About:

Puja Persaud is a senior at Hunter College who will be graduating with a B.A. in Biology and a minor concentration in Public Policy. Her passion for medicine and for healthcare reform stemmed from the teachings of both programs of study. Throughout her years at Hunter College she has been involved in many health-related programs that serve to eliminate health disparities in high-poverty neighborhoods. She was a patient advocate for the organization, Coalition of Concerned Medical Professionals, in which she acted as a liaison between patients who were reluctant to receive needed medical treatments due to immigration or income status, and their doctors. Here she volunteered her time to be a medical transcriber, for patients who were visiting doctors free of charge, due to their low-income status. She has also been an educator for the Peer Health Exchange program, which serves to educate students from low-income neighborhoods on health related topics and how they can lead healthy lives. Her capstone research paper demonstrates her passion for healthcare reform. She has investigated chronic conditions that plague NYC public school students of low socioeconomic status and how their ailments affect their academic performance.

After graduation, she plans on enrolling into a dual-degree program to attain a medical degree as well as a Masters in Public Health. Her ultimate career goal is to become a medical doctor that is equipped to conduct laboratory research and clinical trails, in an area where breakthroughs are most needed. While she does believe that discovering new medical treatments and being a pioneer in science research is rewarding, she also believes that her greatest accomplishments will come from breakthroughs at the political sector. So becoming an advocate for accessible healthcare services is a top priority on her to do list.