How come?
"Really? You were an MD/Neuroscientist and now you're a programmer?"
I get that question a lot, as you might imagine. So, here’s the short version:
I did not have any contact with programming until my mid-thirties.
As a neuroscientist, I performed data analyses using Excel (yes, I can see the eye rolls from every programming-capable scientist who has ever had to deal with such semi-pros and their extensive Excel sheets...).
Some of my colleagues back then were programmers, and from them, I learned about tools like MatLab and discovered that knowing how to program is creative, powerful, and fun. I wanted to learn it myself and searched for MatLab online courses. But instead of MatLab, I stumbled upon HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and simply caught fire. I knew pretty quickly that this was it! There was no turning back. That was around 2010.
For several years, I continued to work in the medical field and academia while teaching myself (aka Googling) the basics of web development and JavaScript on the side, building a few websites for friends and family. The real step happened in 2014 when I found my first employment as a junior frontend developer.
Now, with more than 10 years of experience in the industry, I can call myself a senior frontend developer. I still enjoy programming and have never regretted not finding that MatLab course first. The milestones of what sometimes felt like a rollercoaster ride can be found in my CV.
Around 2012, along with several other admirable women in tech, I started organizing meetups and workshops for beginners as a local chapter of RailsGirls. We later formed the group 'Techettes'. Read more here.