I Want to Study the Brain

Emily | future physician and scientist

The human brain is fascinating. It has amazing power and beauty; however, scientists still have so much to learn about it. My father has had epilepsy since he suffered febrile seizures as an infant. His seizures were not able to be controlled by medicines, despite even participating in multiple drug studies of potential new pharmaceuticals. His seizures increased in frequency and intensity until he was forced to undergo a left temporal lobectomy before I was born.

I have seen with my father, who has a brain disorder, the impact that the medical community has had in his life. He had many specialized diagnostic scans that were performed by technicians and interpreted by radiologists. He was treated by neurologists who helped to finally control his seizures and he was studied by researchers trying to find a medicine without the negative side effects, such as memory loss and mood swings that could help people who suffer debilitating seizures.

I would love to be a physician and scientist who studies the brain. The brain holds many undiscovered secrets and my father's history gives me incentive to help people who might not be able to be helped by conventional medicine.