Molecular monday #3 - PCR monday

Nothing can be better than loving your work ! & It seems like I chose the perfect career for myself because I love starting my mondays with PCR. Best way for happiness amplification, just like the DNA I work on !

On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & every other days, I have done PCR ! From holding the pipette, pipetting reagents, making the mastermix, aliquoting it and eluted DNA samples, running PCR of the 92 samples on 96 well PCR plates to learning the software, analyzing if the samples are positive or negative, repeating the internal control failed samples, I've lived it all.

From the ups of learning software, which I never thought I would figure out (being not so tech savy), to conquering the contamination days due to overrun of the machines during sample load when the cases were at the peak, I've learnt a lot.

Be it morning shifts that begin with decontamintion of the lab, or afternoon shifts that begin with taking over from the morning batch, or the night shift of ODing of coffee, I've loved it all🤣

This article is for the ones who have asked me how it has been like working amidst a pandemic, years after being heartbroken by not getting into a med school. When I say I couldn't get into a med school and be a medical doctor, people think that I didn't score well on my medical entrance exam or was rejected by med schools, but little is known about my journey towards biomedical sciences. First things first, I didn't score less on my medical entrance exam. I scored 598/720 in my NEET and was getting admit into medical colleges of Gujarat and Rajasthan. But as I wasn't mentally prepared to leave my town or state, I opted for Biotechnology and made a career in biomedical sciences. Growing up with facing failure or change in plans, from not getting into an actual medical school due to unavailability of med school in state and not being able to relocate for studying medicine has been difficult and a completely different journey. But what's made me happy throughout this journey is my penchant towards science. Science, literature and history, geography have always been my fav subjects. While I started writing poems at the age of 8, and doing lil science experiments at the same age, I have always found science and arts to be the most beautiful subjects. I wanted to live a life where I would do science and arts at the same time, so I chose to follow my passion by doing science, & fulfill my hobby by writing during incubation times...and life hasn't been so synchronized ! Sharing a video of my work in the PCR department.

My passion & hobby ~ are the reason I ask young individuals to do what they love, chose a career not only that you think you're made for, but also from the perspective of enjoying your daily work life. Because the career you chose is something your entire happiness is dependent upon. Despite the chaotic situations in the laboratory during 4000 + sample load for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases samples per day, with just 3 people on call in the PCR department, handling instruments, analyzing samples, reporting & documenting, I have always found peace in such chaos. And I believe this is possible only when your mind is at peace and heart is pacing in synchronization with your brain. Because no excuse is valid is such times and thinking, working fast is most appreciated & worthy.

And as I said in the beginning of this article, nothing can be better than loving your work, embracing the peace at chaos, working hard and reminiscing on the memories of pulling it all together, I have chose the perfect career for myself and my happiness as been amplifying ever since !! So choose a career you'll love, live days you wake up with the thought of doing your fav work & end your days by being satisfied and happy with yourself.

- Rachna Jadhav

@theresilientresearcher