A Statement from Durga: 

 

"When there are people in our own country who are living in fear, we do not get to live in ignorance. The unjust murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and unfortunately countless other Black people in our society unveiled an issue we have had in America since its inception. No more. No more excuses. We must understand what is happening, we must be aware, and we must fight against it. To do this, we must be educated. I have been inspired by learning from my peers, colleagues, and friends who have educated me. I have been inspired to do everything I can, each day, to try and inch my way towards achieving change. I was eager to share this piece because I am hopeful that when we decide to educate ourselves, we can contribute to positive change. I think this idea of education leading to a more hopeful future can be applied as easily to health as it can be to the arts, and to our society as a whole. I hope to learn from your stories, to continue educating myself, so we may educate each other as a community and a nation. Everyone who has been sharing educational resources over the past few weeks, thank you."

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Durga is an MD candidate at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She studied Economics and Theatre at her undergraduate institution, which strengthened her passion to understand people. Prior to applying to medical school, Durga provided healthcare to underserved communities. As much as the lack of resources broke her heart, she was more upset to learn that many patients did not even know what resources they had available to them. She realized education was fundamental to help the people she so deeply cared about. As a future physician, she intends to dismantle the systemic injustice so rampant in healthcare, through fighting for patient rights and promoting accessibility to educational resources. 
 

Reach Durga: durga@alumni.usc.edu