Students

The natural world around us begs to be investigated. It is not just pure curiosity that draws me to the field but also an obligation. The pursuit of science is powerful because it can provide healing, advance our current understanding, and solve complex problems, allowing us to see a better future. This summer, I was in South Africa and had the opportunity to shadow surgeons in the cardiothoracics department of the hospital famous for the first successful heart transplant. The deep understanding a surgeon must have of the patient's unique anatomy (skeletal, muscular, and arterial), medical history, and risk factors, and to apply all of this within hours, is beyond impressive. There is a wide range of procedures that can be done to solve the same problem, but surgeons also must weed out the best option, and the answer isn't always all that clear. They collaborate at great lengths with colleagues and sometimes in the middle of surgery have to develop an entirely different plan due to complications. It is a very stressful but intellectually fulfilling career, and because I was so inspired, I have become passionate about making it my own someday. For two months, I was surrounded by people who look like me, doing what I hope to do. There is such power in this dynamic. It reminds you that you will not be an anomaly in this world and your dreams are very possible. In fact, there are successful "yous" everywhere, and I hold onto this every day.