It is difficult to say whether research for the future or the present is more important, both are necessary for the advancement of medical knowledge in society. I would make the argument that research for the future can have pitfalls where it may not be continued if it hits a wall or if it is simply forgotten about. There has been research that has come to an end because the necessary equipment to continue the research doesn't yet exist. In this case, the research may have pointed to the need for that specific equipment to be developed, but no tangible result was reached. Research like this is more for the sake of the knowledge than for the sake of helping society at that time. However, this type of future-focused research could be crucial to discoveries in the future that could help generations of people. Present-focused research, on the other hand, is meant to have an effect on current people and is always working towards that goal. This type of research is not satisfied by a discovery and is instead done until some solution is reached. I personally prefer research for the present day because I want to see the fruits of my work helping people during my lifetime. I like working towards the goal of solving problems for people rather than simply making discoveries for the future. Still, both research types are quite important and having people interested in each type is what will continue to drive modern medicine forward.
The claim that one wants to perform research that has immediate effects and benefits seems to be somewhat flawed. The immediate benefits of a laboratory study is decided by the results of the study. If the results disprove the hypothesis or are inconclusive, then more research needs to be conducted. Either way, the study is of great importance to the general field of science because a discovery has been made, whether the hypothesis is proven or disproven. The notion that a discovery can be made in the future using one's research from the present day is true, but that does not make the research from the present day useless or not important. In fact, every researcher should take pride in their research and contributions, whether it leads to a discovery now or in the future. We are at this point in time, with research conducted before us, and we are subject to the resources and knowledge available. The research that one does today is a result of the research done in the past. We are in the great chain, and it is our responsibility as links in this chain to continue the chain forward, whether that contribution be great or small.
