When Medicine Meets Policy: The Next Chapter of My Purpose-Driven Path

“Rooted in my values of compassion, selflessness, and advocacy passed down by my great- grandmother I am driven to use medicine to serve my communities. With the belief that healthcare is a right that should not be determined by the color of one’s skin, gender, or socioeconomic status, I want to use my position as a physician to create change.”

I wrote these words three years ago in my personal statement to medical school.

Now, as a third- year student, when I start my day to head into the hospital. I close the clasp of my Saint Martin necklace to keep it securely near my heart. My waist-length box braids flow freely as I don my white coat. As I begin my shift and see patients, my skin, culture, and identity are not reflected among the physicians I work alongside – but they are reflected in my patients.

I love caring for my patients. Every hand I hold, every heart I hold my stethoscope up to, and every patient’s story I can witness is a privilege and an honor. However, after each day in the hospital, I reflected on deeper systemic issues affecting my patient’s health. I think of the 50-year-old patient without access to primary care who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke due to uncontrolled hypertension. Or the patient who traveled across state lines to access family planning care unavailable in her home state. I’ve witnessed my sickest patients be patients of color; as I listen to their stories and hold their hands, they embody the disparities I studied in the classroom. They are not statistics or numbers but people whose inequitable burden of disease is rooted in systemic racism, structural inequities, and the policies that sustain them.

Health is policy - and policy has the power to either close inequities or perpetuate them further. Obstetrics and Gynecology, my chosen specialty, reflects this reality. Abortion bans following the Dobbs decision are worsening maternal and infant health disparities across the country. Black women face a 70% higher risk for severe maternal complications and a maternal mortality rate three to four times higher than their white counterparts. These systemic failures demand action beyond the clinic. Our healthcare system is rooted in racism and watered by inequities. It will take leaders in influential positions dedicated to uprooting them - one by one. I am committed to being one of those leaders.

I am blessed to share that I will be pursuing a Master's of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.

I am honored to have been selected as a Zuckerman Fellow - selected on the basis of outstanding leadership ability with the potential for significant impact to advance the public good. This fellowship will augment my leadership development with a co-curricular program for my MPP program. It is also funding my degree which is truly a prayer turned reality.

I want to thank everyone who has supported me on my journey thus far. From highschool, to college, to medical school, and now to policy school - I could not have made it this far without the love, prayer and support from my loved ones. I'm thankful for my family who keep me grounded while continously reminding me that my capabilities are endless - they don't let the imposter syndrome win. Instead I am encouraged to continue to challenge myself and push myself to reach the goals that will help my community.

Two Degrees, One Mission: Advancing Health Equity.