Jiefu Li and Liqun Luo, Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Undergraduate researchers are the next-generation scientists. Here, we call for more attention from our community to the proper training of undergraduates in biomedical research laboratories. By dissecting common pitfalls, we suggest how to better mentor undergraduates and prepare them for flourishing careers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fostering the Next Generation<\/strong>
Nurturing next-generation researchers is a central mission of our biomedical science community. The vast majority of practicing scientists in academia started doing research as undergraduate students. Probably by chance and luck, some of the successful researchers had great mentors who inspired them with the beauty of science and taught them solid research skills. However, when we talk about \u2018\u2018the next generation\u2019\u2019 these days, we most often refer to graduate students and postdocs and usually neglect
undergraduate students, many of whom work hard in research labs and will become eventual PhD and\/or MD students. This general neglect originates from a common mindset that undergraduates are not genuine trainees but only \u2018\u2018second-tier\u2019\u2019 lab assistants. As a result, they are often placed on repetitive, boring, and labor-intensive tasks. Other labs may simply say \u2018\u2018no\u2019\u2019 to undergraduates because of the misconception that
undergraduates do not devote sufficient time to research to be worth training. These obstacles can turn potential budding scientists away from pursuing research, often permanently, which goes against our mission of attracting brilliant young minds into biomedical research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n