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Read MoreWhile in Australia, we had the chance to catch up with Cameron Shetler, a Class of 2016 graduate now studying medicine at the University of Melbourne. Cameron generously shared her post-TGS journey and insights with our current students, and you can read more about her life path, advice, and favorite memories below.
1) Hi Cameron, can you tell us what you’ve been up to since graduating from THINK Global School in 2016?
It’s wild to think my graduation from TGS has been over seven years ago! After graduating from TGS in Florence, I went on to major in Chemistry at New York University Shanghai. I loved my time in China, and it holds a very special place in my heart. Despite still being “abroad,” it was a big change to live in one country for two years instead of moving every three or so months.
After two years in Shanghai, I went on to study at NYU Sydney for a semester and NYU Abu Dhabi for a year, both of which I had an incredible time at. At NYU Abu Dhabi, I worked in Professor Wael Rabeh’s biochemistry lab with enzymes, which was definitely a highlight during my time there. After those three semesters abroad, I was supposed to return to the NYU Shanghai campus for my final semester of undergrad, but unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic was emerging, resulting in that semester being delayed before being entirely online.
After graduating, I was offered a position back at Professor Rabeh’s lab in Abu Dhabi, where I worked for a year studying COVID-19 enzymes. I am very proud to have published those results in my first first-author publication for a biochemistry journal in October 2022. Abu Dhabi and the UAE, in general, is one of my favorite places in the world and I look forward to the next time I can return.
Speaking of places I love, I enjoyed my time in Australia so much that I applied and was accepted into medical school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. I’ve just finished the second year, which was my first clinical year at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. After TGS, I wasn’t sure what career I would find myself in, but I knew I wanted to help people, and helping people is at the core of medicine. I’m excited to start my third year this coming January.
2) Do you feel that your time at THINK Global School prepared you for life post-graduation? If so, how so?
My time at TGS prepared me for life after post-graduation in ways I did and didn’t expect. At university, I found that the independence and experience of my own learning made it much easier to adjust to the workload.
In medicine, I am constantly meeting people from different cultural backgrounds, navigating language barriers, and needing to think laterally. This past year in the hospital, I was surprised by how often random things I learned from TGS came up in patient interactions, which helped me form a better connection with them. This learning catapulted me from my very first day at TGS, and I am continuing to learn now.
3) What do you see yourself doing five years from now, or what would you like to be doing?
Five years from now, I plan to enter or apply for my medical specialty training. I still have two more years of medical school and plan to complete the two junior doctor years here in Australia. I will apply to specialty programs in the USA and Australia and see where that takes me!
4) If you have any advice for current THINK Global School students as they explore the world, what would it be?
I was very lucky to meet the cohort during their recent Melbourne term and spoke with many of them about my reflections from TGS. A key one is that reflecting on your time at TGS differs significantly from being in the moment — to be able to travel as you do at TGS is such a privilege.
Looking back, I sometimes wish I made more of my time in each location — learning the language, getting to know more locals, and exploring more of the city outside the TGS bubble. However, my biggest piece of advice to current THINK Global School students is that this is only the beginning of an interesting, unique, and amazing life. Everything will all work out, and have faith that it will.
5) Seven years later, are there any TGS memories that have emerged as your most memorable?
All of the weXplores were absolutely highlights from my time at TGS. The moments that emerged as the most memorable from those trips are always linked to the people around me.
I remember on the New Zealand Bay of Islands Trip, we went to see the glowworm caves. Connected in inflatable tubes in one long chain by holding each other’s legs, we entered a pitch-black cave only to look up at the insane display of glowworms above us. Someone started singing, and before you knew it, we all joined in as we stared up in awe. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite memories. But that is just one of a gazillion memories that I cherish from my time at TGS.
6) What was your favorite country and why?
It is so difficult to pick from the many countries we visited during my four years at TGS, but I have to say that it is still unbelievable to me that we were able to visit Bhutan. The uniqueness and privilege of visiting Bhutan amongst the many countries we visited with TGS still seems unreal at times.
Hannah and Cameron in Bhutan