EPISODE 30: KEERTHANA JAYASEELAN

August 16, 2020

I was born and raised in a rural village in South India. I moved to the US when I was seven and have lived in the Bronx ever since. My dad was actually in the US for about 6 years before my mom and I could get a visa to come. I don’t think anyone in my family could have imagined in their wildest dreams that we would be here today, so that’s pretty much the pride and biggest surprise to everyone. 
 
One of the biggest challenges coming here was we didn't have any family here, it was literally just my parents and I. In the beginning it's difficult because you miss all the weddings, you miss all the birthdays, you miss all the funerals. There are so many things that have happened and it starts to hit you at some point especially around Christmas and Thanksgiving. But, it makes me appreciate the sacrifices my parents have made for me, especially since I am an only child. My parents have always been super supportive and there's never been any pressure on me - I've always wanted to be a doctor. At the end of the day it makes you realize how much it takes to come from nothing and then come to this country without anyone, not know anything and build a life from scratch.
 
When we moved here, I didn't speak any English. I had finished third grade in India so I started  in fourth grade and I literally had no idea what the teachers were saying. Everything was brand new for me. It was even more challenging because I had to not only adjust to the new culture but also had to learn a new language. I struggled to adjust in the beginning and had to take extra classes so I could try to reach the same level as the other students. I would come home from school and it was a whole family affair to learn English. My teachers would give me sentences to write and my parents and I would all sit together to write them. My dad would explain the sentence in Tamil and my mom would write it down in English. He would tell her the spelling and then I would try to copy that again and again. (I still have my fourth grade notebook that I look at from time to time)! But I think the best thing that I did, that I still love, and is my favorite hobby is reading books. I used to read like hundreds of books; when I say hundreds of books I once read 25 books a month and that’s how I learned to speak English. My dad also suggested I write a book in 5th grade because he thought that would be a great way to improve my English. So I wrote a book, it’s not published or anything but yeah, there’s a document.
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I loved Barnard. I would say I didn't appreciate it enough when I was there. I definitely became much more confident in myself. I decided that I was going there before I even stepped foot on campus and going to an all-female college was an experience that I didn’t expect. I think that one thing Barnard teaches you is that you have to reach for what you want. I had a lot of experiences in college, I got a job at a doctors office and I worked on campus. I met so many wonderful people, who became my mentors and taught me true confidence. I wouldn't say that college was an easy ride but it definitely made me realize how much you are the only one who can make any change in your life and how change comes from within.
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In the beginning [of medical school] it was definitely tough but I love the material - it's kind of cool to know what's going on with your own body and I'm super excited about learning new things in second year. It’s a difficult transition but it’s natural to go through the emotions so I think people need to be less tough on themselves. I read a quote somewhere that “trying to be perfect is your biggest enemy” - it’s kind of a classic cliche but I think it's so true. You can’t be perfect and at some point you just have to be okay with knowing and saying that it’s enough. I would say people need to be less hard on themselves and just enjoy the process. We're here to learn and grow; that's the best thing about medicine - it's lifelong learning.

What are your 5 Most Recently Played Artists on Spotify? 
AR Rahman, Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, Arijit Singh, Backstreet Boys

If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?
Going back in time

Pick something or someone from NYMC to give a shout-out to!
Deepika Dhawan, Monis Ahsan, Kareena Kongyingyong, Rosa Semaan, AND to you Ami <3

If someone wants to talk to you, they should lead with:
Anything!