As a high school student with aspirations to study medicine in the future, I believe that participating in the USC CAMM JR program will provide great insight into the lives of physicians and researchers, and expand my knowledge of various aspects of oncology. Growing up, I watched first hand my little brother's struggle with reflux disease, bladder surgeries, and repeat bouts of urinary tract infections. I also witnessed my mother having progressive loss of vision despite multiple eye surgeries. In my family, so much trust was placed in the hands of physicians that took care of my brother and my mother and I knew that without these physicians, my family’s life would have been much different. I deeply admired and respected the work that these …show more content…
While I have always performed well in math, I really enjoyed the science classes that I took, especially AP Biology and Honors Biology. From a young age, I have always held a special interest in the complexities of the human anatomy and the functions of each part of the body. What I learned in Honors and AP Biology gave me a greater respect for the intricacies of living organisms and inspired me to further improve my understanding of the human body . In pursuit of my goal, I focused on medicine and related subjects in my academics. I studied biology extensively as a part of my school’s Academic Decathlon team and AP Biology classes, paying extra attention to subjects related to medicine such as anatomy and physiology.Through my independent studies, I have been able to compete in the Los Angeles/Irvine Brain Bee competition and the USA Biology Olympiad, qualifying for the semi-finalist status which represents the top 9% of all the competitors. In addition, I joined a club which helps the disabled, raising funds for wheelchairs for those who cannot afford them, and a club which seeks to inspire careers in medicine, providing exposure to different medical fields through physician guest lectures. Through these experiences, I developed a particular interest in oncology and the potential of cancer research. Following a school counselor's recommendation, I decided that participating in this program during the summer would be the best way to expose myself to the world of