Ahmik Ahmed reports on his experience at the University of Chicago Summer Immersion Program, where he is studying “Biology and Its Modern Applications.” During the first week, Ahmik enjoyed exploring the campus and learning interesting facts about the university.
“My first week at UChicago was unlike anything I have ever experienced. For the first time in my life, I have had a true college experience. The first day I arrived in Chicago, I was so excited that I took a personal tour of the campus. The campus is truly stunning. I especially like the “plaisance” between the streets, where people can play soccer, have fun, and even barbecue. I also spent some time reading about the University and learned that it boasts an impressive 99 Nobel laureates, contributing to new knowledge across various fields. Additionally, I discovered that the University recently opened a new school of Molecular Engineering. When I return to CCHS, I plan to share the news about this new program at UChicago. I am sure that future Carbondale students will greatly benefit from spending their summer in such a program,” Ahmik says.
“My class is fairly small; We only have 17 people. Nevertheless, we all have a great time. Our Professor, Mr. Pliny Smith, and his TA, Vivianna, are very nice and helpful people. We rarely have homework. Even though the class seems easy, we did learn many new things, including staining bacteria to examine it, using a microscope, and PCR Setups. The building where I have my class is full of fascinating and advanced equipment. After asking around, I learned that these are used to study some of the fundamental problems related to human health and other related areas,” Ahmik explains.
Ahmik finds meeting international students from a variety of cultures fascinating. He has been learning new things about educational systems from around the world and their progress in STEM fields. After class, Ahmik was able to attend a soccer game with classmates.
“I have been on one RA trip so far, and that was to the MLS Soccer game between the Chicago Fire and NYCFC. Even though the game ended in a tie, we all had a great time,” Ahmik says.
“Overall, my first week experience was great, and I am looking forward to the next week. Besides my regular classwork, my goal for the next week is to gather more information on their Molecular Engineering program and understand how it complements their existing medical or related programs. I am strongly considering attending a school like UChicago,” Ahmik reports.
Week Two — CRISPER LAB
“My second week at UChicago was even better than my first. In my Biology class, we have started working on a CRISPR lab where we delete a segment of DNA and replace it with a new strand of DNA to see what changes would occur in the bacteria. This hands-on experience was truly fascinating. I would like to know more about the real-world applications of this technology, but working on such an advanced project is already reinforcing my interest in the field of genetic engineering,” Ahmik says.
“We have also started working on our final projects. My lab partner and I have chosen to do research on Biofuels for our project. The reason why we chose this topic is because we both have an interest in cars and share similar dream cars.” Ahmik adds.
When not in class, Ahmik was able to explore more of the Chicago area with friends. He visited Lake Michigan and the Field Museum. He also gathered additional information on the Molecular Engineering program at the University of Chicago.
“Outside of class, I went on several downtown trips with my friends. We took a walk along the Lake Michigan shoreline and we were right next to the water’s edge. I got some great pictures of the city skyline on the lake. Additionally, I went to the Field Museum and also went shopping downtown. My friends convinced me to visit the largest Starbucks in Chicago, which was cool. While I was downtown, I saw several of my dream supercars, including a Rolls-Royce Wraith and Lamborghini Huracan STO,” Ahmik reports.
“At the same time, I must say that living in a city like Chicago can be quite hectic. Hailing from a small town like Carbondale reminds me of life’s other aspects. The hustle and bustle of Chicago is exciting, but in Carbondale, I have seen that there is a sense of community and the closeness to nature that is so peaceful and often hard to find in a big city,” Ahmik says.
“Overall, my second week at UChicago has been just as great, if not greater, than my first week,” Ahmik adds.
Week Three — Path to Becoming a Dentist
As the course enters its final days, Ahmik reflects on his experience and his future career goal to become a dentist.
“My main goal at this program was to get a better understanding of Biology. When I chose the course I wanted to take at UChicago, I specifically chose something in the field of Biology because as of right now, my career goal is to become a dentist. In addition to being a dentist, I also would like to innovate, for example, create a new cost efficient tooth crown. Now, the course that I took, Biology and Its Modern Applications, was within my vicinity, and I credit this to the fact that I took AP Biology in my junior year. The course hooked me onto the realm of biological studies and I was eager to learn more,” Ahmik says.
“Two of the most important labs that we conducted, in my opinion, were the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) lab and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) labs. Through CRISPR, one can delete certain segments of DNA and replace it with a “custom” DNA strand. Our primary focus in the CRISPR lab was to modify the DNA of a certain bacteria so that it does not turn blue when exposed to lactose (normally it turns blue when given lactose). CRISPR is relatively new and is only being used in very small experiments, usually with bacteria. However, if the technology can be further enhanced, it can spark a revolution in the medical world, and in my opinion, in dentistry too. All humans have two sets of teeth that are synthesized, the child and adult teeth sets. If one loses an adult tooth, the cost to get a fake tooth is monumentally high. Instead, through CRISPR, it could be possible to temporarily inject a strand of DNA so that the body synthesizes a real tooth to replace a lost one. I found the idea of researching CRISPR to be very fascinating and may pursue this whilst being a dentist. In fact, during one of the lab days, we had a professor from the medical school who gave us a talk about conducting research and doing business all while practicing medicine. So, it would be possible for me to innovate via CRISPR while being a dentist. Alongside the CRISPR lab, we conducted the ELISA lab, which helps with detecting pathogens in the bodies of organisms. Obviously, the technology behind ELISA was crucial back when the COVID-19 pandemic was creating havoc, but just because the pandemic is over does not mean that ELISA is obsolete. It can still very well be used in basic checkups to ensure the maximum health of patients. Although ELISA is a bit out of the topic of dentistry, I still found the lab that we did over it to be interesting,” Ahmik explains.
“Overall, my UChicago experience is one that I will never forget. I strongly recommend the Summer Immersion program to students because of multiple reasons. First of all, the Summer Immersion program now allows students to apply even earlier to UChicago than regular early decision, which can help with boosting admission chances. Secondly, there is a class for every student in Summer Immersion. The Summer Immersion program offers numerous courses in different STEM and non-STEM fields, like discrete mathematics, physics of stars, biology and its modern applications, Greek philosophy, etc. The program is not too long, nor is it too short. In my opinion, three weeks was ample for social activities and academic enrichment. Outside of academics, this program will teach you self-discipline and will encourage you to pay close attention to your health and money, which are two incredibly important life skills,” Ahmik adds.
Great work, Ahmik! We are so happy you enjoyed the course, and received innovative “hands-on” experience that will help you on your path to becoming a dentist.
>> Read Ahmik Ahmed’s final report (PDF File, 96 KB)
>> Learn about the other students’ experiences in the GFF Scholarship Program.
