We are excited to announce the January 2024 Financial Goals Scholarship winner is Yash! Congratulations!
"I am overjoyed to have the honor and privilege to be the recipient of the 1st Financial Bank USA Financial Goals scholarship. This scholarship will enable me to pursue my academic goals in computer science and develop artificial intelligence tools in medicine. I simply could not express in my words my gratitude for such an amazing scholarship opportunity!" - Yash S.
Imagine your career ten years from now after all your hard work has paid off. Whether you’re building a successful business, saving lives as a doctor, or hosting your own cooking show, you're likely working towards or living out your dream career. In his essay, Yash shares his plans to land his dream job creating artificial intelligence products for healthcare.
"My dream job is to lead my own startup in artificial intelligence (AI) products for healthcare. I will lead and collaborate with physicians and policymakers to commercialize my AI products and implement them into hospitals.
My interest in AI in medicine began after I injured my knee and had to take an MRI scan. My MRI report read "transient subchondral edema in both femoral head epiphysis and marrow edema in upper tibia." Since I did not understand the dense jargon, I dove into online articles but became increasingly worried. The myriad terms in the articles and report confused me about what exactly I had - mere inflammation, a fracture, or something more serious? Only days later, when my physician clarified I only had bone contusions from excessive running, did my tension dissipate.
That's it? I said to my doctor. What Google said sounded much more serious.
I went back home that day, relieved. However, after deep reflection, I realized the system needed fixing. The next patient might also read their jargon-filled report, resort to online articles, and potentially misdiagnose themselves, leading to unnecessary anxiety. So, I conducted research that assessed artificial intelligence (AI) models' ability to simplify radiology reports. During a research internship, I dissected papers on the calculus behind AI, created prompts to improve the AI's performance in simplifying reports, helped conduct data analysis, and will be orally presenting this research abstract, titled "Comparing Performance of Generative AI Models to Create Patient-Accessible Radiology Reports" as the first-author at the annual, national Society of Thoracic Radiology conference in Feb 2024.
I have found that AI can be a tool to solve global healthcare problems. My thoughts of simplifying reports weren't stuck in my head; AI brought them into existence. These experiences strengthened my commitment to be an active change maker, one who uses his computer science skills to benefit others.
To develop mastery in AI, I will major in Computer Science and engage in summer research internships at the National Institute of Health to learn new programming languages and develop the skills for technology development.
Through my startup, I plan to implement AI into hospitals worldwide to improve patient understanding, increase diagnostic accuracy, and enhance treatment. To fund this startup, I will earn money by tutoring high school students in AP Physics. Once my company grows, I will showcase my product to leading investors in the Shark Tank, a popular television show, sharpening the entrepreneurial skills necessary to excel in the competitive AI market.
In the evenings, I’d love to code mini-projects, like my own version of Flappy Bird or a neural network that can play chess. I also want to start stand-up comedy, extending my love of the stage that I found through my school’s Debate Club. I hope to be married and have kids, cherishing the dinner conversations about my children’s’ ups and downs and the adventure of a family road trip.
My perfect day is coding AI software, cracking jokes at a comedy club, and fostering lifelong memories with my family.”
Established in the year 1910, 1st Financial Bank USA (1FBUSA) provides quality community banking services in South Dakota, credit card and other financial services to college students and college graduates, and construction lending to builders, developers, and investors from coast to coast. 1FBUSA will award a $2,000 scholarship to a new winner each month. View full rules and eligibility at 1fbusascholarship.com.
