Career Path Of A Neurosurgery Resident At Vanderbilt Medical Center
Kwadwo's career path began with early exposure to medicine through "housekeeping in a hospital," motivating a journey from community college chemistry and research to Emory University's neuroscience program. Research experiences in axon regeneration and epilepsy solidified Kwadwo's interest in neurosurgery, culminating in their current residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Career Exploration, Overcoming Challenges, Motivational Stories, Neuroscience Research, Mentorship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kwadwo (Kojo) Sarpong
Resident Physician - Neurosurgery
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Emory University
Georgetown University School of Medicine, M.D.
Biology & Related Sciences
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Medical
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. He immigrated to the US and worked jobs such as cashier and housekeeper in a hospital, which exposed him to medicine and mentors who guided his path.
2. He started at a community college, then transferred to Emory University majoring in Neuroscience, conducting research in areas that solidified his interest in the brain and nerves.
3. His research experiences in peripheral nerve axon regeneration and epilepsy directly influenced his decision to pursue neurosurgery.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
Definitely. Thank you for having me on this podcast to talk about my experiences.
I immigrated from Ghana to the United States in 2009. My first jobs were as a cashier at Walmart and then in hospital housekeeping. It was in the hospital that I was exposed to medicine.
Meeting physicians and mentors in the hospital played a significant role in my educational journey and where I am today. I started my journey at community college, studying chemistry and doing some research.
Doing scientific research in the summer got me very interested in an academically focused university. I transferred to Emory University and majored in neuroscience. During that time, I did research in peripheral nerve axon regeneration.
This research really interested me in the brain and peripheral nerves, and how we could regenerate them after an injury. This experience factored into my decision to pursue my current career.
In college, I did research throughout. Right after undergrad, I also spent two years doing research in epilepsy. All of that factored into why I am pursuing neurosurgery today.
Advizer Personal Links
Instagram: @i_am_nanakojo
LinkedIn: Kwadwo Sarpong