Insha Charania

There's a picture of me from when I was four years old in which I am wearing a white doctor's coat with a stethoscope around my neck. My grandmother is also in that image, sitting patiently on the edge of the bed and smiling down at my tiny frame as I hold the chest piece of the stethoscope up to her heart. Due to my young age at the time, I have no memory of this at all. Yet, whenever I see that picture, I can almost feel my grandmother’s heartbeat pulsing against my palm.

I didn’t always know that I wanted to go into the field of medicine. I knew that I liked learning about the mysterious ways in which the human body functioned, but it was never something I absolutely knew I wanted to pursue… until my grandmother passed away from multiple myeloma.

My passion for biology and anatomy grew, and I found myself becoming progressively more inquisitive about medicine. I took AP Biology in high school and had the best learning experience in a classroom setting. The content I learned instantly made sense to me, and I felt drawn to it. Going to class felt exciting.

I started competing in science fair competitions to further satiate my hunger for biology. I carried out an experiment to test the effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms. I won first place in my high school and advanced to the state level. This opened more doors and led to more opportunities for me to further pursue biology.

When I got accepted to the University of Georgia, nothing felt more right than to apply as a biology major. Not only do I find the subject incredibly interesting, but it is also a pathway for me to achieve my goal of helping those who suffer from terminal diseases, just like my grandmother did. By pursuing this path, I hope to honor her memory and one day play a role in advancing the kind of care and healing that can bring comfort and hope to other families facing similar loss.