Health Science Reviews

by Kamva Dukada 

At the start of my postgraduate honours journey, I expected a year primarily focused on academics. However, what unfolded surpassed my academic expectations; it turned into a melody of personal and intellectual highs. Now, as I approach the end, I find myself immersed in the harmonies of a truly metamorphic experience.

Transitioning from medicine into a research-intensive environment brought forth a blend of apprehension and excitement. While my undergrad provided foundational knowledge, it did not fully expose me to the intricacies of working in the lab, collaborating with colleagues, and the relentless pursuit of protocol optimisation. Little did I anticipate that this shift would not only broaden my understanding but also become the trigger for a profound evolution in my approach to learning and problem-solving.

Going through this unexplored territory wasn’t just about building my lab skills. It was also about bonding with seasoned scientists and peers who shared the curiosity and like for science that drove them here. We were all in on this quest for answers, and suddenly, asking questions and tossing around ideas became the norm. I learned that teamwork is not just a buzzword; it is where the real magic happens.

The repetitive nature of tweaking protocols over and over was like a never-ending dance, but it turned into this determined quest to master the game. Every hiccup was not a roadblock; it was a chance to get better, sharpening my thinking and fuelling my stubborn resolve to solve problems. What seemed scary at first became this crazy source of motivation, especially when experiments began yielding substantial and transformative outcomes, marking pivotal milestones in my academic trajectory.

The composition of my thesis was not just a scholarly artifact but a testament to my intellectual journey. The late-night sessions spent reading articles, refining arguments, the challenging development of hypotheses, and the victorious moments upon breakthroughs all resonate with the story of a year committed to pushing intellectual boundaries.

Looking back on this ride, that initial nervousness has transformed into a wild appreciation for the unpredictability of research. It is not just about learning more; it’s about diving headfirst into discovery mode. The nerve-racking and heart-pounding moments of this adventure? They’re part of a story that’s changing how I see my scientific world, and I’m all in for the next chapter.