And the Survey Says...THESIS!

Jasmine Wong

The 15 Second Year Human Genetics students share their thoughts on writing their thesis. A thesis is required for graduation in the Joan H. Marks program of Human Genetics. It allows students to learn how to conduct research and a great way to find a new passion. Most (60%) thought of their thesis idea themselves.

When asked “which category describes your thesis best?” our class responded:

• 27% Public Health
• 27% Other
• 20% Pediatrics
• 13% Cancer
• 6.7% Prenatal
• 6.7% IVF

When asked “Which design best described your thesis?” our class responded:

• 60% Survey
• 20% Literature Review
• 6.7% Educational Material
• 6.7% Chart Review
• 6.7% Other

When given a scale from 1(Dislike) to 5(Like) and asked “how much did you like their thesis before starting,” our class responded:

• 0%- 1
• 6.7%- 2
• 26.7%-3
• 33.3%-4
• 33.3%- 5

When asked “How much did you like their thesis after completion,” our class responded:

• 0%-1
• 33.5%-2
• 26.7%-3
• 20%-4
• 20%-5

Most (66.6%) of the class needed Institutional review board (IRB) approval 40% would like to publish their paper and 27% would like to present it at a conference

When asked “How many hours did you spend writing your thesis,” our class responded:

• 13.3%- Less than 30 hours
• 26.7%- Between 30-50 hours
• 33.3%- Between 50-80 hours
• 26.7%- 80 hours or more

When asked “What advice would you give to first years?” the following responses were give:

• Start early
• Find a dedicated supervisor
• Set goals with your supervisor
• Pilot the survey with your friends
• Think of what you will do with results prior to writing survey
• Do a thorough review
• Make sure that your thesis will be approved by the medical director