Question: What is your advice to anyone who wants to become a microbiologist?

Danielle Nader answered on 19 Jan 2022:

Thanks for your question Guinevere!

I have a few points I wish I could tell myself when I was still in school:
1- Don’t let poor marks discourage you in school. Some examination systems are not compatible with everyone’s way of learning, so try to find the best study method that suits you and improve on that as early as possible. As for microbiology, don’t let negative data/experiments that don’t work discourage you from continuing. You will eventually find the answer, just have to keep trying!

2- Start building your scientific writing and reading skills early. Being in a STEM career means you will constantly have to keep up with the literature and other researchers that are also interested in what you study. You will have to write and read publications often, and it is such an important skill to have that your future employers will value SO much!

3- Don’t be afraid to ask questions or venture into a new field/topic that you are not skilled in. Learn to incorporate lots of different fields into your own!

4- Microbiology is not a linear field. There are numerous different paths you can take. For example, I started off in mycology (fungal microbiology) and ended up studying viral infections! I had never done infections before, and never worked with human cells or tissue before. But because I was interested in this field, I pursued it.