Question: why most people choose to become scientist/

Melissa Kapulu answered on 24 Sep 2014:

Hello @223heaa27. Good to hear from you.
Why do most people choose to become scientists? It is a very good question and I will try and answer it with why I choose to become a scientist.

I chose to become a scientist because I love science. Apart from history, the science subjects were my favourite subjects. You really have to love or enjoy what you do otherwise you won’t be able to give it 100% of your effort.

Another important reason I chose science over law or economics is because I really believed I could make a difference with science. When I was a kid I dreamt of wearing a white coat in a rural area saving or making a difference in the lives of people. I had translated that dream to mean I wanted to be a medical doctor. So when I finished secondary school I went to University with the hopes of studying medicine. It is only when I did not make it to medical school that I realised I could have a career as a scientist.

Another reason people choose to become scientists is due to personal experiences. As a child, I had been in and out of hospital. Even at University, I had to take a year off due to illness. So I really wanted to find out a way to prevent people from getting sick including myself. I learnt about vaccines and that inspired my desire for vaccine development. In my final year, my topic was on vaccines and how they have been used to prevent diseases such as TB.

So in a nutshell, I think most people choose to become scientists because they love or enjoy science (are passionate about it like me) and want to make a difference. Imagine if you were part of team that found the cure for HIV or ebola, what world of a difference that would make to peoples lives.