Career Goals

I am not entirely sure what career path I wish to follow at this point in my academic journey, but I am sure of two things: I love science, and I enjoy helping others and connecting with people. Currently I am torn between pursuing a career in medicine or education, and both of these callings seem to be pulling at me with an equal amount of force. However, I’m certain that in the next four years I will hone in on my career goals and graduate from college ready to make a positive impact on the world.
Part of the reason I am so uncertain of the career path I wish to pursue is that I have already had many wonderful experiences exploring the medical and educational fields. My freshman year of high school, I shadowed my pediatrician at his office and went from patient to patient with him and watched him examine and interact with children. It was really interesting and exciting to be on the other side of a doctor’s appointment! I also volunteered at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the Siblings’ Clubhouse for two years in high school. This gave me the opportunity to care for and play with children with siblings who were ill while gaining experience in a hospital setting. I also had an interesting “teaching” opportunity this year in my anatomy and physiology class. My teacher invited his daughter’s third grade class in to talk about adaptations and genetics, and I got to teach a small group of kids about science. It was really exciting to see the curiosity in their eyes and to be able to help them make connections between what we were teaching them and what they already knew. If I were to pursue a career in teaching, however, I would want to teach at either the high school or college level.
Both the educational and medical fields require a great deal of knowledge and leadership, so many of my short-term goals during college will revolve around pursuing academic and leadership opportunities. This semester, my primary goal is to maintain a high grade point average. I plan to achieve this goal by studying hard and gaining a true understanding of concepts instead of just memorizing facts. I also plan on participating in undergraduate research at some point in the next four years, so this semester I’ll be focused on refining my laboratory skills and gaining an understanding of basic lab procedures and concepts. In order to gain leadership experience, I’m considering becoming an ambassador for the neuroscience program and/or bio sci scholars. To prepare for this, I plan on attending as many neuroscience/bio sci events as possible and getting more information about the different board positions I can apply for and what those positions entail. One of my other short term goals was to join a club/organization by the end of the month, and luckily I have already achieved this goal by joining BRAIN (Buckeyes Raising Awareness In Neuroscience). As the name suggests, BRAIN is devoted to supporting people affected by neurological illnesses and raising awareness about neurological illness throughout the community. I’m excited to continue to learn and grow and take the steps that I need to take to determine my long term goals and work towards achieving them.

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