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Young Forensic Scientists Forum Newsletter - September 2003 |
| Getting involved in forensics was not something I woke up one day and decided I wanted to do. I wish I could say I was intrigued with the O.J. Simpson case, or that I had always wanted to work with DNA, or even that I wanted to work on crime scenes, but that simply wasn't me. During my undergrad years, I was like many science majors -- working towards a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. I was planning on going into medical school; it seemed the only reasonable thing to do since I enjoyed challenges and I liked science. It wasn't until after all the hard work, studying for the MCAT, sitting through the MCAT, and actually applying to medical school, that I decided it wasn't what I was meant to do. This left me with a degree almost completed and no place to use it. After a chance event involving my brother, a hitchhiker, and a geography mistake, I was introduced to the world of Forensic Science. The hitchhiker, who happened to be an attorney, talked with me about my concerns regarding life after my BS and told me about a field I would never even have considered - forensics. I was never given any indication that it was this glorious and adventurous job (like television would later portray); I was just told it was challenging and involved a lot of science. After much searching on the Internet, I made the general assumption that although it is possible to land a job in a forensics laboratory without a master's degree, there were many benefits to getting an advanced degree and gaining additional experience including being able to have a higher starting salary. I began applying to graduate schools immediately. I didn't have much time since all of this was happening my senior year of college, but I was accepted at Marshall University. For the next two years, I learned as much as possible at Marshall about DNA, my main interest. I landed a summer internship that proved invaluable in my later job search. Of course, writing about everything that happened during grad school would entail another article all together. So to sum up, I learned, passed my classes, and graduated. The next challenge was to find that dream job. I can say at this point of my journey I was pretty fortunate. I knew I wanted to come to the Washington, DC area, and luckily, there were many openings available. I began sending out applications, resumes, and a decent cover letters for DNA Analyst positions. Three months later I had my first interview with Orchid Cellmark Laboratories, a private lab outside the DC area. I am now in my second month at that very company. I am a DNA Analyst II (because of my maste’rs degree!!). I am in a good training program and am able to apply all the skills and facts I learned in grad school to my work. I encourage anyone who wants to venture into this field to be prepared for an environment that is not like the popular television shows. It is a field of details and organization. You will be guaranteed to use your science skills, and most of all, you will be participating in the rewarding world of forensic science. |
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© 2003 Young Forensic Scientists Forum / American Academy of Forensic Sciences |