Students’ questions ranged from what a CNN medical correspondent’s IQ is to how he spends his free time at Tuesday’s question and answer session before the Fogelson Honors Forum.The forum featured CNN medical correspondent and pop culture icon Sanjay Gupta who answered various questions from students during Tuesday’s question-and-answer session in the Kelly Alumni Center.
Gupta, who started medical school right out of high school, is now a 36-year-old practicing neurosurgeon in Atlanta hospitals in addition to his role with CNN.
“Even though I started medical school at a young age, I wouldn’t recommend it,” Gupta said. “But I am glad that I did it.”
Influencing people everyday with his various jobs including being a professor, surgeon, writer and journalist is what keeps him going, Gupta said.
“If I had to choose between being a journalist and doctor, I would definitely choose being a doctor,” Gupta said.
Gupta said it is frustrating sometimes as a journalist to see death and starvation around the world and report on it.
“Sometimes I just want to role up my sleeves and help out,” Gupta said.
No matter what, being humane is important and if you can save a life, go for it, Gupta said, who recently performed five brain surgeries in Iraq.
At CNN, staff have mandatory psychological meetings if they have experienced traumatizing events such as being in Sri Lanka after the Tsunami, Gupta said.
The average IQ, according to www.iqtest-center.com, is 100. Gupta told inquiring students his IQ is around 150.
Gupta also said he likes to spend the time he has with his family and friends.
“This Friday I am going to the John Mayer concert, which I am very excited about,” Gupta said.
Joshua Long, the Fogelson Honors Forum coordinator, said he was pleased with the Q&A session.
“The turn out at the forum was great and we got a vast amount of questions Dr. Gupta was able to answer,” Long said.
Mallory Bolduc, a senior political science and religion major who attended the Q&A session, said she is really glad Gupta was chosen as this year’s speaker.
“The Q&A session was a really productive time and could have easily fallen into talking about journalism or science,” Bolduc said. “But it was really all over the spectrum which I really enjoyed.
