Bend+Research+-+Patricia+Hooker

I'm Patricia Hooker Carol Higginbotham CH 335 06 March, 2011 __ Bend Research Inc. __ The class trip to Bend Research Inc. on March 4, 2011 was very insightful to me. I have been considering what path I want to choose for my career. This has been an extremely difficult process, as everything seems to be what I want to do! I have contemplated many options including but not limited to genetic counseling, research scientist, field scientist in biology, physical therapy, and personal training. All of these have felt like “the one” in terms of a career for me at some point. Bend research was a great way for me to explore the option of a research scientist and what the actual position would be like. I have never had the opportunity to experience a real lab before. I have only been exposed to tv depictions and class settings, which are far from the real thing. Things are not as glamorous in real life as they are on tv, which was no shock. I actually thought that the Bend Research facility in Tumalo was extremely pleasant. It felt small but at the same time, extremely important. I loved that atmosphere and all of the people were very inviting and pleasant. Although I enjoyed the experience of seeing the inner workings of a research facility, it did convince me that research is not the path that I want to follow. I can definitely see why some people love it and can do it for their whole lives, but for me it was just too quiet and dull. I do not mean dull in any negative or offensive way to the people that enjoy working there, I just do not believe that I would be satisfied in a job that didn’t require me to move around and be active all the time. On a day to day basis, I think that I would feel restless in a research position. My favorite section of the tour was the biological portion. If I were to work in a research lab, that would be the department that I would want to work in. I found it fascinating how they tag the proteins and adjust different aspects of the procedure to increase the yield of that specific protein. I learned about these sorts of techniques during my bio-sciences courses and I love to see that it is happening right here in Central Oregon. Many times, the topics covered in science classes seem like very distant ideas so it was refreshing to see it so close to home. Bend Research Inc would be an amazing opportunity for any Cascades student interesting in an internship in science. This facility alone has so much to offer in terms of the technologies available. Students do not need to travel far to gain a deep understanding and a broad exposure to scientific research methods. I loved this field trip and definitely think that it should be a continued feature of the organic chemistry sequence. It was very valuable in many ways.

You are absolutely right that it is amazing to have Bend Research right in our backyard for student internships. It's not a typical thing to have in a town this size. Much of the pharmaceutical industry is in New England or the upper midwest, in more populated and more industrial places. We are very lucky!

If this was a chance for you to try on the idea of lab research, then that's great. I expect that since you take a deliberate, analytical approach to your decision making (as far as I can tell) that this was a good experience for you, even if it had you thinking you would not want to work there. In addition, the environment at BRI is actually very nice compared to some other lab facilities. They have lots of windows, grass outside, etc..

Thanks for your comments! Carol