Sanya Kathuria, a biomedical sciences major from Delhi, India, had several reasons for wanting to come to UWM, but the biggest one for her was that she liked that UWM is a top R1 research university that’s been nationally recognized for its undergrad research and high level of research activity.
“One of the best reasons to do research as an undergrad is that you really get an understanding of if you like your major or not,” she says. One of Kathuria’s research projects during her time at UWM examined how mindfulness practice could affect the cortisol levels of patients recovering from rotator cuff surgery. “I was sitting in a basement lab analyzing cortisol samples and having the best time. That really drove home to me that I’m pursuing the right field.”
While at UWM, Kathuria also did a nine-month internship at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital as a student medical lab scientist, where she conducted a variety of diagnostic tests in hematology, urinalysis, clinical chemistry and more. “You can do that in school, but it’s like, in a lab where you do it one time. In a clinical setting with real patients, I would see a hundred a day.”
All that hands-on experience from her undergrad research and internship proved valuable when she started applying to graduate school, because it helped set her apart from other applicants. “I was scared I was going to get rejected,” Kathuria says about the grad school interview process, “But then the instructors were like: Tell us about your research. I’ve done a lot at UWM!”
Kathuria was accepted into several grad programs and is planning to attend the University of Arizona for her master’s in reproductive endocrinology. Although she’s headed to a warmer state, Kathuria says that she was surprised how much she liked Wisconsin weather. “I really love the snow,” she says. “There’s not a lot of snow where I come from.”
When she first arrived for her undergrad, she was also surprised by UW-Milwaukee itself. “UWM has everything to accommodate everyone. I don’t have to fight for anything; I can get what I want. Finding resources wasn’t tough at all. If you ask for help here, you’ll get it.”
