When I was about thirteen, I met someone with a mechanical heart valve. Up close, I could hear it: a soft, steady click-clack, keeping time with their heartbeat.
I couldn't stop wondering how a small implanted valve could help a heart do its job. That question pulled me toward biology, then chemistry, and eventually toward the goal I'm working toward now: cardiothoracic surgery.
Many mechanical valves use two small leaflets that swing open to let blood through, then snap shut. That closing is the click you can hear.
Entry 02 · Fall 2026 – present
Wayne State University
B.S. in Biochemistry and Chemical Biology, Reid Honors College, Class of 2030.
I chose biochemistry because it sits right where my questions live: how molecules, cells, and chemistry come together to keep a body working, and how medicine steps in when they don't.
Entry 03 · Summer 2024
UPenn Summer Mentorship Program
On the program's medicine track, I got my first real look at surgery and clinical skills.
Watched a surgery through a live video feed
Guided hands-on practice with medical equipment
Suturing practice
Ultrasound activities
Entry 04 · Summer 2025
PCOM summer medical experience
At the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, I explored medicine from a few different angles.
Forensic exercises
Learning about MD and DO education
Symptom-based patient scenarios
Tourniquet race · June 2025
Entry 05 · Summer – Fall 2026
Phlebotomy training & certification
I completed a 96-hour phlebotomy program with Phlebotomy Training Specialists in King of Prussia, running from July 20 to August 20, 2026.
In September 2026, I earned my NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician credential.
A blood draw, start to finish
Entry 06 · Ahead
What I'm working toward
My long-term goal is medical school and a career in cardiothoracic surgery. For now, that means building a strong foundation in the sciences, getting more clinical experience, and staying curious about the questions that got me here.
Entry 07 · Way back
Some things start early
Long before the click-clack, there was this: a very small me in a white coat, stethoscope in hand, with a patient who couldn't complain.
