2. Personal Career Narrative
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Much of my career has been in the field of medical research. I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved
in such cutting-edge projects as an artificial pancreas, a transdermal continuous glucose monitor, and a
new drug delivery method for targeted anti-cancer agents.
For me, a career in medical research has been a vocation, and thus a means towards leading a fulfilling
life. By vocation, I mean that I want to make a difference in the lives of people. I was gifted with a
math/science aptitude, and I feel compelled to do something worthwhile with it. I want to do something,
not necessarily be somebody.
Growing up, I was always interested in science, and curious about how things worked. I remember the
awe and the mystery when I first encountered science in school, and I developed a thirst for knowledge.
However, when I got into my late teens and early twenties, I had trouble envisioning what I could do with
my science/math aptitude career-wise.
I dropped out of college, and worked various non-science jobs. I was working in home improvement, a
satisfying job that I liked, when a close relative was hospitalized. I spent a lot of time at the hospital visiting
that relative, and it was there that I had a career epiphany. I experienced how important the health of
loved ones was, and I saw a medical community that was committed to try to preserve that health. So,
armed with my science/math aptitude, my natural curiosity, and an instinct for innovation, I decided to
try a career in medical research. I went back to school, and ultimately got my PhD in pharmaceutical
science.
