On Tuesday, November 16, students interested in health-related careers heard from an inspiring panel of health professionals about the myriad career options available for students in the biological sciences. The evening began with a brief introduction by each panelist, followed by an informal question and answer period.

Dee Quinn, genetic counselor in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Arizona told students it was okay to have a number of careers in a lifetime and to spend time exploring your interests. She advocated the benefits of having a career that combines counseling with science.

Nathan Cherrington, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Arizona, advised students that the best thing they could do in their life was get married! He later explained that finding a balance between life and work was important, and that asking questions of advisors and professors was imperative if one didn’t want to end up in a career purely due to dumb luck.

Sandra Leal, a clinical pharmacy supervisor at El Rio Community Health Center said she loved her job so much she couldn’t believe she got paid to do what she did every day. Her job allowed her to interact with patients on a daily basis and even write prescriptions. Leal explained that there are many other options out there for pharmacy students in addition to being a retail pharmacist.

Magda Ciocazan, manager of the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program at the Arizona Department of Health Services encouraged students to expand their horizons by going outside their comfort zone and pursuing opportunities that seem out of reach. Magda elaborated on the wide variety of experiences she had as a public health professional, from serving on a post-9/11 psychological study around ground zero to learning Dutch so she could travel to the Netherlands to obtain her Masters.

Ricci Silberman, a physician assistant who recently opened her own practice, described the long-winding path she took to arrive to her present-day career and the satisfaction she gets from being able to work with a wide variety of patients, from newborns to a 102-year-old patient.

Most of the panelists explained that even if their career did not pay top salary, their job satisfaction was most important to them, and every panelist seemed extremely satisfied and enthusiastic about his/her respective career. One student commented that she was unaware of the many career options available. The evening gave students an opportunity to explore careers they may not have known existed, or even heard of or thought about. The evening concluded with a gourmet buffet and free time to mingle with the professionals.

Mikael Gold, UBRPer in Dr. Emmanuel Akporiaye’s lab, Microbiology & Immunology