For her senior project, senior Hannah Stanley plans to shadow a midwife. For her career, she aspires to be a veterinarian.

“I know a lot about the different jobs in medicine and what is requires to become a doctor,” Stanley said.

She has learned these things from her father, mother, and sister.

“I have a very biology-oriented family,” she said.

Stanley’s has one sister who is a nurse at Veteran’s Affairs, one sister who is a cytotech, a mother who is an immunologist working toward a professorship at the University of Minnesota, and a father who is a cytopathologist.

A cytopathologist is a kind of doctor who specializes in examining cells to determine the cause and nature of a disease.

“As a cytopathologist, he diagnoses cancer. People throw him a slide of tissue and he’ll mark it. He doesn’t have to touch people a whole lot, ” Stanley said.

Stanley’s sister is a cytotech.

“Cytotechs work for cytopathologists like my dad. They get the tissue and mark what they think. Cytopathologists, the M.D., decide if they think that marking is accurate,” Stanley said.

From her family experience, Stanley sees the many opportunities within biology and medicine aren’t limited by the opportunity for years of education.

“You don’t necessarily need an MD. From two-year degrees to four-year degrees to advanced degrees, there are many different ways to get involved in medicine,” Stanley said.