UBRP faculty sponsor Dr. Linda Restifo, Neurobiology, gave an 8 am lecture to UBRP students on July 15. Her talk, "Bridge Over Troubled Waters: The Cultural Divide Between Science and Medicine," was pertinent to UBRP students, as many of us will part intellectual ways after our undergraduate work. Some of us will go to graduate school, some to medical school, and still others to law school or industry.

Dr. Restifo is uniquely suited to speak on the topic of the cultural divide between science and medicine. She has both an MD and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, one of the oldest MD/PhD programs in the country. Her talk consisted of an engaging and at times eye-opening comparison of the differences between medical school and graduate school. Dr. Restifo outlined the ways in which medical schools and graduate schools are organized, and the way this organization impacts the minds and attitudes of doctors and scientists, creating a subtle but noticeable tension between the two groups. This tension is unnecessary and obstructive, since scientists may end up having to teach medical students, and doctors may end up having to teach graduate students.

When asked for stereotypes of medical students and doctors, a characteristic comment from the UBRP audience was, "they're only in it for the BMW!” This level of animosity can obstruct the interdisciplinary communication that is essential in tackling modern scientific questions. Each discipline, be it scientific or clinical, can bring certain strengths to the other. Clinical work brings a sense of relevancy and focus to complement the creativity and inquisitiveness of basic research. Indeed, as Dr. Restifo concluded, this is an essential conversation that isn't happening at nearly the rate it should be. In remembering our shared research experience, perhaps UBRP students, as future scientists and doctors, can do something to build the bridge.

Melissa Drake, UBRPer in Dr. Gail Burd’s lab, Molecular and Cellular Biology