• Question: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BE A GOOD SCIENTIST?

    Asked by 767tund46 to Aimee, Gemma, Hussain, Robert, Ross on 6 Nov 2015. This question was also asked by 829tund34, 926tund34.
    • Photo: Ross King

      Ross King answered on 6 Nov 2015:

      Oh man, this is some question! Obviously there is a lot of training to be done, which involves going to University (usually to study twice, sometimes even three times). I went to uni for the first time in 2006 and finished all of my studies to “become a scientist” in 2015, with no gaps in between. I am still quite young for a scientist (although maybe quite old to you – I’m 27) and it will be a good few years more before I become a real independent researcher running my own lab. So, in summary, it can take a lot of time!

      I would say though that it probably takes many many years to be a “good scientist”, and you should definitely never settle and think that you’ve learned all you need to learn and can’t get any better – the mark of a good scientist is one that’s always trying to improve themselves.

    • Photo: Aimee Goodall

      Aimee Goodall answered on 6 Nov 2015:

      It can take years to become a well known scientist, who writes about their science and has others learn from them. There will be something new to learn, that doesn’t stop, I wouldn’t want it to.
      You can think like a good scientist now by asking how things work? Why does that happen? What could that mean?

    • Photo: Robert Lees

      Robert Lees answered on 9 Nov 2015:

      I was listening to a podcast last night that had Frances Ashcroft on it – she is most famous for her research on diabetes. She said that she still didn’t believe she was a good scientist, even after publishing hundreds of papers! (a marker of how much research she has done)

      A good scientist asks the right questions and doesn’t assume too much, you’re training to be a scientist every day, as Aimee says.

      It’s not about how long it takes, it’s about how good you can become. Listening to other scientists, taking on board criticism and being able to criticise other people’s work well, are key traits!

    • Photo: Hussain Jaffery

      Hussain Jaffery answered on 10 Nov 2015:

      Short answer: You need time to complete your University studies and a PhD – which takes around up to 6 years beyond your A-levels or equivalent studies.

      Then after that being a good scientist is always about questioning the way you think making sure you never have any bias. Always following the scientific methods and looking only at the evidence is what you have to train for. It never ends and you will always have to check yourself to be a good scientist until the day you retire!

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