A TEEN’S TAKE: Shruti Vaidyanathan on studying medicine

“I have always been interested in medicine and how the human body works. I love kids and I love anything with a hands-on approach. I hope to one day become a pediatric surgeon.”

Age: 17

School: Baton Rouge Magnet High School, senior

Parents: Ramachandran and Janaki Vaidyanathan

Book: Harry Potter series

TV show: “Grey’s Anatomy”

Music: “No specific favorite; I love all types of music.”

Hangout: “Anywhere with my friends.”

Role model: Michael Phelps

Extra: Shruti Vaidyanathan was among 19 students who participated in June in AHEC of a Summer, a program where Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center collaborates with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Our Lady of the Lake College to introduce teens to a variety of medical career options by providing the teens with volunteer opportunities in medical care facilities. “This program has really helped me appreciate every aspect of the medical field, both from the patient’s and the practitioner’s point of view,” she said. For more information on AHEC of a Summer and similar programs, go online at http://www.clahec.org. Vaidyanathan also swims on her school’s swim team and sings with the school’s Festival Singers Choir.

William Taylor

Assistant People editor