"I've always hoped to do something with my life that advanced a greater good. Money never meant much compared to finding meaningful work. Fulfilling this goal began with my work with the fundraising arm of a global non-profit organization. As the staff photographer, I was able to witness firsthand the need for food, shelter, medicine, and water in the most perilous parts of the world. My photography skills enabled me to effectively relate that need to others, who might be able to offer much needed assistance.

When geographic relocation necessitated a career shift, I was excited to have the opportunity to continue to help people, yet in a different capacity. Instead of the poor struggling with hunger, I saw patients fighting affliction, desperate for new solutions to ease their pain and suffering. By using my graphic design skills to effectively spread the word about new and potentially life-changing treatment options, I am still able to help people in great need on a global scale and do my part to forward the advancement of medicine through clinical trials." --T

"I’ve always been interested in medicine, largely because of my mom. My entire life she struggled with rheumatoid arthritis. I don’t remember ever throwing a ball with her. We never played tennis together. She put on a good face, but I know she was in pain most of the time.

I saw her hands become more disfigured over time and helped her recover from numerous surgeries. Ultimately, after years of battling, she died of complications related to her disease.

Since my mom died, there have been many advances in autoimmune treatments. I wonder how her life might have changed had she been able to take advantage of some of these treatments.

A large reason for starting qd Solutions was so I could play a small role in helping bring new medicines to the world. Most clinical trials are delayed by slow patient recruitment. So if our work helps our clients complete their studies just a little faster, then a new drug might be approved sooner. And if that happens, someone else might get to play tennis with his mom." --J

"I’ve played soccer most of my life, so I’ve accumulated many long-term friends through the sport. Amazingly, four of my former teammates are now practicing medicine or completing their residencies. Their passion for helping others and making a positive contribution is inspiring, and I try to see the medical field through their eyes.

One former teammate passed on this wisdom from her father, a surgeon who passed away from cancer several years ago:  “Some people see hospitals as places full of sick people. I see them as places of healing.” That’s the ultimate optimism. And that’s the attitude that I try to contribute to through my work with patient recruitment." --C

"About six years ago, my dad made an appointment with his general physician because he was feeling tired more often than usual. The doctors ran a number of tests but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. However, since my family has a history of heart disease, they decided to perform an angiogram just to make sure everything was normal.

My dad went under for the test, and when he awoke, surgeons had completed a quadruple bypass because he had over 90% blockage. The doctors told him that a heart attack was imminent, but because he exercised so much and developed such a strong circulatory system, his only symptom was fatigue. 

It made me realize how fragile our health can be. We’ve made huge medical advances over the past several decades, but there’s still so much that we don’t know. Thankfully, my father’s bypass was a success, but I’m always plagued by the thought of “what if he hadn’t gone to the doctor?” I play my part in this field to reduce the number of what-ifs for my family." --S

"My attraction to medicine and medical advancements has always been there—mostly due to the fact that my dad is a general surgeon, and I’ve been exposed to his stories since I was a little kid. When I was sixteen years old, I was given the privilege of scrubbing in with my dad on an appendectomy. As I watched the surgery firsthand, I was absolutely amazed at what we can accomplish through medicine.

My continued interest in medicine, though, can be attributed to my mom’s recent liver transplant. She was put on the transplant list and was fortunate enough to receive a liver before she got too sick. Through that emotional experience, I realized how much it means to me to be in a field that may potentially help further drug development and medical technology through clinical trials." --A