Thesis Title: Recognition and Voice in the Postcolonial Feminist Sphere: Warsan Shire on Womanhood and Historical Trauma

What Now: Program/Project Manager at Brighter Beginnings Family Health Clinic

What Next: Medical school and then a specialty fellowship in women’s health
 

Coming into college, I knew I wanted to explore my interests in the humanities. However, I wasn’t sure how these studies would fit into my premedical requirements and aspirations. Throughout freshman year, I struggled with whether to major in the humanities or the sciences. The freshman course Hum10 is what really convinced me to dive into the humanities—I was completely fascinated by the texts we read and how they entered into and impacted history. Hist & Lit was the perfect department for me, as it enabled me to explore a diversity of interests and fields alongside my premedical studies. I am so grateful for the department’s flexibility and enthusiasm for multidisciplinary studies.

A skill I developed in Hist & Lit that is especially important to my current work is the ability to place texts and events in their greater geopolitical and sociocultural contexts. As the integrated care and quality improvement manager at a series of health clinics, I constantly need to contextualize patient groups to understand how our clinics can best meet their specific needs. I currently work with largely low-income and marginalized communities, and my postcolonial studies from Hist & Lit have equipped me with essential historical and geopolitical background knowledge of the systemic inequities that continue to affect these groups. As a physician, I hope to dedicate my career to ameliorating disparities in access to care and healthcare outcomes across underserved populations. Contextualizing patients’ backgrounds will be critical in addressing the social determinants of their health and wellbeing. In addition to practicing clinically, I want to be an advocate on behalf of the communities I serve. I know my experiencing crafting and examining narratives in Hist & Lit will be key in my abilities to effectively convey patients’ stories and effect structural change.