How I made my own opportunities

Like many other medical students in Pakistan, during my first year of medical school I aspired to become a neurosurgeon to enjoy a lucrative lifestyle and high social status. But all that changed when I was diagnosed with depression during my second year. Although painful, the experience instilled in me a passion for psychiatry, a field that has yet to establish itself in Pakistan. Today, my dream is to improve mental health care for mothers and children in low- and middle-income countries. I want to take a combined academic and clinical approach, but. I have found many obstacles to pursuing research in Pakistan. Persistence and an ability to leverage whatever resources I can find have been key to my success thus far.