Wednesday, April 1, 2015 // The Statement 
7B

Personal Statement: The image of a scientist

by Irene Park, Daily Staff Reporter

I 

knew what I wanted to be since I was three: a scientist. 
The thought of solving the mysteries of the universe 
was the only thing that got me excited — even more than 

Disney characters, or whatever three-year-olds were into at 
the time. For the next twenty-something years, I dedicated 
my life to science. I read Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of 
Species” as a five-year-old and I started doing experiments 
in our family house’s basement in elementary school. I also 
built my computer from scratch in high school. Oh, and if 
you were not impressed already, when I took an IQ test, I 
scored over 200.

Only none of what I just said is true. I wish they were.
If you are reading this, picture a scientist in your head. At 

least some of you pictured a person who is extremely intelli-
gent in a pristine white lab coat, wearing goggles and gloves, 
and holding a flask with mysterious, bubbling liquid in each 
hand. And of course, sporting the messy, mad scientist hair-
style and the social ineptitude too.

As a Human Genetics graduate student, I have faced sev-

eral stereotypes associated with being a scientist. In Ann 
Arbor, where students make up a good chunk of the city 
population, I fit in. But when I hang out with people who 
are mostly working, I almost feel out of place. It has become 
pretty common for people to stare at me with awe or act 
intimidated by me, though the only thing I’ve said is: “Hi. 
My name is Irene, and I’m a genetics Ph.D. student.”

Either the person’s eyes grow wide and they interject 

something like “Whoa,” and walk away, or they start com-
plimenting me on how smart I must be because I am doing 
a Ph.D. in science. Situations like these have happened so 
often that I sometimes hide my true identity and just say my 
name when I first meet people to save the trouble.

You might wonder why I feel uneasy to have people think 

I am smart. After all, isn’t that better than the other way 
around? Isn’t this a first-world problem?

Sure, I like it when people compliment on my intelligence. 

And I do prefer to have people think of me as smart than 

not. But the problem here is that most of these people have 
met me for the first time, and they are assuming something 
about me solely based on what I like or what I do. Isn’t that 
the problem with all stereotypes?

Yes, I like science. That’s why I am doing a Ph.D. that will 

take me anywhere from four to “n” years to complete. Unlike 
other advanced degrees, you graduate when your thesis 
committee, a group of four to five faculty members, agrees 
that you are ready.

And I do like to do science. But, in contrary to what most 

people think, doing science is simple problem solving, which 
sounds fancier than what it actually is. Virtually everyone 
does a bit of problem solving here and there without realiz-
ing it. People follow the steps of the scientific method all the 
time: observe, ask a question, construct a testable hypoth-
esis, test your hypothesis, analyze the results, and draw a 
conclusion. For instance:

1. Observations: I have gotten many texts from this par-

ticular guy lately. He always wants to hang out with me and 
is possibly flirting. He is single. I am single.

2. Question: Is he interested in me?
3. Hypothesis: He is interested in me.
4. Test: I will ask him in person if he is interested in me.
5. Result: He says that he is indeed interested in me.
6. Conclusion: He is interested in me.
Sounds familiar? Congratulations! You think like a sci-

entist. With simplicity and the unlikeliness of the situation 
aside (usually no one does the test in #4), you get the idea. 
We all are capable of thinking through a problem. The only 
difference is that scientists, myself included, routinely apply 
this process to scientific problems.

As a person who has been doing science for several years, 

I do not think science is as difficult as the public perceives it 
to be. Don’t get me wrong — it takes a lot of hard work, but 
some people (e.g. my parents) seem to see science as some-
thing “normal” people simply cannot understand even if 
they tried. Because of this I am troubled when people per-

ceive me as extremely smart. I immediately sense an invis-
ible barrier and people distancing themselves away from 
me, as if I am an alien doing something that is far out of their 
reach.

I see that barrier in people’s attitude toward the STEM 

subjects. Why is it that when people struggle with science 
and math it is almost readily accepted, as if doing well in 
science and math is not normal? But when people struggle 
with reading, they are treated like idiots? My high school 
required four years of English for graduation, but only 
required two years of science and math. The ability to read 
is clearly important for everyday life, but being able to think 
logically is equally as important. That is the skill you pick up 
from science and math classes.

What is so intimidating about science? Is it the jargon? At 

the end of the day, those are just words. They are just as spe-
cialized as the words that we encounter in other fields, like 
finance, history, and art.

Could it be the people? The people who have made the 

scientific discoveries that we read about in textbooks and 
newspapers are not too different from you or me. I have 
been on the other side before when I was talking to an emi-
nent, accomplished scientist who has received many awards 
and recognitions for his work. But when he started talking 
about his hobbies and what he likes to do for fun, I realized 
that he is just like the rest of us, and he became less intimi-
dating.

I am certainly not a genius who knows everything there 

is to know about science and thinks about my project all 
the time. On my off-days I like to wind down and watch 
the Food Network and try to re-create some dishes (and eat 
them), jog through the Arb when the Ann Arbor weather is 
nice for once, or waste time taking BuzzFeed quizzes. And 
I’m sure this isn’t just me.

So maybe the next time when people in lab coats intimi-

date you, you should ask them what they like to do for fun. 
Their answers just might surprise you.

ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND

