Cyrus Elahi earned his Master of Science in Global Health in 2019 and completed medical school at Texas Tech University in 2020. He is a neurosurgery resident at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.

During my third year of medical school at Texas Tech, I discovered my interest in working in global health while participating in various hospital rotations. I was drawn to the opportunity to make a positive impact in low-resource settings and learn about different cultures, which was inspired by the fact that my family is from Iran. I searched online for programs related to neurosurgery and global health and found that Duke's global neurosurgery department and division was the only one of its kind in the United States. I applied, got in and took a two-year leave of absence from medical school to complete the program. 

I did not expect to develop an interest in data science, research statistics and R software but thanks to Dr. Joao Vissoci, a talented teacher and mentor, it became a passion of mine and is now a key part of my career. My research mentor was Michael Haglund, and I had the opportunity to participate in his neurosurgery project in Uganda and a project with Professor Catherine Staton and Professor Vissoci in Tanzania. These experiences solidified my love for global health. 

While studying at Duke, I met a government official from India who was on sabbatical at the university. He introduced me to some colleagues who were working on a neurosurgery project at a hospital in Bangalore, India. This chance encounter led to me spending several weeks there and provided me with opportunities that I would not have otherwise had.

Having a master’s degree in global health sets me apart in my field. In a room full of doctors and neurosurgeons, I am often recognized as the one with specialized knowledge and experience in global health, which has led to being sought out for my expertise. For instance, my residency program is in the process of establishing a neurosurgery global health division, and I have been asked to play a significant role in its development.

I am in my third year of neurosurgery residency at Barrow Neurological Institute. The research skills I acquired have allowed me to put into practice projects I conceptualize. Additionally, I learned how to be a good mentee and now apply that knowledge to mentor medical students I work with. Simple habits like punctuality, follow-up, and taking meeting minutes have proven to be valuable in my career. I still have four years remaining in my residency, but in the future, I hope to work in a way where I can divide my time between a high-resource country and a low-resource country, utilizing my skills and experience to make an impact in both.

I have learned that the saying 'Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity' holds a lot of truth. This has been the case for me. Additionally, I have learned that as a mentee, I may have felt that I didn't have much to offer my mentors, but, expressing gratitude, following up with them, and applying their advice, means a lot to them. The most valuable career advice I have received is to think big and not to sell myself short or feel like I must follow a traditional path. Instead, I should be willing to venture out and explore new opportunities.