1980
I had to decide between a music career as a violinist or as a physician, and I chose to be a physician. My sister was at CCNY at the time; she was two years older than me. I chose to attend there because of my sister, and I wanted to stay close to home. I was a biochemistry major doing research. Even if I lived three blocks away from home, I had to stay close to the campus and live there because of the research I was doing. I worked to support myself because my mother was a single parent. I worked for the state, tutored students, and cleaned houses; I did what I needed to do to have money so that we as a family could stay together. I then graduated and got accepted at one of the top ten medical schools in the country; I was given a full-ride scholarship. What made an impression on me was being in an environment where my intellectual abilities and talents were appreciated and supported. Having a biochemistry background was as good as going into medical school, where it's a lot of studying and learning. I've done health missions in Africa, Central America, and South America. I also served in the first Gulf War.