Srikrithi Krishnan

What inspired you to study public health? 

I was initially interested in medicine. However, I was inspired to study public health because I realized I wanted to do more than address individual problems once an issue had onset. I wanted to be able to address communities and societies as a whole, and implement changes that could prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

What has been the single most rewarding experience of your career/studies so far? 

The opportunity to work with food insecure individuals, and implement an intervention to provide them fresh fruits and vegetables to create healthy eating habits in their daily routine.

Where did you do your practicum? What was it about? 

The Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic. This is a free clinic run and managed by the students at The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The clinic provides free primary care, and some specialty care services. I managed the Allied Health Team, a group of social work, dietetic, and public health students. We screened and met with patients at the clinic prior to the medical students seeing them. Our screenings involved assessing their social determinants of health, and identifying points in the individual’s health that we could address and implement interventions in.

What do you hope to accomplish in your career? 

I hope to be able to create change in my community to create an overall healthier and more sustainable environment. This takes on many roles, but right now I am interested in tackling food insecurity in my Buffalo community.

Advice: 

Public health is such a vast field, don’t feel like you have to work in the first sector you learn about! There are many opportunities to explore, and you will find something that speaks to you!

If you are working, what is your job? 

Graduate Student Ambassador, University at Buffalo

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