This week’s Farmer Focus is on Senior Aldo Aguilar who wants to become a neurosurgeon. He plans on studying at medical school to become a doctor.

SNAPSHOTS

Favorite band/artist: The Score

Favorite ice cream: Mint or cookies and cream

Cats or dogs: Both

Dream vacation: Spain

Shows or movies: TV shows

ZOOMING IN

Q: What made you want to become a brain surgeon?

A: “One of my family members had a tumor in their brain and was saved by a neurosurgeon.”

Q: What college are you planning on studying at and why?

A: “I plan on studying at Baylor because then I can still be in Texas. It’s also because it is a reputable medical school.”

Q: How do you feel about the added years of school?

A: “I feel like it is a long time, but it is worth it because it’s necessary to perform surgery on something vital to a person’s life.”

Q: Are there any neurosurgeons you look up to for inspiration, if so, who and why?

A: “I look up to the person who did the surgery on my uncle’s brain tumor. We found the tumor very late, like, really late. What doctors said to us was that he had a really high chance of dying. No one was willing to take the surgery. The doctors didn’t want that life in their hands if it failed. But the surgeon who did the surgery on my uncle decided to take it. And it was like a really long surgery. I don’t know how long because I was still in elementary. I had to go to school the next day, but I remember I was still worried about my uncle because he had a major impact on my life. The surgeon finally finished after a really long surgery. He removed the tumor, and because of that, my uncle was able to live.”

Q: What things are you doing to prepare for being a neurosurgeon?

A: “One thing I’m doing is strengthening my hands and arms for the long hours of surgery. The other thing I’m doing is studying all the areas in the brain. Some exercises I do are wrist exercises. Another exercise is I put my hands in like a T-pose and hold weights on them to strengthen the muscles in my arm such as the biceps, triceps and other arm muscles.”

Q: What scares you most about becoming a neurosurgeon?

A: “The scariest thing is having somebody’s life in my hands. So, the thing about brain surgery is that what you do has a major impact on the person’s life. Like, one mistake and you could totally destroy their future. But that’s the reason why I want to get into brain surgery. Because even though I could destroy someone’s life, I could also repair it.”

Q: How do you feel about the sacrifices you may need to make for such a demanding field?

A: “I feel like the sacrifices I make are really small compared to what I could do for people.”

Q: How do you plan on paying the tuition?

A: “I’m currently investing in stocks, and I’ve earned $60,000. Plus I plan on getting part-time jobs and scholarships. When I dove into stocks, I decided to invest in popular ones, such as clothing brands, car manufacturers and things most people would buy daily. But as I went further and further into my interest in neurology, I decided to invest in pharmaceutical companies so I can get a better understanding of how they make their medicine and to better use that information for my future career.”