STATEMENT OF PURPOSE PhD in Biological Sciences
Becoming a scientist has always been a dream of mine. Having been brought up in an educated and secure family, I have been blessed to have parents who instilled me with good values and principles. Education was always given first priority and there was no compromise for it. I can’t go without saying that I am lucky enough to have my husband who is always my supporter and shows equal responsibility towards my education.
Science has always been a fascination to me from my childhood. The articles about late-breaking discoveries and research in the field of Microbiology and Molecular Biology intensified my interests in science. My passion for science coupled with relentless hard work and self-confidence rewarded me with a distinction of --% aggregate in my matriculation exam with --% in science. At the school level though exposed to only major concepts of biology, the terms like cell, genes, tissues, microbes etc intrigued me a lot. I always love to acquire knowledge in different fields of science other than restricting my knowledge in a specific field. Hence I was careful in selecting different subjects at different levels of my education. With this determination and the awareness of enormous number of challenges, in Science and technology have made me choose a triple main course for my bachelor’s degree with Chemistry, Microbiology and Plant science as the main subjects at xxx University, India.
Iwas very successful in my chosen field of graduation, that I have been exposed to many fields of study like organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, the methods of extraction qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemicals, cell biology, genetics general microbiology, food and dairy micro biology, industrial microbiology medical microbiology, immunology, plant science, phycology etc. I also got practical knowledge of techniques in the fields of chemistry, microbiology and plant science in my laboratory classes. Classroom seminars were best source for my advancement in learning science and always took an active role in giving seminars. I organized, managed and coordinated various inter-departmental events, which helped me to develop leadership and communication skills and was always interested to participate in all the departmental activities, study tours symposia and quiz programs. With this mindset, I gathered knowledge to succeed in my studies and stood first place, in class examinations throughout my graduation and won Gold medal for being the topper in chemistry and botany in university examinations at college level.
During my graduation I worked on projects such as “Investigation of different species of Bacteria and Fungi seen in the locality” (Water, Air & Food) of xxx College, India. The project includes isolation and identification of different strains of bacteria and fungi and classification of them into pathogenic and non pathogenic groups. The relative occurrence of different species also has been studied. Also I have been involved in the preparation of wine using fermentation technique. I conducted a “Study on the Flora of Coorg district, Karnataka, India and prepared a herbarium. In this I had collected and studied the morphology, anatomy and medicinal importance of different plants in the locality.
Even though I had a strong intension to direct my career towards research, I didn’t get a clear research direction in my early college period until I joined for post graduation in xxx medical college, xxx University one of the best medical schools and research centers in India. That is where I learned the basics of research under the guidance and supervision of well experienced and successful researchers.
In order to excel in graduate school, I decided I would not limit my experience to my formal education at xxx University and I selected medical anatomy for my master’s degree. I was proud to be one among four successful students from all over India who got admitted for the medical anatomy and cell biology course in xxx University. It was totally a different world to me, where I learned different disciplines of Medicine such as Biochemistry, Physiology and Anatomy during first year along with basic practical experience in all these subjects. For another two years I have learned in depth the Medical Anatomy along with Clinical Anatomy, Histology, Embryology and Cell biology. I have gained a highly extensive experience in dissection of human body and studied variations in human anatomy which I came across during my 3hrs of routine dissections. Also I have been through a project on anthropometric study of human skull. I have also gained experience in embalming and museum techniques, by preparing museum specimens for the Anatomy Museum at xxx Medical College, xxx which is a world famous Anatomy Museum. Moreover I gained experience in all the Histology Techniques available in histology lab including tissue collection, tissue processing, embedding, microtomy, staining techniques, microscopy etc. Using these techniques I prepared almost 50 histology slides of various organs (specimens).
I was actively involved in organizing medical symposia, CME’s (Continuing Medical Education) and workshops in our department and attended CME’s and workshops in different colleges in India. Also the orientation class on “research” which was organized by xxx University was a real informative one in developing and directing my research interests. I presented a paper on “Accessory hepatic artery from abdominal aorta at the 56th National Conference of Anatomical Society of India and it is published in “The Journal of Anatomical Society of India”.
During my post graduate program I involved in the teaching – learning programs of under graduate students of Medicine, Nursing, physiotherapy and other allied health programs , inclusive of labs (Dissection &Histology),small group teaching as well as supervised lectures as a compulsory part of curriculum from September 2004 to February 2008.
After my post graduation, I worked with xxx University from July 2008 up to March 2009, as a Lecturer in Department of Anatomy, at xxx Medical College, International Center which has students from USA and Canada. The teaching and evaluation methodology is compatible with International medical school format. These opportunities have reinforced my resolve to stay associated with academics and increased my respect towards the teaching profession.
Meanwhile I worked as a co investigator in one of the research projects on “The self reported biological problems in cell phone users” under the guidance of Dr. xxx, also participated in another ongoing research project to explore “The effect of cell phone radiation on the lens proteins and spatial memory performance of mice”. Both the projects are undergoing data analysis and we are working towards publishing it as soon as possible.
Molecular biology is another area that fascinates me and I believe that it is not just a tool that benefits an individual, but also the entire community and society at large. I have read a lot about the recent researches in the field of molecular biology worldwide. It is my conviction that a perfect professional is not born merely out of reading books but also through the acquisition of knowledge from various other sources. To gain my practical exposure in the field of Molecular Biology, I decided to begin my steps towards the research in Molecular Biology by volunteering in a lab. Hence I approached Dr. xxx and Dr xxx Molecular Biologists, xxx University and I am fortunate enough to work with them presently. Currently I am working on conventional and advanced molecular biology techniques such as chromatin immuno precipitation, western blot, gel electrophoresis, RNA interference, cloning, plasmid purification, PCR, transformation and so on. I consider this opportunity not only as a chance to excel in molecular biology techniques but also to understand the research environment at xxx university and also to have a closer understanding of the undergoing research programs. With this experience I foresee xxx University as the right destination to fulfill my dreams and to achieve my goals in research.
The diverse research interests of the faculty in the department of Molecular Biology, especially the projects of Dr. xxx and Dr. xxx, cannot go without saying and really looking forward to be a part of it.
All the projects and education played a key role in increasing my confidence and helping me to understand various concepts in science and to mould my research interests. Hence I believe that I have qualities and perseverance of a good researcher. I equally learnt many things from both positive and negative phases of my life. Graduate studies would provide me with the opportunities to attend advanced courses and be the stepping stone to my career in research. I also believe that God always showed me the right path and helped me to reach my goals. Hence I extend my hopes to study at xxx University, which I am, sure, will be the most logical extension of my academic pursuits and a major step towards achieving my objectives. I am a stern believer of attitude, quality, and hard work. I promise to attain meteoric heights and bring glory to your institution, if I am given a chance.
Thank You,
Name:
Email: xxx@gmail.com