spencer’s story on how he ended up at the NIH-GPP program at Georgetown is a relatable one and offers some realistic advice that we can all apply to our lives. Spencer was initially on track to become a psychiatrist, but taking a deeper dive into research helped him realize the career he ultimately wanted to pursue. As we expose ourselves to new fields and new information, our interests change. Leaning on those interests will take us to places we never thought we’d be.
Moving forward, I’ll be giving further thought to Spencer’s journey into research, which was one that was guided by his own interests rather than external influences. As an ambitious premed during my freshman year, I caught myself pursuing something before doing my due diligence and exploring other options.. By talking to students like Spencer, I hope to clarify the things I don’t know yet and eventually become confident in what I want.
I’ll also be reflecting on what Spencer had to say about being comfortable with failure. I’ve been conducting research for almost a year and half now, and failures have not been a foreign foe. I believe that internalizing the notion that one should be comfortable with failure will bring about fruitful experiences—not just in the lab but in the classroom and life too.
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