My uncle died of pancreatic cancer and I feel like I was drawn to my career path the minute he was diagnosed. When the whole family was drowning in overwhelming sorrow, my parents encouraged me to research and understand more about this type of disease, hoping I could enlighten the family with some modern treatments and medicines.
Reading broadly on cancer- related literature, from popular-science series to general medical articles, I became motivated to seek out mysteries of cancer diseases, and it is a curiosity which has never gone away. I look forward to continuing my research, and gaining profound knowledges and skills in this life- science track. Before my uncle passed away, I promised him I would devote my career into cancer’s cure and prevention and it is a promise which I intend to keep.
Considering college education as a stepping-stone that bridges intellectual ambition and professional practices, I appreciate that U-M, specifically the LAS College, is unique in offering a spectrum of academic advancements to promote me towards the biomedical research field. From broad selections of science courses, to mentorship research labs at LSA Biology, to attractive UROP research opportunities, to the vast array of co-curricular opportunities in Pre-Health directions, everything LSA College has to offer fits my desires of academic growth precisely.
I ideally wish to join this College because of its boundless intellectual resources, size and wide variety of academic strengths. What is most attractive to me, is its interdisciplinary pre-med programs, such as Cancer Biology or Biomedical Engineering, aiming at cancer researches.
I plan to declare Cellular and Molecular Biomedical as my major at LSA MCDB, and to expand my strengths in other LAS Programs such as mathematics, computer sciences, neuroscience, and statistics. As someone who has long been curious about cancer development, I intend to actively participate in mentorship research related to cell and gene biology, at, for example, Csankovszki Lab, Klionsky Lab, or M.Li Lab of MCDB.
The great advantage of U-M is that it brings reality into the educational experience by engaging students with messy real problems through vast experimental possibilities. I would like to identify and join selective research, preferably a doctor-shadowing opportunity, in the direction towards cancer treatment fundamentals and methodologies.
Furthermore, I appreciate that English communication skills are critical to biological researchers. The LSA College provides English writing courses, which will teach me how to better write in a concise, straightforward style, a skill vital to a biological researcher.
These are some of the elements of what the University and the College has to offer me; however, as a member of U-M Community, I want to give back as well. The various volunteer programs on the Campus, such as Connect2Comunity or Clinical Volunteering Program Abroad associated with the PreMed Track, appeal to me, as I have previous experiences with students-teaching- students and volunteer services in hospital settings.
College life will be dynamic in the sense that it requires interactive test out possibilities and the digestion of feedback. With the guidance of professors, counselors, and education support from the College and U-M, I trust that I can quickly identify the academic and college-life objectives which fit me the best, and further develop myself into an independent, strong-willed adult.
