Less Fear. Better Care.

Ananya here, a senior at South Fayette High School in Pennsylvania and an aspiring physician passionate about patient-centered care.

My interest in healthcare comes from both personal experience and what I have seen while volunteering in hospitals. As a child, I remember being nervous about medical procedures. Later, as a hospital volunteer, I saw many children experiencing the same fear.

I began asking a simple question: How can we make medical care less frightening for children?

​

Today, I am exploring that question through hospital volunteering, medical shadowing, virtual reality research, nanotechnology research, and community service.

​

I have completed more than 100 hours of hospital and community volunteering and have shadowed professionals across cardiology, anesthesia, pharmacy, OB/GYN, radiology, and surgery. I have also conducted research involving virtual reality in pediatric care and nanotechnology in medicine.

My long-term goal is to become a physician who combines science, technology, and compassionate care to improve the patient experience.