As an undergraduate student and aspiring physician with a passion for promoting public health, breast health education holds immense importance to me. I recognize that breast health education extends beyond just breast cancer awareness. It embodies a holistic approach to women's health that encompasses preventive care, body positivity, and overall well-being. Through an MD/MPH program, I intend to gain a comprehensive understanding of the social determinants of health that influence breast health outcomes, including socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, and cultural beliefs. Armed with this knowledge, I hope to design and implement targeted interventions that promote breast health and reduce disparities among underserved populations. Breast cancer is one of the most common and devastating diseases affecting women worldwide. Through breast health education, women can be empowered to recognize the warning signs of breast cancer and the importance of regular breast self-examinations. By promoting awareness of screening guidelines and the significance of mammograms, we can enable women to detect abnormalities at their earliest stages. Early detection is key to more successful treatment outcomes, reducing mortality rates, and increasing the chances of successful remission. The fear and stigma associated with breast cancer often deter women from seeking timely medical attention. Breast health education addresses this challenge by providing accurate information about breast health, debunking myths, and fostering an environment where women feel empowered to discuss their concerns openly. By breaking down barriers, we can create a supportive space for women to seek medical care, ask questions, and access support networks. Education is a powerful tool for empowerment, and breast health education equips women with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their health. Armed with an MD/MPH degree, I envision engaging with communities, schools, and healthcare facilities to develop tailored educational programs that address the unique needs of diverse populations. By encouraging preventive behaviors and regular check-ups, we can inspire women to become active participants in their healthcare, leading to healthier and more fulfilling lives. Specifically, educating younger women is really important to me. While breast cancer incidence is relatively low in younger women, early education about factors such as family history, lifestyle choices, and exposure to environmental hazards can help them make informed decisions that promote long-term health and risk reduction. When people are educated with this strong foundation of knowledge, they are more empowered in their own bodies. Breast health education lays the foundation for a lifetime of proactive health practices. By empowering young women with knowledge, raising awareness of risk factors, fostering healthy habits, and normalizing breast health discussions, we can create a generation of self-aware and informed individuals who prioritize their well-being. I am acutely aware of the pressing need to address healthcare disparities that disproportionately affect certain communities. Breast health education can play a pivotal role in leveling the playing field, providing equal access to life-saving information and resources. As a physician and public health advocate, I am committed to working towards health equity by promoting inclusive breast health initiatives and advocating for policy changes that prioritize preventive care and access to early detection services.

After months of selling clothes for my small not for profit illustrating business “Clemseeds” online, I hit my first big milestone: $1,000. I finally reaped the fruits of my efforts - marketing, design, outreach - just for one daunting question to arise: where should the money go? At first, I thought about donating to a hospital. That was until I realized that with big hospitals, I wouldn’t know where the funds were going. I had to dig deeper. That was when I found the Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative - a small, local healthcare nonprofit. I called to set up a visit. When I got there, I had the honor of meeting and speaking with CEO Amanda Missey. The BVMI’s mission struck me: free healthcare for the working uninsured. The population of Bergen County is dense with immigrants that are both ineligible for government aid and unable to afford a physician. These immigrants resort to emergency services only when, unfortunately, their condition has gotten “that bad''. This subset of people was a group I had never thought about before. I used to view the world in black and white - you either needed help, or didn’t. This “limbo” that was the working uninsured was something that, in my place of privilege, I hadn’t considered. This experience shaped my interest in anthropology, medicine and healthcare policy, which is something that I am studying currently in college. On a global scale, I hope that healthcare continues in its progress to better treat people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, orientations, creed, etc. because I feel as though there is not enough being done to reform a broken system. This roots from not having diverse high-ranking officials in the healthcare system world, and I hope that with little, local acts of service, we can all contribute to this bigger issue.

