Q & A

How does your work as a pediatrician pull from your work as a teacher?

Education is a large part of my work as a pediatrician. I teach families how to take care of their health in ways they can understand. Our clinics have white boards so we can draw for visual learners, we give printouts for patients to take home, and I differentiate my communication approach for each family and check for understanding at the end of an appointment.

How has your teaching experience influenced your medical career? 

It inspired me to work toward equity through the lens of medicine. Like I did in the corps, I plan to work in underserved and low-resource areas where physicians are needed most. I currently spend a portion of my time working in rural Alaska to help patients in areas that have limited access to health care.

Did you always know you wanted to teach at some point?

After high school, I planned to go into research. During junior year, a public health study abroad program in South Africa showed me that I wanted to help people more directly. Teaching allowed me to do this while pursuing my passion for science, inspiring students and helping to fill a need for science teachers.