Our Industry Person of the Week is Vicki Spina. Vicki is an student at the University of Virginia.
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
Vicki: In secondary school, I gravitated towards subjects of mathematics and science much stronger than the rest. The appealing aspect about math is that there is generally only one right answer. Yes, there are a multitude of possible approaches that can be utilized to reach the specific answer, but the definitiveness of the solution to a mathematical equation honors someone who is more of a concrete thinker like myself. In addition to math, I am deeply interested in the systems and functions that make up the human body. The mechanisms that our bodies have to maintain balance- referred to as homeostasis- are fascinating and quite complex. The strong foundation in math coupled with my interest for biology, lead me to choose biomedical engineering.
Q: Were you the only female engineering student in your courses? Did you experience any gender issues while at school?
Vicki: No, there were so many woman engineers at UVA. Within my class of biomedical engineers, I think there was an equal amount of men and women, although I can’t say if that was the case for the other engineering sectors. There were so many intelligent women in engineering and I was consistently impressed by the talent at UVA. UVA also supports women engineers to get further involved with opportunities such as SWE- Society of Women Engineers. SWE is an organization that strives to empower women in engineering and technology leadership roles.
Q: What are you interested in doing career-wise?
Vicki: For the next steps in my career, I am planning to go to medical school. I am currently studying for the medical school admissions exam, the MCAT, while working as a medical assistant in Washington, D.C. The subsequent question is usually: “What kind of doctor do you want to be?” Many of the doctors I have worked with advise going into medical school with an open mind in regards to choosing a specialty as it can be difficulty to decide without first having the direct experience. However, I am interested in genetics, forensic pathology, epidemiology, immunology, and also general physician health care. Coinciding with patient care, I plan to engage in various research studies as a doctor to be able to be a part of the innovative side of medicine as well.
THANK YOU, VICKI! WE LOOK FORWARD TO KEEPING UP WITH YOU THROUGH THE #PUMPTALK COMMUNITY!
KNOW AN AMAZING PERSON WHO IS MAKING VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS WITHIN INDUSTRY? NOMINATE THEM TO BE AN “INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE WEEK”!
