I majored in immunology and infection, but
that wasn't actually my first choice...
Let me tell you why!
So during the last undergrad year, being the
3rd bachelor year we had to decide on which
project to pick for our thesis in the master
year.
And the system that my university used was
that you pick the project, which outweighs
the courses you get along with the project
and which major is attached to it.
What was always highlighted is the versatility
that a biomedical graduate should have.
If you would major in a field like for instance
immunology, he/she should also have the capacity
to quickly learn and adapt and get into tissue
engineering for instance.
So you get a list of 10 projects and attached
to that is a major...so you get to choose
10 projects out of a whole list of projects,
but you can't cheat and pick all the projects
in the major you want.
So I go along and I fill in 7 projects on
tissue engineering and stem cell research,
2 projects on neuroscience, and 1 project
on immunology and infection.
What turned out: I got the immunology one.
And at first I was bummed a bit because I
wanted to get into tissue engineering and
stem cell research, and on top of that immunology
and infection was the major that had the reputation
of being the most labor intensive.
But, all-in-all, I was very grateful and perhaps
maybe lucky that I landed in that major.
Because I ended up with a lot of skills out
of that immunology major.
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think might benefit from it.
Immunology and infection is a major that's
all about the immune system and pathogens.
How the immune system functions molecularly
and how it dysfunctions in a pathology case,
like for instance rheumatoid arthritis, crohn's
disease, ulcerative colitis, COPD in the lungs,
asthma, disease states like that.
And infections, of course, I don't think I
have to explain this: bacterial infections,
fungal infections, viral infections, like
COVID-19 for instance.
What about you guys?
If you're watching this: what do you think
about a major in biomedical science in immunology
and infection?
Would you choose this one over other majors?
What's your opinion?
Let me know in the comments!
Which courses did I get during my immunology
major?
1.
Molecular immuology.
2.
Molecular virology.
3.
Molecular bacteriology.
4.
Immunopathology (so these are 4 courses that
I got in the 1st year of my masters), and
then 5.
Vaccinology (this course I got in the 2nd
masters).
The content of these courses actually speak
for themselves I guess, but what was very
interesting is the way they were taught.
See, if you're in a grad year, in a master
year, you don't just get courses handed over
and here's the stuff you have to learn and
start memorizing.
No, they try to incorporate it in a hands-on
practical experience.
For instance, in molecular virology, besides
a part of theory, we also had to sort of like
take articles, with a certain experimental
outline, and had to come up with a research
project that would follow-up on that article.
So this is really hands-on training where
you start to think about how to write a grant
application, how to figure out new research.
Another example in the molecular bacteriology
course: we had to teach each other.
So we had to make a course ourselves on a
certain bacterium that we thought was interesting
and teach that in a lecture of 50 minutes
to the classmates.
And then, molecular immunology consisted of
tons of technological exposure to certain
techniques like qPCR, cell culturing, isolating
PBMCs, really a lot of hands-on training in
the lab.
And that's really the purpose of grad years,
like doing a masters, is get more into that
hands-on experience in the lab, in a true
research setting, so to apply the theory that
you've learned in your undergrad.
One book that I bought that really helped
me out, so I bought the book during my undergrad
years somewhere the 2nd year, 2nd bachelor
year, this is this one, immunobiology by Janeway's,
and it helped out majorly in my major of immunology
and infection.
So if there's 1 book that I would recommend
to understand the immune system then it's
this one.
You might be wondering then what my thesis
project was about, as it was linked to the
immunology major, but I didn't want to choose
it per se.
I was interested in the topic because it employed
nanobodies in a cancer context, and if you've
seen my book-video that I released recently,
I'll put a link right here, one of the first
phrases that I mention when I show the book
The chonicles of cancer, is that I'm also
interested in cancer biology.
And the project was about nanobody-technology
in the context of cancer.
What's the link with immunology?
Well, nanobodies are a small fragment of a
heavy-chain only antibody, that's only found
in the camelid species, llama's, dromedaries...These
are single-domain-antibodies.
If you don't know what I'm talking about,
I have a video separately discussing nanobody
technology, you can view it after this video
right here.
So guys, that's how my major in immunology
was structured, which thesis project that
I took on.
I hope you can find this useful maybe to base
yourself on, which major you should take to
graduate in in your own biomedical course.
Thank you so much for watching, as always!
Like, subscribe, share.
And I'll see you in the next one!
Cheers!
