At City of Hope, by contrast, the students are given their own projects and enjoy the challenge this provides. I felt I was working independently, as well as with the scientists directing the project. The work was not routine. To gain background, they read lab notebooks and journal articles. If they have a question, they can ask a technician, postdoc, graduate student or the principal investigator.
Students are pleasantly surprised to find how patient and helpful their colleagues are.
Besides lab work, students attend weekly meetings to present the results of their research. The talks give presenters valuable public speaking experience and provide the audience with an overview of the research going on across the campus. The program hosts special seminars, symposia, and parties, planned by the students themselves. At the end of the summer, students submit a short written report on their research results. Developed and maintained by City of Hope Department of Biomedical Informatics.