I came to the field of medicine in a roundabout way. I always had an affinity for science. But while I made good grades in both high school and college, I spent most of my undergraduate years playing football and just having fun. It wasn’t until it was over that I realized I needed to find a career and actually do something with my biology degree.

Luckily, a couple of researchers saw something in me while I was in St. Louis, and...