My Desire To Tie My Life With Chemistry
To me, chemistry is more than a subject taken in school or a field in science, chemistry is the broad term which encompasses everything in our universe. I have always been very curious and being inquisitive, I found myself constantly questioning the world around me and I quickly realised that the answers to my questions have always come from chemistry and so I became increasingly obsessed with the subject. Testament to that, is my tattered copy of ‘The Elements’ by Theodore Gray which I must have read about a dozen times sitting in the corner of my room.
My fascination flourished exponentially, and by the age of 12 I was already an avid reader of The New Scientist and of Nature magazine. My only reasoning being that I was too impatient to wait to become part of the advancing scientific community. I was always interested in the topic of sustainability, and whilst reading a study about the applications of Layered double hydroxide’s in catalysis to decrease energy consumption, I came across a professor of inorganic chemistry; Professor D. M. O’Hare, who stated that it was the responsibility of our generation to solve the energy crisis which instilled a sense of purpose into me to help lead save our world from its imminent demise. I would like to join the RSC challenge team as I believe that this will broaden my awareness of the chemical field and what it entails as you can only learn so much in chemistry before having to experiment for yourself as the great Aristotle once said “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. ” Furthermore, having already embarked on lab work experience in which I shadowed a scientist in the summer, my interest in the subject has peaked and I wish to further continue acquiring skills and knowledge which I may use in my future career. This is because I wish to pursue medicine as a career and the role of a chemical analyst is paramount to our understanding of the human body as, a chemical analyst can with great precision, tell the composition of each one of the manifold substances in our body which in cases of disease can give us excellent clues to the way in which the various functions of the body depart from the normal (possibly due to a deficiency), and thus confers important aid in diagnosis and the suggestion of suitable treatment and so it is of utmost relevance to what I wish to do in the future. With this in mind, I think that partaking in the RSC analytical competition will not only greatly enhance my skills which will be invaluable to me in the future should I choose to conduct my own research, but will give me a more informed understanding of the medical and scientific field.
Moreover, I wish to experience working as a team in a scientific context as all of my prior experiences involving teamwork in this manner have been through practicals in class which I have thoroughly enjoyed as they have given me an insight into what working in a lab environment with others to reach a shared goal would entail and so joining the analytical competition would give me more experience on a larger scale as we would be marching into unknown territory similar to what I would be doing if I were to carry out my own research. I also wish to apply my acquired knowledge from the classroom and from other sources as I think it will also help my overall understanding of chemistry.
With all factors in mind, I urge you to consider me as a candidate for the analytical competition as it would prove to be immensely insightful and I think that I am well suited for the task. The endless applications of chemistry have also never ceased to amaze me; from using DNA as a flame retardant to using diamond Nano threads as a basis for a potential space elevator. I would like to join the chemistry challenge team as I believe that I am well suited to the task as I have many attributes and prior experiences which may prove to be very useful in the challenge.
Most importantly, I think that a wider interest into the chemical field is paramount to being a good candidate for the team. Being the leader of the Medical society I must constantly keep up to date with any new advancements in the scientific field which is easy for me as I am obsessed with all sciences particularly chemistry as it bridges all concepts in the other sciences together. I am an avid reader of The New Scientist and of Nature magazine as I like to be informed of current advancements in the scientific field as it makes me feel more involved in the scientific community. Furthermore, it fascinates me how the field of chemistry is continuously evolving and how something as common as an enzyme can be used to manufacture everything from biofuels to pharmaceuticals or how antibodies are now being discovered to help cure cancers and autoimmune diseases by a phage display; a recently discovered chemical method.
Moreover, I am also familiar with many analytical methods since I shadowed a scientist in a laboratory for a long period during the summer. For example, I am quite familiar with using the spectrophotometer to measure optical density as during my time in the lab, we conducted several experiments which involved measuring the number of bacteria in a solution using the optical density of that solution and a calibration curve. Furthermore, I am also quite adept at serial dilution as I had to practice pipetting multiple times. Through this process, I have learnt the importance of accuracy in experimentation and how impactful cross contamination can be which I learnt first-hand by forgetting to change the ends of my pipette when pipetting a different solution. In addition to this, I learnt how important sterile conditions are when it comes to experimentation (this can also be to prevent cross contamination) from having to constantly use the autoclave on every piece of apparatus and meticulously cleaning my workplace before and after with a disinfectant.
I think that my problem-solving ability could also be an asset to the team as if a problem were to arise for example, if we were asked to use a method of analysis which we are unfamiliar with to find a particular variable, it would be preferable to come up with the best way to find that variable. Being an Arkwright associate, I had to go through a rigorous selection process in which my problem-solving ability was thoroughly tested. Furthermore, I have achieved gold in both junior and intermediate maths challenges further demonstrating my aptitude.
Considering the nature of the challenge, it is also important that one possesses the ability to work together with others cohesively in a team. This ability is one that I have developed through many experiences. To name a few; I have partaken in the national citizen service program which was a rigorous four-week process in which I had to learn to live with complete strangers and orchestrate multiple fundraising events for two different charities. Moreover, I have completed both my bronze and silver DofE in which I have seen first-hand the limits of people in my group and have learned to manage my team in order to keep things running smoothly.
Similarly, leadership is also a quite an important attribute as, if the opportunity presents itself, one must be able to calmly organise a team for the most efficient workings of that team. As a senior member of the RAF, I have had to oversee the training of many younger cadets and have had to give multiple lessons as well as having to command the section in numerous drills. In addition to this, as I have already stated, I am the leader of the medic society and as the leader I have had to organise events such as talks given by prestigious speakers. Such skills may come in useful when trying to organise a team in a competitive and stressful environment such as when competing in the challenge.
With all factors in mind, I urge you to consider me as a candidate for the RSC analytical team as I think I am well suited and it would be immensely insightful for me as I aspire to go into the medical field and conduct my own research in labs which may involve using the vital experience which I might acquire from this challenge.
