[biokid5]

I'm applying for the Molecular and Cellular Biology concentration at my university. We had to write two essays. The first was our career goals (this one) and the second was what we hope to get out of the honors concentration. The essays had a 250 word limit and the person in charge of the program said to make it interesting, instead of the usual "I want to go to medical school. I want to be a doctor", etc. Please read mine over and tell me what you think.

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In 250 words or less, please describe your future career goals.



Ever since the first day the words 'I want to study biology'escaped from my mouth, I've gotten pointed question asking why not'engineering'. "Both your parents are engineers", they said. "You're good atmath and engineers always have jobs", they jeered."You'll never make any money unless you go to medical school, and that takeseight years—at least!"

I was beginning to give in, but the passion was never truly there.

In my junior year of high school I had an AP biology teacherwho one day took a tangent from the usual course material and gave apresentation on cancers and tumors. There was something so menacing, yet sofascinating about the subject—how one tiny mishap could set an entire system haywire,how one of the most perfect and elegant biological instruments could turnaround and destroy itself, how we still know so little about what destroys somany. As he went on and on, I felt myself drawn further and further into hisstory. From that day forward I knew I wanted to study oncology.

You ask me what my career goals are, to which I reply 'Idon't know'. I'm only a freshman. I still have mountains of biology leftuncharted. What I do know is that I'll let my passion for biology, andspecifically oncology, guide me toward my future career path.

[Realitycheck]

How about biological engineering? Best of both worlds and you don't necessarily have to become a doctor.