In all honesty, my new motto entering the lab was: “Act like you give a sht.”* I would literally repeat it to myself before walking in. Not because I don’t care — I do. I genuinely love research. I love thinking deeply, solving problems, contributing to something bigger than myself. But I realized something uncomfortable: …
Dear Lab
Dear Lab, Coming into the lab, I worried I wouldn’t fit in. Girl straight out of Nigeria. New to microbiology. New to American academia. New to everything. And then I walked into a room full of Indians, other Nigerians, Pakistanis, Koreans — Christians, Muslims, Hindus, atheists. Different sexualities. Different genders. Different ages. Different stories. And …
Dear Imperfection
Dear Imperfection, As an artist, dealing with you comes with the territory. You show up in brushstrokes, uneven lines, colors that don’t blend the way I imagined. In art, imperfection can even be beautiful. But as a researcher, you terrify me. I think about the weight of getting things wrong. Not small mistakes — not …
Dear New Beginning,
Dear New Beginning, I came to America on my mom’s birthday — December 19th. After a long, exhausting flight, we landed in Houston relieved, hopeful, and completely overwhelmed. There were five of us and over thirteen boxes. The first challenge was simply getting everything out of the airport. The second was standing outside in the …
Dear Survival, Diabetes Awareness Art Piece #3
Dear Survival, You look like flying, but you don’t feel like freedom. This piece came from a conversation with a woman named Krishnaa. She spoke about the sheer amount of medicine and medical technology it takes to keep her alive — the supplies, the waste, the constant reminders that her survival is not effortless. Sometimes, …
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Do I really Have What It Takes to be a Doctor?
Dear Future Me, How do I know if I have what it takes to be a doctor - let alone a physician-scientist? I’ve seen so many doctors work and walked through the steps they took to get there: the late nights studying, the seven-hour MCAT, the constant push to network, build relationships, and apply yourself …
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Dear, Terrified Dreamer
The truth about me is that I am terrified of failing. I’m so scared I won’t be able to achieve my goals and dreams that sometimes I start holding back — not putting in as much effort as I should — just so I have an excuse. I can tell myself, “It’s not that I …
Creating My Autobiography 