I was first exposed to the field of urology at a very young age, as my father and grandfather are both urologists. Some of my fondest memories growing up were following my dad and grandpa around at work. They would bring me everywhere, whether it was into the operating room while performing surgical procedures or into patient rooms while making rounds. Although I had very little understanding of what they were doing and saying, I was always intrigued by their work. These are some of the earliest memories that I recall wanting to pursue a career in medicine (Figure).

Figure. Left to right: My grandpa (Mayer Wainstein, MD), myself, and my dad (Mark Wainstein, MD).

Fast forward to 2022, I had finished my undergraduate and graduate studies at Ohio State, worked as medical scribe for 2 years, and was accepted into medical school at the University of Toledo. Although I had always told everyone that I was unsure of what type of doctor I wanted to be, urology had always been in the back of my mind. Now that I was accepted to medical school, I could finally begin pursuing that goal. Knowing that urology is a competitive residency to match into, I wanted to begin research as soon as possible. In the summer before starting medical school, I began searching for urology research opportunities. During this time, I learned about the AUA Summer Medical Student Fellowship. It seemed like a great opportunity, and I immediately knew this was something I wanted to apply for. I began emailing urology faculty at various academic centers throughout the Midwest, and ultimately I came into contact with Dr Evan Keller and Dr Allison May at the University of Michigan. With their help, we devised a project focusing on the progression of renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma is a cancer that is often diagnosed in later stages of the disease and does not respond well to classic chemotherapies. While there are a growing number of novel options for targeted and immunotherapies, there is little guidance in determining which patients will benefit most from each treatment. Additionally, most renal cell carcinomas eventually become resistant to all treatments. The goal of my project is to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving the progression of renal cell carcinoma. The hope is that this will help to direct novel treatments and to facilitate the development of additional therapies to improve the prognosis of this disease.

My work so far has been entirely in the laboratory, mainly culturing cells and performing western blots. At times it hasn’t been easy. Basic science research can be frustrating, whether it is due to experiments not working or the results not being what you expect. It has also been difficult balancing research responsibilities with my second-year medical school course load. However, the opportunities afforded to me through receiving the AUA Medical Student Fellowship have been priceless. I have learned so much in the short period of time that I have conducted research and cultivated skills that I think will benefit my future career as a physician and scientist. I have also made some discoveries that I’m looking forward to sharing at the Society of Urologic Oncology annual meeting and hopefully at other cancer conferences in the future. I think the future for treating renal cell carcinoma is bright, and I am excited to be a part of it.