Artifacts

A Relational, Multicultural, Systemic Approach 

I further pursued my interests in mental health advocacy by writing and peer-reviewing for the UCSC Journal of Social Medicine. I interviewed a South Asian-American therapist whose research focuses on intersectionality. This discussion about cultural sensitivity, stigma in South Asian culture, resilience factors, and navigating barriers furthered my understanding of addressing systematic inequities in healthcare. Peer-reviewing articles also shaped my desire to focus on research and interventions that are community-driven and sustainable. With this publication and my work for CAPS,  I am motivated to integrate mental health considerations into my future studies. 

Mental health stigma in Communities of Color 

Working as a Peer Educator at UCSC Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offered me insight into mental health disparities within college communities, particularly among students from underrepresented backgrounds. My work at CAPS has been instrumental in guiding my pursuits within healthcare due to how stigmatized conversation surrounding mental health is in South Asian culture. By creating a podcast, I was able to learn about how to discuss difficult topics in mental health while also interviewing mental health professionals on my campus. This experience has sincerely helped me in opening up about mental health advocacy to my own family and community, many of which are healthcare workers. 

The Bystander Effect 

My experience as a dance team member and captain has also shaped my leadership skills and has taught me how art can be a powerful tool for advocacy. This choreography, centered around the bystander effect and the gender discrimination and mistreatment of women in society, connected my artistic expression with my public health perspective. Working on this piece as a captain, allowed me to use our medium to raise awareness for sexual assault and foster empathy. Although it was difficult for our team of young women to share a narrative from the Mahabharatha like the disrobing of Draupadi, this piece taught me the value of community responsibility and intervention–values I will carry into my career in medicine.