Hands-On Science: Experiences in UT FRI's DIY Diagnostics Stream
Illustration by Sydnie Lim
By Haset Mekuria
DIY Diagnostics, is one of the 34 streams part of the Freshman Research Initiative Experience. First-year Isis Maldonado-Niño joined the program to learn more about lab management and healthcare in general.
“We do eventually have to find out how to make a diagnostic,” Maldonado-Niño said. “And I feel like that would be really beneficial in the long term.”
As a TIP scholar, Maldonado-Niño knew she’d be in a FRI stream her second semester of freshman year. But first, she took a seminar course that would prepare her for her time in a stream. Like Maldonado-Niño, I also am in DIY Diagnostics and took a seminar course my first semester of freshman year after applying to the program my senior year of high school.
I found that the course provided me with a strong basis in research, and more importantly, analyzing research. I worked with Google Sheets and Excel—something that I continue to do today as part of my stream. The stream has made me feel more prepared for the possibility of joining a faculty lab during my undergraduate years.
Maldonado-Niño shares a similar sentiment. From learning how to pipette to understanding time management in the lab, she believes that her time in DIY Diagnostics has been “pretty amazing.”
These practical skills, however, are not the only highlight of the DIY Diagnostic experience.
“I have made so many friends,” Maldonado-Niño said. “And I just love working in the lab.”
I agree with her. DIY Diagnostics fosters an environment that encourages creativity and collaboration. I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with peers in a lab environment. I find the team format of DIY to be one of my favorite parts of the stream.
At the beginning of the semester, students in DIY Diagnostics are assigned a workblock with 4-6 other students in addition to 1-3 peer mentors. Even though I have to wake up early for my 8am workblock, I find it nice to be able to work with peer mentors and other students at a set time each week. This has definitely been integral to my success in my first semester within DIY Diagnostics.
“I feel like [peer mentors] give me a lot of room for self exploration,” Maldonado-Niño said. “But then also, if I ever run into any trouble, that gives me the opportunity to ask. I feel like that's what has made me a strong researcher, because I have the help if I need it. “Also, the students are really helpful to each other, so I find that very amazing.”
As Maldonado-Niño and I’s semester in DIY comes to an end, we are now working on our research projects next semester.
“This upcoming semester, I'm really looking forward to working on my own project development,and just in general spending my own time in the lab and working on my own product development, like getting it started.” Maldonado-Niño said.
I definitely feel the same. I have enjoyed my time in DIY Diagnostics this semester and feel that I have been set up to do well in my project next semester. I cannot wait to see what the next semester brings.