The East Coast

I enjoyed my research in molecular genetics in Cincin nati. Every day, I would put on my white lab coat; walk into a sterile, cold environment; and make the tiniest bit of progress on gene cloning research. I knew that my work might help improve people’s lives one day, but it was starting to feel too abstract.

I decided to pack my bags and move to Washington, D.C., where I got a full-time job in the Department of Medicine at Georgetown University as a researcher for the department chair. Finally, I was running pharmaceutical studies on very real medical conditions, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, and obesity. I could see how my work was making patients’ lives better, because I was face to face with them every day. And I could watch as their health improved, thanks to our findings. At the time, I wanted to see how my research could be used to improve public health. To achieve that, I went to the Georgetown School of Public Policy, where I got a master’s degree in public policy, while still working as a researcher at the Department of Medicine.