Posh PA Underrepresented Minority Grant

My name is Ahona Chowdhury and I am an Applied Psychology major at New York University planning to minor in Public Health as well. In my family of four and greater extended family, I am the first person to pursue a bachelors degree in the United States. Growing up in Bangladesh for a portion of my teen years, I was exposed to a variety of socioeconomic groups and the inaccessible corrupt healthcare system. I have been inspired by the amazing PAs and medical team who intervened during my mothers breast cancer treatment to pursue a career in healthcare. I want to be a part of a team, to advocate for my patients and to place an emphasis on patient education when I practice. This desire has become more intense for me as in the recent past, I have been diagnosed with PCOS. When I talk about advocating for my options and the importance of women's reproductive health, I see firsthand the stigma and taboo attached with being open and informed about such conditions in minority communities. I am tired of watching my fellow sisters not be informed about their gynecological and sexual health because establishing a connection with healthcare providers due to cultural barriers and understanding is harder as a minority. I am tired of women in my community and minority communities receiving vague consultations and not having detailed and thorough care especially in specific states. I know for a fact my calling is assisting in infertility, ob/gyn clinics in suburban and rural communities where there is a lack of physicians that female patients, especially those that minority ones can connect to. Besides my interest in the profession, I am passionate about mentoring. As a first generation Bangladeshi Muslim, I am currently working with a non profit organization called The Link Scholars. I am currently in the process of mentoring middle and high school students in the New York City as they apply for high school and college admissions. Previously, I have done similar work in mentoring and tutoring peers and younger students at my old high school through college admissions - a few of which actually got into colleges like Vanderbilt or their dream teaching programs. My volunteering experience is not limited to education. I love taking care of people and this translated into working with a nursing home right before college started. I worked with dementia patients alongside occupational therapists to plan recreational activities and exercises. As a pre-health student at New York University who plans to pursue PA school(God willing), I plan to continue to mentor first generation students like me no matter what profession I step into. Additionally, the act of caring for minority communities would naturally translate into my duties as a healthcare worker. I believe I can continue making an impact by being considered for this scholarship, It would mean that I can use it to keep funding for my higher and graduate education to keep making a positive impact in people's lives as well as for my own parents.