Major Dr. Karin Chakwas is the human doctor of the SSV Normandy. She enlisted in the Systems Alliance soon after she graduated from medical school, seeking "exotic adventure", though she quickly realized that military life was not as romantic as she had imagined it to be. However, she stayed with the Alliance in order to do her duty and serve humanity. Though she sometimes considers starting her own private practice, or going to work at a medical center on one of the colonies, she feels that "there is something special about working on soldiers", and believes she would be abandoning them if she did not stay. Like most Alliance doctors, she has taken courses in alien biology, enabling her to treat the non-human crew members, particularly Liara, Ariel, Stephen and Tekla. After the conflict with the Reaper came to an end and the her home galaxy was recovering, Karin was offered a position to the Alliance of Nations'Allied Organization of Health by Stephen Franklin for her medical skills.