We recently spent time talking with Christin, a Coursera learner based in Lebanon. Medicine is her lifelong dream and passion, and she’s currently a fourth-year medical student at Beirut Arab University. Her long-term goal is to be a neurosurgeon and researcher within the field of neuroscience. Coursera has become an important part of her learning and career journey—particularly in the context of the pandemic—and we’re grateful that she’s sharing her insights with our community about the skills she’s learning and the role online learning is playing in her professional growth. She also has some great advice to share. Let’s meet Christin!
Christin, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us. Let’s start at the beginning—how did you learn about Coursera?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw a list of online platforms offering online courses. I asked one of my university doctors about this, and she highly encouraged me to start my learning journey with Coursera.
How did the pandemic affect your approach to learning?
I just couldn’t tolerate the idea of staying at home without being productive. Coursera was the perfect fit to satisfy my learning and knowledge needs.
You sound like a very driven learner!
I always strive to improve myself and increase my knowledge. I have an ideology that, each day, I must become a better version of myself.
Your commitment and dedication are so inspiring, and we’re so happy you’re finding the right learning opportunities on Coursera. What are some of the courses you’ve taken so far?
I’ve taken tons of Coursera courses, including ones on Psychological First Aid, Patient Safety, Palliative Care, Personal Branding, Resume Writing, Neuroscience, Anatomy, The Science of Well-Being, and many more.
That’s a pretty remarkable range. Alongside the personal development content, it’s clear you’re also taking courses that align with your career trajectory. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Coursera has helped me expand my knowledge through several important courses that are extremely impactful and helpful for my career—especially for topics that aren’t usually taught within the university curriculum.
So you’re using Coursera as an opportunity to supplement your university education, in ways that are specifically tailored towards your career goals, is that right?
Yes. For example, as a medical student, we don’t get introduced to information related to palliative care. So I was extremely happy to see that Coursera offered a Specialization on this topic!
Given all that you’ve accomplished already, how are you feeling about your journey so far, and about your opportunities ahead?
I’ve faced a lot of challenges and barriers since I was a child. But I’ve never surrendered to these challenges, and I’ve worked hard to become the woman I am now. My dream is to be a neurosurgeon and a neuroscience researcher, and I can’t wait to achieve that.
We have no doubt you’ll achieve your goals! As someone who has encountered challenges along the way, and who has been so proactive about building new skills and knowledge, do you have any advice for other learners who are working to achieve their goals?
I think it is extremely important for you to keep on seeking knowledge. Keep on striving to grow and learn new things daily, and don’t limit yourself to learning courses that are only related to your field. I encourage you to go on and learn a variety of topics.
Spoken like a true lifelong learner!
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Thank you, Christin, for sharing your journey, and congratulations on all your accomplishments. We look forward to more updates about what you achieve next!
The post See How Christin Is Combining Campus and Online Learning To Achieve Her Dream of Becoming a Neurosurgeon appeared first on Coursera Blog.
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