Medical student Sriya Podila grew up in Dublin, California, and studied human biology and critical gender studies at the University of California San Diego. She chose UMass Chan Medical School’s Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) track because of her desire to focus on a patient’s life outside of the hospital.

“What I love most about PURCH is all the people in PURCH. They’re always so lovely, open-minded and passionate about serving the underserved, and just practicing holistic medicine that looks at all the other aspects of a person’s life outside of the clinical world.”

Podila is considering specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, a field that requires skills in advocacy, something for which she says PURCH has prepared her well.

“PURCH is rooted in trying to figure out ways we can integrate ourselves into our patients’ lives so we can address aspects of their health such as food access, transportation and all these other things that need to be addressed and so often aren’t in the typical medical atmosphere.”

Podila said her experiences as a medical assistant for Planned Parenthood and a birth doula fueled her passion for reproductive justice. She has been working with Matilde Castiel, MD, associate professor of medicine, and commissioner of health and human services for the City of Worcester, on a legislative advocacy project to reform Section 51A, a Massachusetts law requiring mandated reporting of pregnant people using medications such as methadone and buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. Podila is also doing a research project for Moms Do Care EMPOWER at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, working to understand the outcomes of pregnant patients on medications for opioid use disorder.

Podila recommends that medical school applicants who wish to prioritize underserved populations pursue the PURCH track.

“If you’re passionate about underserved medicine, you want to work in a singular hospital system in Western Massachusetts and get to know the populations there, then PURCH is perfect for you.”

In her free time, Podila can be found embroidering, painting or playing the video game Animal Crossing.