With over 15,000 undergraduate students, six colleges, and more than 30 majors, the Georgia Tech community is a large and unique group.

Meet Neel Atawala – B.S. Neuroscience, Health and Medical Sciences Minor, Class of 2019

Hometown – Albany, Georgia

What do you enjoy about your major?

My favorite thing about neuroscience is the considerable amount of room to explore one’s own interests within the field. At Tech, neuroscience majors are given the option to take classes pertaining to one of three main areas of neuroscience: molecular and cellular, systems, and behavioral and cognition. Beyond that, our breadth electives allow students the opportunity to explore an array of disciplines, ranging from engineering to life sciences to computer science. Therefore, any student can integrate neuroscience with almost any other curriculum in which he or she is truly interested, a reflection of how increasingly interdisciplinary the field of neuroscience is becoming in the real world.

Have you had an interesting co-op or internship experience while attending Tech?

In terms of interesting work experiences, I’ve recently started a part-time job as a scribe at Emory Midtown Hospital, in which I serve as a personal assistant to the emergency department (ED) physicians by documenting information on each patient’s medical chart as well as tracking their progress throughout their stay in the ED.

While working, I’ve been able to observe a number of critical cases such as cardiac arrests and seizures, and the opportunity to observe how physicians respond in these types of demanding situations is invaluable. I highly recommend this opportunity to anyone who may be thinking about a career in health care because it truly gives you a behind-the-scenes experience in the health care workplace.

Why is your favorite aspect of Atlanta?

Probably the hip-hop scene. Many of the most famous rappers and producers at the top of the charts right now have come straight out of Atlanta, and as a dedicated listener of this genre of music, I think it’s really incredible that Atlanta has been able to make a name for itself partly through these artists.

What do you like to do outside of classes?

I like spending time with my friends and listening to music — two things that really help me de-stress. Occasionally, I like to go to the basketball court to shoot around.

Read more about students from other majors here.