April 10, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR J. LEE PELLEGRINO-GENSEY IN NJ
My recommendation for high school classes for people interested in research
careers would include math (as high as you can get, especially algebra,
graphs, and statistics), writing (because you will need to communicate your
research clearly), computers (become familiar with writing, spreadsheet,
presentation, and graphing programs), and chemistry. I found that I picked
up all the biology I needed in college for my career as a cell
biologist/immunologist, but that having a chemistry background from high
school helped a great deal in freshman chemistry in college. Depending on
the kind of research you are interested in a background in physics can be
helpful, if only to get you started in college physics (probably mandatory
for most science majors). If you can get into an independent research
project with a teacher or someone outside of school that would be valuable
to let you have a glimpse into what research is like - it may not be what
you expect and it can help you shape your expectations for college and
career. On your own, read popular science magazines like Scientific
American, Discover, National Geographic, and Popular Science and see what
catches your interest. Take a peek at the journals Science and Nature at
your local public library or college library to see what scientific writing
looks like and the skills you would need to have to present your data. Have
fun!
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A: FROM MENTOR DIANA DIONISIO IN CA
There isn't much of a variety when it comes to high school math and science courses, so take as many as you can to be exposed to the subject. Many science majors require some level of calculus, so try to take that if you can. Until you figure out exactly what major or type of science your interested in researching, just try to take as many sciences as you can because they are often related and colleges require certain things for general education.
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A: FROM MENTOR MINI VARUGHESE IN MD
Advanced math including calculus is a must. Advanced physics, biology, chemistry are standard. A good writing course so that you can prepare grant applications (most are awfully written and do not get funded). It will also help for when you write publications. Debate class for when you have to present your work and defend it. Photography or art for creating those PowerPoint presentations and pictures for your paper. The number of times I have seen presentations with yellow letters on a white background: not a good choice. Foreign languages may do you good if you think you might do training in another country or go to another country for conferences. Computer languages for creating that new program to analyze or capture your data. Electronics or shop to design that instrument that doesn't exist yet. Once you get the basic science courses covered (first two sentences), take whatever you want. They will all come in handy. I actually took shorthand as a filler course and I still use it to take lecture notes.