Hello! My name is Aishwarya Jadhav, and I am a fourth year majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Social Entrepreneurship. Looking back, I’m not even sure how I first got involved with the social entrepreneurship department at UVA, but it has been one of the most exciting and engaging experiences of my undergraduate career. From taking classes like Impact Investing to Startup 1010, I’ve been given an incredible inside look at the growing field of social entrepreneurship and what it means to be a part of such an impactful industry.
Though I was intrigued by the business world after learning so much about venture capital and startups, I knew that I wanted to attend medical school after completing my undergraduate degree. I began looking for a way to connect my interest in social entrepreneurship to my love for medicine. The Tadler Fellowship gave me the opportunity to do just that.
This summer, I had the pleasure of interning for Williamson Health & Wellness Center, a non-profit located in Williamson, West Virginia. The health center works to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to individuals in and around the community. Mingo County, WV has been struggling for decades with health, poverty, and unemployment, so providing reliable care has been on the forefront of WHWC’s mission.
I was able to contribute to this mission by using my knowledge of business strategy and my background in cognitive science to help design a clinical trial for the Williamson community. I analyzed WHWC’s patient data and pinpointed the demographic most in need for our clinical trial. Then, after looking at previous clinical trials and researching effective study models, I presented a preliminary pitch to my colleagues at WHWC with my recommendations for the intervention design.
We agreed to target the physical fitness of geriatric patients in hopes of improving mental acuity, since they are the highest consumers of healthcare at WHWC. Geriatric patients are also the most likely to have comorbidities and would therefore benefit the most from our clinical intervention.
We have since taken our pitch to academic partners and other professionals in the field to gain further backing for our project. Together, we’ve been working on a plan to build and execute this clinical intervention so that the impact will last beyond the 6-month duration of the clinical trial.
Working remotely this summer had its limitations, but this internship taught me about independent work, communication, and team collaboration to a much larger degree than what I’ve experienced before. The ball was often in my court to coordinate meetings with various colleagues and to keep myself actively engaged in the project at hand. The work felt like a great fit, so I didn’t hesitate to take on more responsibilities. At the end of the summer, WHWC took me on as a contractor. I’m excited to continue working into this school year, as I’ll get to see the grant proposals through and hopefully see our clinical trial get under way.
Overall, I am very thankful for the experience that the Tadler Fellowship has granted me. I’ve not only grown as a young professional but have also strengthened my desire to keep pursuing a career in medicine. I’d be happy to talk more about the Tadler Fellowship or my journey as a social entrepreneurial pre-med student, so feel free to email me at asj5kb@virginia.edu if you have any questions!