Getting ahead
Jordan Marshall prepares for medical school
Year in school:
junior
Major:
biology
Hometown:
O'Fallon, Ill.
Jordan Marshall started doing research his freshman year. He chose to major in biological sciences at Mizzou because of an excellent scholarship offer and plenty of opportunities, such as the Exposure to Research for Science Students (EXPRESS) program, that other colleges didn’t offer. Marshall plans to attend medical school after completing his undergraduate degree.
Q-and-A
Why did you first choose to get involved in undergrad research, and why have you continued to participate?
I thought it’d be a great opportunity and would look good for medical school. I want to get published and present a poster of my own at one of Mizzou’s undergraduate research conferences.
What has your experience with faculty mentors been like? What have you learned?
Karen Bennett, molecular microbiologist and immunologist, has been my mentor. I’ve learned plenty of useful lab techniques, as well as genetics and a little cell biology, before I learned them in class.
When you heard the word “research” before college, what did it mean to you? Has that meaning changed now?
It meant working in a lab trying to solve whatever problem was in front of me. That hasn’t changed much other than I know the human element involved in the process.
Do you have any highlights from your research experience — or anything you wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise?
I’ll hopefully be published and known, and I have an excellent contact in the medical school admissions committee.
Do you have any advice for other students interested in research?
Give it some serious thought, and go after as many opportunities as are available. In the end they will pay off.