“Oh, him? Well, given his symptoms, it’s just hyperlipidemia,” I overheard Papa say on the phone. Ever since I was little, Papa would say confusing words. Hypertension, osteoporosis, hyperlipidemia. The words frustrated me. I didn’t understand what he was talking about. But if I were a cat, curiosity would be the cause of death in my biopsy report. I tried researching the terms myself and bugging Papa to explain what they meant. But to no avail. I still didn’t get it. These alien words reappeared in my biology class, but in the form of etymology - the study of words. Hypertension: hyper means excess, like a hypertonic cell with excess solute outside the cell. Osteoporosis: porosis meant “porous”, like the semipermeable phospholipid membrane I learned about in biology class. Lastly, hyperlipidemia: lipids were fats and hyper meant excess, so it was the excess of fats. I was finally piecing together the puzzle of Papa’s confusing words. However, being a doctor doesn’t stop at scientific concepts and words. It means making a sacrifice and an intense commitment to patient care. There would be nights where Papa would get 3 hours of sleep being “on-call”. It means having control over emotions, too. When I shadowed Dr. Raval (neuro-oncologist and self-proclaimed specialist of bad news), I observed his gentle delivery to a couple; the husband’s tumor had recurred, but Dr. Raval delicately balanced honesty and empathy. The communication of patient care is very important - I remember when I had to use my Spanish skills to communicate with dementia patients that were asking for help at the hospital. Finally, being a doctor is committing to a life of learning. Medicine is an ever-evolving field, and being a doctor means you must stay curious and learn for the rest of your life. This is the life I want. Medicine is sacred, and I would love to practice it - to master patient care, communication, empathy, and curiosity. Having volunteered at a hospital, interned at a clinic, and been a medical secretary, I have manifested the hunger to learn more. Papa, medical assistants I have worked with, other doctors I have shadowed, and patient experiences have shaped not only my love for the medical field, but myself as an individual. Every little interaction with the people around me has encouraged me to become faster, learn more, and strive to be the best version of myself that I could possibly be.

I would change people’s minds. Whether it be my mom’s mind when she says, “We have food at home” when I wanted Taco Bell, or the minds of people that know no sympathy, I believe that the mind is by far the most powerful instrument you could possibly change. Orwell said it best: 1984 is all about bending the minds and wills of people. But while Orwellian Party members may want otherwise, I don’t want to control people’s minds. I want to explore them. Specifically, I want to explore people’s apathy. One thing about being from New Jersey - excluding my semi-Garden State accent - is my proximity to New York City. I’ve always found it curious that people from New York City ignored everything. Walking by the homeless or seeing unusual people on the subway is so normal that Yorkers are simply desensitized to it. On the other hand, people from New Jersey care about everything (especially bagels). Jokes aside, Jerseyans don’t ignore. We talk - maybe a bit too much - and really interact with our surroundings. New York City is quite the opposite. Society’s movement towards apathy is something that I think is incredibly dangerous, and it is the one thing that I would specifically want to change in people’s minds. Well, how could you stop apathy? It’s easier said than done. This isn’t the world of 1984 - people shouldn’t be forced to be anti-apathy or anything like that. But the one thing we can change, quite easily, is education. Outside of their household where children may be mistreated, school should be a place of vitality and warmth - where they could be intellectually curious and challenged. By implementing more involved events that teach children about sympathy and being kind, a whole new generation of people could be born. Now, I don’t mean the half-baked anti-bullying assemblies that they made us sit through in elementary school. I mean the culture of the classroom: friendliness, learning, and curiosity should be at every corner. Even more importantly, children should be taught about things that they might not experience. This must range from race, gender, or disability issues. It is incredibly hard to understand something that you have never experienced. Whether that be not affording food or going to the doctor, or not seeing your mom and dad together anymore, people have unique experiences. When children learn about these experiences and understand their peers, their hearts and minds grow. Our minds are powerful, but they’re more powerful when they work together. After all, the biggest movements in history have been by groups - not individuals alone. A new generation of understanders, compromisers, and kind people would fix the apathy - and spread more love around.

