Hometown
Hanover Park, Illinois
Major and Graduation
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Premedical Studies, Expected Graduation: 2024
Student Organization Involvement
Emergency Medical Services, Project Sunshine, American Medical Student Association, MedLife, Kappa Phi Delta, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Why did you choose your major/what do you want to do with your degree?
I chose to pursue biomedical engineering because I have a passion for translational medicine. I believe medicine can be innovated through a bench to bedside approach in which doctors who have first hand experience with patients can apply their knowledge of disease and sickness to enhance the overall wellbeing of an individual with respective conditions. With a concentration in neuro-engineering, I hope to someday pursue a medical degree to help adolescents and adults with neurological diseases through preventative care and medicine.
What is your favorite thing about the Camras Scholars Program?
My favorite thing about the Camras Scholars Program is the environment it creates by guiding young adults with similar interests in innovation and leadership to form a collective group that works together for the betterment of society.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
In 20 years, I see myself working in a hospital as a neurosurgeon while performing research in neurological diseases. I hope to be helping patients of all ages with a focus on pediatrics because preventative care starts at the developing mind.
How do you think you best represent what it means to be a Camras scholar?
On campus, I work as a Hawk Ambassador, SOAR Leader and Resident Advisor. Hawk Ambassadors guide high school students on what steps to take to pursue their aspirations while teaching what Illinois Tech has to offer. SOAR Leaders, or Summer Orientation Leaders, transition students from high school to college by showing them how to get involved and how to find their home on campus. Resident Advisors lead as an example for their floor of residents and ensure a healthy and safe community is built through building wide events. Project Sunshine is a student organization that brings back the childhood environment children in hospitals desire but may have lost to a disease. I am currently the Communications Director where I help students learn and get involved in volunteering. IIT Emergency Medical Services is an organization that gathers students with similar aspirations in emergency medicine to increase awareness of what to do in extreme scenarios. I am the equipment manager and trainer where I lead CPR certifications courses for people on campus. I am the secretary of American Medical Student Association which holds events on campus for students to get acquainted with opportunities in the medical field, creates MCAT study groups, and runs mock interviews. As a part of Kappa Phi Delta, I work as the Assistant First Vice of Recruitment where I help plan and run recruitment events and make sure the recruitment process runs smoothly. I volunteer at Northwestern Central DuPage Hospital during the summer time where I help guide visitors and make deliveries to patient rooms to connect patients with their loved ones smoothly. Finally, I do research in Dr. Bhushan's lab where we are looking to find an ultrasensitive assay for detecting amyloid beta for detection of Alzheimer's Disease. The ultimate goal of this research project is to find a more sensitive way to diagnose a patient with Alzheimer's Disease early on so that preventative and precautionary care can be influenced early.
Contact
Email: ppatel145@hawk.iit.edu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/pooja-patel-iit2024