SHAMIK CHAKRABORTY

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor. I’ve also always loved expressing myself in creative ways, especially when it involves my hands. I’m a classical percussionist who’s performed at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. I’m also an amateur photographer. And my preferred way to unwind at the end of a long day is piecing together tiny, intricate model ships. Maybe, then, neurosurgery’s as natural a fit as it’s always felt to me. From the moment I was introduced to it in medical school, surgery appealed to me because it encourages you to be creative. Skill and knowledge are prerequisites, naturally. But there are plenty of instances where textbooks and experience are going to get you only so far.