05/09/2023
In honor of , the Graduate Student Pre-Health Association (GSPHA) will be celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander UB Graduate Students, Faculty and Staff by sharing their stories, experiences, and advice as part of our Representation Matters Initiative.
We would like to recognize Hemanta Adhikari, a Graduate Student in the Natural Sciences Interdisciplinary Master’s Program. Inspired by her childhood in Nepal as a refugee and witnessing the impact of language barrier in healthcare when she moved to US with her family, Hemanta aspires to be a doctor who faces and addresses the health disparities and disparities in health outcomes that she noticed impact many immigrant and refugee families in Buffalo, NY while growing up.
Hemanta believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM and Healthcare is vital for underserved patients because it provides cultural and immigration-specific perspectives for medical colleagues and culturally competent providers for patients. Having underrepresented students in STEM diversifies the workforce in America, home to many immigrants and refugee families and providing services that meet patients' social and cultural needs is essential.
In the future, Hemanta not only plans to expand her engagement with organizations, research, and community service, but she also aspires to travel to gain global perspectives since she believes becoming a doctor is not the only goal instead it is the refinement and continuity of learning and improvement that will allow her to serve her patients the best way possible as a future physician.
