1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.  Hello everyone! I grew up in Chicago, went to school in Boston, and recently moved down south to North Carolina. I’ve started using the word “y’all” like crazy and have been driving a car more than I’ve walking on my own two feet! I am a sucker for beautiful scenery and fall is my favorite season because of the foliage and cool weather. Since moving, I’ve gained interest in all kinds of activities I never thought I’d enjoy like hiking, running, and yoga.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you?  Mr. Scharlau was my AP Chemistry teacher in high school and he played the roles of teacher, mentor, father, and your personal cheerleader. 7+ years later I still remember his dedication to our classroom. He’d stay long past school hours to offer extra hours of assistance on practice problems and meet on weekends with our study groups. He didn’t just make sure we were successful in chemistry, but also made sure that we were successful individuals who lived with passion, lived morally, and strived high.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? The more I became aware of my values and passions, I felt like becoming a physician would be a good fit. To be honest, volunteering, shadowing, and interning at the hospital/ doctor’s office showed me that daily work life in the medical field wasn’t all that glamorous as people make it to be. But I think that’s another aspect that made me want to pursue this field even more. It was always important for me that my career would continue to prune me and shape me to be better person and if there’s anything I’ve learned thus far it’s that there’s always room for me to grow. For example, I have a heart to serve people, but being situated in an environment where sometimes there are difficult patients provides me with the opportunity to practice patience, love, and kindness when it may be the most difficult to show.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in?  I’m not sure yet but I absolutely love learning about the heart so I’ve thought about cardiothoracic surgery. I’ve also done research working with patients with hypothyroidism and I find it so fascinating that such a small region of your neck can create a whole bunch of complex problems in your body so endocrine surgery could also be an option. But who knows until I get there!

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey?  Meeting diverse group of patients and getting to know them has been an awesome experience during this journey.

6. What is your favorite book?  A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know.  I have an irrational fear of birds… if I see a bird on the sidewalk in my path, I will cross the street and walk around it.

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