Hello! My name is Xinjie Yu, and I am a rising Junior at Challenger Early College High School and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Online. I am passionate about music and teaching, combining the two through a program I founded with two local nonprofits that aims to bring basic-level music education to socio-economically disadvantaged families. In addition, I am involved with leading a first-generation club and continuing mentorship and tutoring through two others.
When faced with the question of what I would be choosing for a career, I landed on anesthesiologist, but with a twist. Curiosity is something that is heavily present throughout my life, leading to my goal to not only treat patients in a clinical environment, but contribute towards lingering issues through research. I plan to enroll in an MD/PhD program after undergrad.
With the recent pandemic, the difficulty for youths to experience such clinical & research environments has skyrocketed exponentially. When I found ISHTaR, the program differed from others on my list. After conducting deeper research and watching a documentary on the program, my attention was fully drawn towards it. ISHTaR offered several opportunities to shadow clinicians, discuss career routes with professionals, engage in community activities, conduct research, and impact the community with your research.
My favorite part of ISHTaR was the opportunity to learn more about anesthesiology procedures, such as those during endoscopies and colonoscopies, with my supervisor.
Going into ISHTaR, I had a goal in mind: network with different professionals and my peers. This would allow me to have others that I can refer to whenever I am seeking partnership in research or other activities. With an already strong interest in healthcare & research prior to ISHTaR, my time here has strengthened and opened my mind to different pathways such as public health. If you are interested, I highly encourage you to apply as our experiences change us in ways you would never expect.
Xinjie learned about anesthesiology practices with Dr. Ben Antonio.