"We're all in this together." Yes, the wisest thing I've ever heard is from High School Musical 2, a teen flick with surface level depth. But these words, although originating from a superficial film about theatre kids, go deeper than most expect. At its core, its message is resonates with me - all humans are, in one way or another, in "this" together. In a broader sense, "this" is the great big journey we are all taking on called life. As cliche as it sounds, life is one big road with many branching paths and regardless, we all pass on in the end. No matter what you do, how you do it, who hates you, who loves you, who you hate and love, we all follow the same tired path. In that sense, these words encompass the most humanistic feature of all of us - the life cycle. It serves as a reminder that in the end, we are all the same. Blood, organs, tissue, and all. We're born from an egg and sperm, and die when it comes time. Political beliefs, crime, and personal values and truths are virtually irrelevant when it comes to the life cycle. We're all in this together, in this biological game of life.

Rosalind Franklin's discoveries in the structure of DNA are particularly inspiring to me. Without her contributions in X-ray crystallography, the structure of DNA as we know it would have not been discovered nearly as soon. However, her name doesn’t show up when you Google, “Who discovered the DNA structure?”. Rather, her male counterparts James Watson and Francis Crick shine in big letters in the search result. Watson and Crick were later awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, without the citing or crediting of Franklin’s work. The Equal Pay Act of 1963, signed by President J.F. Kennedy on June 10, 1963, was one of the first anti-discrimination laws concerning gender wage differences. The Act was put into place so that women and men would get paid similar salaries for similar work. However, their motive wasn’t to end discrimination. It was to prevent women’s cheap labor from lowering men’s wages. The STEM world has revolved around men for a long time. Women have, from time and time again, have gone unrecognized despite their contributions in STEM. Although her discovery is incredible, it was largely unnoticed by the scientific community until decades later. Her fascinating discovery still serves as a reminder of the gender gap in scientific research.

I would change people’s minds. Whether it be my mom’s mind when she says, “We have food at home” when I wanted Taco Bell, or the minds of people that know no sympathy, I believe that the mind is by far the most powerful instrument you could possibly change. Orwell said it best: 1984 is all about bending the minds and wills of people. But while Orwellian Party members may want otherwise, I don’t want to control people’s minds. I want to explore them. Specifically, I want to explore people’s apathy. One thing about being from New Jersey - excluding my semi-Garden State accent - is my proximity to New York City. I’ve always found it curious that people from New York City ignored everything. Walking by the homeless or seeing unusual people on the subway is so normal that Yorkers are simply desensitized to it. On the other hand, people from New Jersey care about everything (especially bagels). Jokes aside, Jerseyans don’t ignore. We talk - maybe a bit too much - and really interact with our surroundings. New York City is quite the opposite. Society’s movement towards apathy is something that I think is incredibly dangerous, and it is the one thing that I would specifically want to change in people’s minds. Well, how could you stop apathy? It’s easier said than done. This isn’t the world of 1984 - people shouldn’t be forced to be anti-apathy or anything like that. But the one thing we can change, quite easily, is education. Outside of their household where children may be mistreated, school should be a place of vitality and warmth - where they could be intellectually curious and challenged. By implementing more involved events that teach children about sympathy and being kind, a whole new generation of people could be born. Now, I don’t mean the half-baked anti-bullying assemblies that they made us sit through in elementary school. I mean the culture of the classroom: friendliness, learning, and curiosity should be at every corner. Even more importantly, children should be taught about things that they might not experience. This must range from race, gender, or disability issues. It is incredibly hard to understand something that you have never experienced. Whether that be not affording food or going to the doctor, or not seeing your mom and dad together anymore, people have unique experiences. When children learn about these experiences and understand their peers, their hearts and minds grow. Our minds are powerful, but they’re more powerful when they work together. After all, the biggest movements in history have been by groups - not individuals alone. A new generation of understanders, compromisers, and kind people would fix the apathy - and spread more love.