What do you want to be when you grow up? Every child is asked this question but the responses continue to change. For me my childhood dream was to become an astronaut for NASA and study planets my entire life. Obviously that dream changed to medicine at some point which I cannot exactly pinpoint. As I learnt more about the human body the more curious I became, instead of being interested in the wonders of the solar system, I became more intrigued by the organ system within. Coincidentally, science was one of my favorite subjects and academic strengths. Dissections, experiments, and the day to day science lessons made me excited to learn, further directing me towards a career in healthcare or medicine. Teachers and family members encouraged towards a career in medicine and I believed that I might be a good fit for the career. But I was still unsure until I undertook my first internship under a cardiac surgeon. Watching the procedures and observing the surgeons and physicians, I began to understand all that went into being a doctor, and instead of being daunted, I was excited to start on that journey. The experience confirmed my belief that I can have a medical career either in research or as a physician.

In college when I took neuroscience as my major, I was curious about the most complicated organ in the body but not yet passionate about it. Fortunately, I was taught by excellent professors who ignited a passion in me to learn as much as I possible can about the brain. They made me fall in love with neuroanatomy, cognitive neuroscience, memory systems, body homeostatic mechanisms and basically everything about the complicated organ that control our body. This raised the question for me about whether I wanted to research or go to medicine, although the answer to the question may change. I feel like I will enjoy a role in which get to apply my knowledge to patients in real time as opposed to researching vast variety of topics possible in research. So my current goal is to pursue a career in medicine and train to be either a neurologist, neurosurgeon, cardiologist, cardiac surgeon or a pediatric. My goal aligns well with my strengths both academically and personally. I am an observant, hardworking, down to earth, helpful and empathetic person. I always try to help people and be understanding of their problems which is a necessary skill for being a human but also to be a good physician. I enjoy challenges where I have to problem solve and like to stay as busy as possible. Most importantly, I am passionate about prioritizing health especially mental health in the current world and I feel that helping people protect their health is a goal worth dedicating my life towards. A career that is a good match to a person must provide them with satisfaction, I believe that a career in medicine will allow me to achieve that satisfaction because I will get the chance to change someone's life for the better or at least alleviate their problem to some degree. When a person is sick, they are at the most vulnerable, I want to be there for people in their difficult times and be able to solve their problems in any way I can.

Finally, a career as a physician will constantly keep me on my toes and I will remain a lifelong learner which is something I will enjoy. I want always keep learning about the human body and continue to be fascinated by the processes that keep us alive. To explore my career choice at IUPUI, I will job shadow as many physicians as I can and maybe begin working as a medical scribe sometime in the future to experience the day to day life of doctors. This year, I am going to explore my passion for neuroscience and medicine by being involved and proactive at my site. Since my PI's are also M.D's I am also kind off shadowing them and observing the life of a neuropathologist which is probably going to be added into my list of possible careers!