Our Student Spotlight celebrates student members of the Meharry-Vanderbilt community, whose achievements reflect the MVA’s commitment to enhance and support high-impact translational research, interprofessional learning, and community engagement. This month, the MVA talked with Gorav Gupta from Meharry Medical College.
Where are you headed for your residency?
George Washington University Hospital for a four-year residency. I’m looking forward to moving closer to my family. GW is one of the more diverse faculty andresidency programs in the country. I wanted to go to a program where they’re not just serving and helping a diverse population but seeing those values reflected in the faculty as well. I’m really looking forward to working within that kind of ecosystem.
What is your specialty and why did you choose it?
Anesthesiology. My first real experience with anesthesiology was when I was younger, probably around 5th grade. My mom needed chronic pain treatment after an accident and then later on, my rotations were exposed to the field. The anesthesiologists I worked with seemed to really love their work, they were the most helpful and seemed to enjoy being there at the job.
What inspired you to become a doctor?
I always wanted to be a doctor. My parents aren’t in the medical field, but I have uncles and aunts who are doctors. I admired the fact that they knew so much. In fact, you never stop learning in this field. For example, my uncle who is a doctor, does photography, studies astrology, and knows a lot of random facts about so many things. Doctors have a passionate curiosity about the world, and I wanted to cultivate that for myself.
How has the MVSA (Meharry Vanderbilt Student Alliance) been beneficial?
When I first joined MVSA it was right as COVID hit, and most club activities had stopped. The MVSA went into hiatus. At the beginning of my tenure as a student, I admit I didn’t use its resources as much as I do now. One feature of the MVSA is its research mentors. And the MVSA helps foster communication and work with other schools. At the end of the day, MVSA taught me communication skills with students and faculty at other schools as well as staying connected with Meharry graduates who are working at VUMC. This was invaluable for me when I needed guidance moving forward. I highly recommend the MVSA for both medical and dental students. How often do medical students get to interact with medical students from other schools? It only makes sense that we get to know each other and work with each other. MVSA is one of the organizations that facilitate collaboration between medical students.
What wisdom can you share with folks dreaming of careers in the medical sciences?
It seems, at least at first, that it’s a long hard journey but remember that anything in life worth doing will have setbacks and hurdles. The four years of medical school go by in an instant. There are always people that want to help you, people that will help you. Medical school is not impossible. You just need to have the right mindset and outlook.