Our first meeting: a pulmonologist

Our first Career Connection Club meeting featured Dr. Preethi Rajan, a pulmonologist and Northwestern graduate, who gave us a real look into medicine beyond TV or textbooks. She described her work days balancing hospital and clinic work, emphasizing that medicine is a team effort involving doctors, nurses, social workers, and trainees.

The quote I loved:

“It’s not selfish to follow your intellectual curiosity,” Preethi told us. “That’s what keeps you motivated and helps you avoid burnout”.

Dr. Rajan’s practical advice:

• Shadowing is key: Shadow doctors in teaching hospitals where innovation thrives, and choose specialties that genuinely interest you.

• Research experience stands out: Get involved in research—even as a volunteer or minor author - as it strengthens college and med school applications. She mentioned places like Cold Spring Harbor and Memorial Sloan Kettering as examples of world-class research centers.

• Your major doesn’t have to be “pre-med”: Surprisingly, her path to pulmonology wasn’t linear - in high school she was interested in psychology and neuroscience. In college Dr. Rajan majored in psychology and minored in Slavic studies, completing her pre-med requirements alongside. She pointed out that medicine is becoming more interdisciplinary—fields like engineering, computer science, and even business or psychology can all be great backgrounds for a medical career.

• It’s never too late: It’s never too late to pursue medicine; some switch paths later in life. While starting early helps, what matters is exploring your interests and being open to change.

• Believe in your training and in yourself: You will have a lot of training and practice before making decisions affecting patients and the responsibilities are given to you gradually. However, it’s very important to be certain that medicine is your true calling. There are many ways to channel your passion to help people and there is a huge variety of careers in the healthcare field, not just being a doctor.

The biggest takeaway? You don’t need all the answers now. Explore, ask questions, and be open to change. Every step helps you find what fits. That’s what the Career Connection Club is here for - making those first steps less scary and more real.