The CureQuest club at Bridgewater-Raritan High School contacted Dr. Afsheen Iqbal, a specialist in lung cancer and melanoma, to speak to those interested in the field.

She gave a presentation to interested students about cancer on February 28.

The CureQuest Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on aiding families and people with cancer. They aim to spread awareness and educate others on the medical field, allowing exposure to many issues within the United States healthcare system. Additionally, the organization fundraises and donates to children’s cancer research hospitals.

Dr. Iqbal is a thoracic oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in Basking Ridge. She gave the audience insight into and knowledge about cancer while educating students on the effects that aren’t widely known to the public.

“Cancer is getting younger and younger,” she said.

Dr. Iqbal informed us that as time goes on, cancer is increasingly striking people in lower age groups. She informed students that approximately 20% of her patients with lung cancer had significant smoking exposure, relating to the fact that cancer can still harm those who limit their exposure to risk factors.

Dr. Iqbal inspired the audience through her grit and persistence displayed in her upbringing to get her where she is today. She received her medical degree from The Medical University of the Americas, which classified her as a foreign graduate, putting her at a disadvantage when applying for jobs in America.

Her determination was further displayed when she shared the measures she took to break into the medical field. She emailed her desired program advisor each week for six months until receiving an email acknowledging her as an applicant.

The CureQuest club hopes to continue to bring in more medical professionals to encourage and educate the future generation of the medical field in America.