2nd year PhD student, Kushal Shah:
Why did you choose to attend UNC biostatistics for your graduate degree?
I was initially impressed by the conversations I had with professors during my visit day and the depth of research across the program. But what sold me in the end was listening to the current students talk about student culture within the department. The surrounding community is also a huge plus, and Chapel Hill’s location within NC is ideal. More on all these things below.
What is the most interesting project(s) you’ve worked on as a PhD student?
I’m currently working in the department’s Precision Medicine Lab on a project that focuses on the application of statistical and machine learning methods to the development of treatment regimes that maximize recovery in breast cancer patients. Based on clinical and genomic characteristics, we can identify patients for whom one therapy may be warranted over another. That’s the whole idea behind precision medicine. Precision medicine seeks to improve patient health by utilizing the heterogeneity of a number of patient characteristics in the selection of an individualized treatment rule (ITR). In contrast with a one-size-fits-all approach, precision medicine acknowledges that treatment and prevention strategies for a particular disease will work differently with different groups of people and strives to leverage these differences in the selection of an intervention.
I particularly enjoy this project because it requires both clinical and mathematical thinking. We’re using machine learning methods on data that has thousands of variables, but in the end, our results need to be communicable to clinicians and have a positive downstream effect on human lives. This is actually pretty representative of the field of biostatistics as a whole. Everything we do is rooted in real-world motivations, which makes every problem and every challenge so fascinating.
What’s your favorite thing(s) about UNC and/or Chapel Hill?
Student culture within the biostatistics department is incredible. My peers aren’t competitive at all and everyone is more than willing to offer their help at all times. We collaborate all the time on tough problems and for exam prep (which has also provided so much mental sanity!). Every older student I’ve reached out to with questions has given me so much guidance and clarity. Student culture in the department is one of the primary reasons I enjoy the program so much. A top-ranked department is bound to give you some tough work at times, and the support system we all have for each other is amazing.
In terms of the location – Chapel Hill is located pretty centrally between the Outer Banks to the east and Blue Ridge Mountains in the west. I’ve never lived in a place before where I could literally make day trips to some of the most beautiful locations in the country, so this prospect is pretty unique and exciting to me. The Blue Ridge Mountains (near Asheville) have some of the best hikes I’ve ever done – Grandfather Mountain, Hawksbill Mountain for sunset, Wiseman’s view, etc. The list goes on and on and I still have a lot left to explore. Same with the Outer Banks, where you can do something new every time you visit (beaches, small islands, famous lighthouses, scenic drives, etc.). There’s some unique things you can do on lighter weekends.
What are your post-graduation goals and how has attending UNC helped you prepare to achieve them?
I want to come out of my PhD knowing that I have the curiosity, creativity, and depth of thought to work through important problems, ask the right questions, and produce results. Along with this, however, I want to have the humility to accept when I have made a mistake and be open to constructive feedback.
Being in this department, I feel like I’m always surrounded by some of the smartest students I’ve ever met. Every day, I learn something new from the people around me. Whether it’s their work ethic, ability to patiently work through problems, discipline, kindness, or selflessness (the list goes on and on), this department has surrounded me with constant examples of people who teach me something new every day.
Sometimes I think we get too caught up in the career goals aspect, and although that’s important, I want to make sure I’m developing as a person, too. I still have a few years to narrow down my career goals, and that will work itself out with time. But in that time, I want to make sure I capitalize on all the opportunities I have to learn.
Do you have any advice for prospective students?
Grad school is tough. It’s out of your comfort zone – but that’s the point of it. With something out of your comfort zone, you can’t go in and expect to be comfortable and confident from the beginning. But the beauty of it is that you face your fears, work through challenges, and with time, the initial fear diminishes and turns into growth. You slowly gain so much confidence in your abilities – not only academic, but also personal: self-reliance, humility, communication, depth of thinking, learning to patiently take small steps, learning to ask for help, etc.
It’s important to pick a school where you feel a connection with people – the students, faculty, and community as a whole. You can’t think of grad school as just a means to an end – it’s important to find joy in the work you do and realize that not only is there light at the end of the tunnel, but also that there’s light at every step of the journey. It’s a process, and maintaining your interests outside of work is just as important as the work itself. Pick a place where you see yourself being happy. Mental health is important. Grad school has the potential to be an amazing growth experience.
MS graduate c/o 2018 and 1st year DrPH student, Cheynna Crowley:
Why did you choose to attend UNC biostatistics for your graduate degree?
I would say my main reason for choosing UNC was the research. The professors are involved in such interesting work and on a wide spread of topics, which I thought would be important for when I decide a dissertation topic.
What’s your favorite thing(s) about UNC and/or Chapel Hill?
One of my favorite things about Chapel Hill is the weather. It doesn’t get too cold, which was a huge attraction for me. One of my favorite things about UNC is going to the basketball games. Their rivalry with Duke is nothing I’ve really experienced before and it was very cool to see UNC win the National Championship.
What are your post-graduation goals and how has attending UNC helped you prepare to achieve them?
I hope to work in industry after graduation. I’m still a little undecided, but I’ve been taking different electives in the department to get more exposure.
Do you have any advice for prospective students?
Take advantage of the visit days. I was deciding between a couple of schools until I visited UNC during the spring “Experience Gillings” event. You can get information on the website and see pictures online, but actually talking to some of the professors and meeting the other prospective students confirmed that UNC was the right fit for me.
If you want to be featured (or to nominate another student to be featured) in a student profile next semester, email blette@live.unc.edu.