Some students are surprised to learn that their gross anatomy professor is a paleontologist — that’s a scientist who studies fossils, right? My research is actually focused on the origins and evolution of humans today, during the period from about … Read More »

At Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, we have a large homeless patient population. I’ve heard stories about people who come in again and again to the hospital, and while their immediate medical problems may be addressed, the psychosocial … Read More »

I learned at a very young age the power that lies in serving others. Throughout my life, my family, my mentors and my peers have fostered in me a strong sense of responsibility to my community. I chose to … Read More »

In order to share why I chose USC, I must first explain why I decided to pursue occupational therapy. Though it has many different definitions, I have defined OT as beautiful disruptions. It goes without saying that life is not … Read More »

As a second-year medical student, I had come to the certainty that I wanted to help children with special needs in state dependency and delinquency systems. But to effect change in the huge systems that serve vulnerable children would require … Read More »

Humanity crossed a line in 2009: For the first time in history, more people in the last decade died from non-communicable disease than from all the plagues in the world combined. We’ve entered what science pundit Steve Jones has, … Read More »

I didn’t always want to be a doctor — in fact, I had no idea what I really wanted to do — but even as a child, I struggled to understand why many of my relatives passed away early, … Read More »

The decision to pursue a career in medicine was not a commitment I made at a young age, nor did I ever really comprehend the possibility of being a doctor. In fact, it was not until my second year … Read More »