In our alumni spotlight series, learn about Harvard graduates' most meaningful experiences from college, and how Harvard impacted their professional and personal paths after graduation.
Hometown & Current City: Hometown: Scarsdale, NY; Current City: Scarsdale, NY
House Affiliation: Pforzheimer
Concentration and Secondary Field: Concentration: Anthropology; Secondary: Global Health & Health Policy
Current Job Title/Company or organization: Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery / White Plains Hospital.
What was your professional path after college?
I studied Anthropology in college, and I went to medical school at Stanford University. I went to Johns Hopkins for residency in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. I completed a fellowship, which is specialized medical training, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. I am currently a surgeon in Westchester, New York and the Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at White Plains Hospital.
What fills your time now? Professionally and otherwise?
My professional life keeps me busy but is fulfilling: I evaluate patients in my clinic, and I perform surgeries in the operating room.
I am an active member of the Alumnae-i Network of Harvard Women (ANHW) Inc. As part of the Early College Awareness committee, I participate in the Her Honor Mentoring Program in New York as a mentor to female high school seniors. I have also been an alumni interviewer for Harvard College for the past 7 years.
Outside of my professional life, I enjoy reading novels, traveling, and spending time with my family.
What was a favorite class you took and why?
During my junior year, I took a course called "Legal Anthropology." We studied the conceptualization of law, order, and justice across different historic and present day societies. My focus was on medical anthropology and completing my pre-medical required courses, but I was also fascinated by the readings in this course. I enjoyed the assignments of writing a legal critique of war crimes in World War II and the writing my final paper about legal pluralism in India.
Did you have any research/internship opportunities and/or professor/mentor relationships that were influential?
My first year, I took a seminar taught by Dr. Arthur Kleinman, professor of anthropology and physician. My roommate and I invited Dr. Kleinman to the faculty-student dinner. Before coming to college, I knew nothing about the field of anthropology. By the end of my first year, after reading Dr. Kleinman's book and taking his class, I decided to major in anthropology. I took a variety of anthropology courses as an upper-level student, but I was especially drawn to the focus of medical anthropology. I connected back with Dr. Kleinman, and with Dr. Kleinman as my thesis advisor, I completed my thesis project in medical anthropology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
What were you involved in extracurricularly?
During my time at Harvard College, I was involved with the PBHA King School Buddies Mentoring program. I joined as a first semester first-year and continued in the program with the same mentee for 4 years when I graduated as the Co-Director of the program. I was very involved with the South Asian cultural scene at Harvard, choreographing group dances for the annual Harvard Ghungroo performance. My classmate and I also co-founded a nationally competitive Indian classical dance troupe, Harvard Deepam, that is still active at Harvard today. I completed a minor in global health and health policy, and I continued that interest with the Harvard College Health Policy Society.
What is a favorite memory of Harvard House life?
I really enjoyed eating meals in the House dining area. For some meals, I would grab a bite to eat while finishing up a project on my laptop; for other meals, my roommates and I would catch up about our days or we would have a big reunion of our "housing group." Coming back to our House dining hall felt like I was coming home, seeing familiar faces of fellow Housemates, dining room staff, and resident advisors.
What is your favorite Harvard tradition and why?
I love Housing Day! When I was a first-year and I got "quadded" (housed in one of the 3 Radcliffe Quadrangle Houses), I was initially so disappointed to be away from the main campus. But when I saw the excitement and spirit of the upper-level students from Pforzheimer on Housing Day, I felt like I won the lottery! The following year, I joined my fellows "Pfohomies" on Housing Day to welcome the incoming class to our House and to the Quad life!
What advice do you have for someone applying to college?
College is full of opportunities and resources, not just in terms of classes, but also with speaker events, performances on campus, and working with students of diverse skills and perspectives. If you can, take time in college to explore outside what is familiar to you - you never know where a new experience will lead you!