Nandita Singh, B.A. 2016

Second Year M.D., M.P.H Candidate, McGovern Medical School (UTHSCH)

2016 Major: Asian & Middle Eastern Studies and Global Health
 
Professional Path: 

Masters in Bioethics (MBE, Harvard 2017) | Second year M.D., M.P.H candidate at McGovern Medical School (UTHSCH)

How has AMES helped?

"Early on as a Duke undergraduate, I had trouble finding classes that fit both my interests and my career path in a single department. However, during my second year I was taking a course with Dr. Satti Khanna in Hindi. He took a vested interest in not only cultivating a learning environment that connected Hindi to the human condition, but allowed me to share my dreams of one day working as a physician both in the states for non-English speaking patients and abroad in my family’s hometown of Lucknow, India. He encouraged me to pursue a degree in AMES (with a concentration in Hindi) and also the Global Health dual degree. Knowing about my interest in medicine and language-barriers to adequate care, Dr. Khanna gave me the opportunity to conduct independent studies, read literature, and further my understanding of both Hindi and medical Hindi with his mentorship. As a result of my studies with AMES and the Global Health department, I decided to pursue my Masters in Bioethics at Harvard Medical School and delved further into the barriers to health literacy and access for non-English speaking patients. I just finished my first year of medical school and am working on both my MD and MPH. As part of my MPH field work this summer, I’m currently in Lucknow working at King George Medical College on a health literacy project pertaining to gestational diabetes. Finally having the opportunity to work with Hindi speaking patients in my family’s hometown of Lucknow is a dream of mine that started with my decision to become an AMES major. Without the cultural perspective and exposure to Hindi literature I received from Dr. Khanna, I would not have stumbled upon a career path that allows me to combine both my passion for the humanities and the sciences."

Nandita Singh (2016)