Hello friends! My name is Anusha, and I am thrilled to be one of Novel Hand’s newest contributors.
I am a third year at Vanderbilt University, where I am on the pre-med track and double majoring in Medicine, Health, and Society and Molecular and Cellular Biology. I am from Dublin, Ohio (a suburb of Columbus), where visiting Cornhenge constitutes a “fun” activity, but I adore it nonetheless. Outside of Novel Hand, I am passionate about dancing, running, volunteering, traveling (I hope to backpack through Europe someday), and perfecting a vegetarian charcuterie board. Despite not having any pets, I am also an avid animal lover and will most certainly ask to pet your dog if you happen to have one :).
One of the most formative courses I have taken during my time at Vanderbilt is Society and Medicine. This course was my first significant exposure to the bias, egoism, and inequity that exists in a system that I had previously thought to be founded upon principles of compassion and justice. It was also where I was introduced to the complex interplay between the economic, political, and social factors that negatively influence patient health and experiences within our healthcare system. My subsequent sense of disillusionment was accompanied by a desire to educate myself and others on these issues, and now, provide Novel Hand’s readership with actionable steps to become or inspire a more empathetic and informed generation of health professionals, economists, policy makers, etc.
As a contributor, I will primarily be writing about the aforementioned interplay between economic, political, and social factors and how it amplifies the effect of health(care) disparities and social determinants of health on patients. I hope to engage with these topics in both the Vanderbilt and Nashville communities by working with groups including Doctors Without Borders, the Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE), and Siloam Health. These organizations support the uninsured and underserved, regardless of race, religion, political conviction, and/or legal status. Through discussions with those who work for or are supported by these groups, I hope to better understand the disproportionate impact of health(care) disparities and policies on minority groups in Nashville and all over the United States. By sharing their stories, I aim to put a human face to the topics I cover and embolden you all to advocate for our healthcare system to be more accommodating of people from all walks of life.
There is so much I have to learn, but I am looking forward to exploring possible solutions to the problems within our healthcare system alongside the Novel Hand community, and encouraging you all to incorporate effectual, intentional altruism into your daily lives. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at anusha.srivastava@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions, dog pictures, or just want to chat!
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