Name: Priya Gupta
Major: Human Biology with a BDP Certificate in Social Inequality, Health and Policy
HCMP Role: Public Relations Coordinator and Judicial Board Member
Classification: Senior (4th year)
Other Associations: Indian Cultural Association, CNS Student Ambassadors
Describe a shadowing experience that has impacted you the most: I vividly remember the very second day of shadowing during my intern semester. Despite having to wake up at an ungodly hour on a cold February morning, I learned volumes of intangible information about my future as a healthcare professional during my experience shadowing a OB/GYN. Everything I did that day, whether it was having an hour-long conversation about abortion policies in Texas, discussing my future goals as a doctor, watching a removal of endometriosis using surgical robot technology, or seeing a live Caserian section, was a collection of invaluable and unforgettable experiences. Contrary to what people might tend to think, what makes a memorable shadowing experience is not the intensity or variety of surgeries you get to see, but the conversations you have with the physicians themselves and how their journey to becoming a physician aligns with your own.
How has HCMP benefitted your professional or individual goals? As I am finishing up my intern semester, I realize that HCMP benefitted me in many more ways than I had first guessed. Of course, the plethora of shadowing experiences gave me an outlook on my journey into the medical field that I hadn’t seen before, but I was able to ask two physicians for recommendation letters towards my medical school application because of how positive and meaningful the shadowing experience was with them. One of these physicians also gave me the contact information of another physician who could talk to me more about my interest in international medicine, and another contact for the medical school curriculum developer for the new Dell Medical School after hearing my project to introduce changes to the way first-year medical students are taught bedside manners. In terms of individual goals, it reaffirmed my decision to stick with medicine and try to become a doctor. It was inspiring to meet physicians that continue to love their job even after 30 years of becoming fully certified.
What has been your favorite aspect of HCMP? My favorite aspect of HCMP, aside from all the wonderful shadowing experiences, of course, has been getting to know the other members. It is refreshing and comforting to become close friends with other pre-medical students that are stressing out about the same things you are on a daily basis. It is nice to know that you see familiar faces in your class that you can count on for help studying for a test or finishing an assignment. We all also get and give good advice from and to each other because of our similar but personalized experiences struggling in the pre-medical life.