Hello, my name is Melody Sahar-Khiz and I am a senior at Wilde Lake High School. Even from a young age, I have always been fascinated with the field of medicine and hoped to pursue a career in a health-related profession. While I matured and paved my educational path through elementary and middle school, I imagined working in advanced scientific labs to research cures for diseases such as cancer. Building on these dreams, this past summer I applied and was accepted as a summer intern at the National Institutes of Health to work in one of its cancer genetic labs.  Through this experience, I realized that I really enjoy actually helping patients face to face rather than conducting research in a lab. As I attempted to refine my interest in the medical field, my passion for children led me to learn more about pediatrics and ultimately confirm my future career plans of becoming a pediatrician. The G/T Intern/Mentor Program has allowed me  to fuel my desire to help children by being given the opportunity to intern with Dr. Mailander at Dr. Parnes, May, McKay, Lee & Associates. I am currently conducting research relating to childhood obesity, while gaining a hands-on experience in the field of pediatrics. I look forward to completing my research in this program and continuing my future studies to eventually become a pediatrician.