You may have noticed that I was a bit quiet on the network last week. That is because I was at Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) in Maine at a course on fluorescence microscopy. Quantitative Fluorescence Microscopy (QFM) is a week-long, intensive course on just that, all aspects of fluorescence microscopy from the basics to the most advanced techniques. Whether you are a novice interested in widefield epifluorescence or are interested in mastering techniques such as FRAP, TIRF or FRET, this course is an excellent opportunity to develop your microscopy skills.

But enough plugging the course (I can’t help it, I just enjoyed it so much), participating in a structured course on microscopy made me realize how beneficial formal training can be. For the last several years I have been learning techniques as I need them in the lab. In general, this seems to be the way that most scientists learn, a sort of apprenticeship model. But perhaps, for certain aspects of scientific training, a formal course is really the best way to learn. We all learn the basics in our required courses, but sometimes techniques require such attention to detail that an intensive course is needed. Plus, formal training such as this can reach beyond graduate students to both postdocs and industry scientists. In fact, primary investigators (PIs) were at the course to test out the various scopes available for purchase. One PI even returned to the course for a second time to learn how to use a scope she had just bought. There is really no comparison to learning how to use a complex piece of equipment (such as a confocal microscope) while having the trained specialty staff right there to answer all your questions. That kind of education is invaluable.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that one shouldn’t learn by doing. Learning techniques in your lab is a great way (probably the best) to learn how to design experiments, develop your critical thinking skills, learn how to troubleshoot an experiment when it goes wrong and become an independent scientist, but sometimes getting the basics down in a formal setting is critical to experimental success.

Perhaps the real skill is to recognize when formal training is necessary. Then one is able to maximize their scientific potential.