“Good move,” said the doctor as I stitched a silicone mould on a DaVinci surgical system, the same system that took the meme world by storm after its grape surgery. In this chilly operations wing of the hospital, clad in scrubs and crocs, I felt an adrenaline rush. Staring at the screen of this huge metal machine, I saw this cutting-edge technology being used to help someone. All the time I’d spent writing Fibonacci series programs on Python, interning...

‘I think this scene was too melodramatic,’ Sathvik said bluntly. My partner and I looked at each other, shocked and surprised. Was this the same Sathvik, the quiet kid with his nose always buried in a book? As House Captain, I was working with the members to create a play on National Integration for an Inter House Competition. In order to come up with the first draft of the script, I’d been soliciting ideas from the entire cast. My...

My mother taught me that each human is a system of infinite complexity. My ceaseless curiosity propelled me towards a love of biology as I sought out new opportunities in the medical field to learn about these very intricacies. I found, amidst the beautiful smell of hospital disinfectant, the knowledge I sought. Last summer, for example, I interned in a clinic in rural India. “I am scared, Doctor sir,” said Laxmi amma, a 75 year old woman in rural India. For...

Last summer, I interned in a clinic in rural India. “I am scared, Doctor sir,” said Laxmi amma, a 75 year old woman in rural India. For patients like Laxmi, the doctor explained to me later, illnesses are often detected late or missed altogether. As I watched him work, I had a realization: doctors are the biggest problem solvers in the world. During this pandemic, my thoughts often go to those like Laxmi amma—those at the margins of society not...