Fellow Focus in Four will introduce you to fellows from each section of the Department of Internal Medicine. This month's fellow is Timil Patel, MD, fellow, hematology/oncology.
Why did you choose medicine? 
My decision to become a doctor was driven largely by values instilled in me by my family. The idea of being a part of a profession focused on helping others regardless of circumstance made choosing a career in medicine very natural. The idea of leveraging science and technology to help people live longer and/or better has always resonated with me.
Why did you choose Yale Department of Internal Medicine for your fellowship?
I chose a fellow in hematology and oncology at Yale because of its vast array of clinical research opportunities, learning alongside with world-renowned oncologists and the track record of training excellent clinicians that go on to become leaders in oncology.
What was your path to Yale?
My first interaction with Yale was as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois where I spent one summer on the Yale campus as an intern at the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. Flash forward to medical school at Wake Forest, and internal medicine residency at the University of Texas-Southwestern, I found myself with an opportunity to come back to Yale to train as an oncologist, and I immediately took it.
What is your 5-year goal? 10-year? Overall career?
My long-term goals are to develop new therapies to treat patients with solid tumor malignancies and be active in designing and writing clinical trials.