Powered by the Library: Naila Karajic's Journey to Neurosurgery

by KAITLYN LIU

As an aspiring neurosurgeon balancing academics, volunteer work, teaching and research at the University at Buffalo, senior Naila Karajic knows a thing or two about using the University Libraries’ spaces and resources to find success. She often wakes up at 5 a.m., packs her snacks, and finds a seat in her favorite, sun-lit corner toward the back of Silverman Library’s Grand Reading Room. While she may take the occasional break to attend a class, she always returns.

Karajic’s interest in neuroscience began at just 10 years old, when her mother had a pulmonary embolism. She recalls the doctors telling her mom, “If you hadn’t left within 20 minutes, you would have died. It was that close.” Ever since, she has remained fascinated by the undiscovered aspects of the brain.

The Utica, N.Y., native graduated a year early from high school to begin shadowing a neurosurgeon and working as a medical assistant at a neurosurgery office. Today, she continues to assist with outreach clinics in rural areas of upstate New York. Though the clinic can see more than 100 patients in a day, she remains committed to empathetic listening and compassion for every patient she sees.

Beyond her neurological work, Karajic is also very involved in the Buffalo community. This involvement stems from her own experience as a UB student. Like many first-year students, she initially struggled to find a sense of belonging in a new place. This experience was compounded by her identity as a first-generation student and an only child. However, she was empowered by her academic experience in her sophomore year.

Karajic credits Dr. Nitasha Sehgal, a biology professor at UB, and the UB Libraries for providing her the space and resources to find that sense of belonging. With newfound confidence, she continued excelling in her studies and began to explore her identity as a teacher, while serving as a teaching assistant (TA) for many first-year students in the University Honors College and the Department of Biological Sciences.

“It’s really a full-circle moment,” Karajic said. “These TAs and professors pushed me, and now I can teach [the students]. I love it. I really do.”

Now, Karajic encourages her students to use the Libraries to conduct research, just as she has done throughout her studies. She recommends that students utilize OneSearch, the Libraries’ one-stop destination for all research needs, and particularly notes the importance of checking off “the little peer-reviewed box,” to find everything they need. “I use the library for every single piece of research, for any paper I do,” she said.
In April, all these studies culminated when Karajic sat down to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT): a seven-hour exam with more than 500 questions for medical school applicants. Though the actual exam experience was intense, she nevertheless felt calm and confident as a result of her 14-hour study days in the Grand Reading Room and some lesser-known study tricks—among those being Lady Gaga’s discography and the not-so-quiet unwrapping of Taco Bell in silent study areas.

Upon finishing the exam, Karajic exited the testing area and checked her phone to see that she won a prize from the UB Libraries. “What are the chances? It was a sign,” she laughed. The prize was thanks to UB Libraries’ March Swagness event, where students voted for their favorite study locations across the Libraries.

Karajic’s, of course, was the Grand Reading Room, where she studies nearly every day. Naturally, the runner-up in the bracket challenge was also her second choice: Lockwood’s open study carrels. “I love those because they’re so cozy—especially on a rainy day, when you can look up at the little circular windows and see it’s raining,” she said.

As for her prize, a UB Libraries basketball, she plans to find a display case for it. Rather than scuff it up, she hopes to keep it forever, remembering the excitement of leaving her MCAT exam and receiving winning news.

Although Karajic is graduating from UB this semester, she has one message to share with both current and incoming students: “Make use of everything that’s provided to you. The Libraries are great. There are always staff members and librarians around that will talk to you and will gladly help you.”