Name: Brinda Avutapalli
Major: Neuroscience with a concentration in Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience
Hometown: Troy, MI
How have the past few months changed your outlook on our country?
Avutapalli: I believe that it has opened my eyes to how this country has not progressed as far as I thought. People of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community and more still have to fight for basic human rights and equality under the law. It has made it clear that although America is marketed as a progressive and cosmopolitan country, it is truly rooted in outdated and racist ideals.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic positively changed your outlook on life?
I believe this pandemic has made me realize that there is truly no constant in life. It’s made me want to appreciate every moment more because I don’t know if we will have an opportunity to have that experience again. This pandemic changed how we do the simplest things from going to the grocery store to visiting family and friends. For many people, it’s really put into perspective what is truly important and what we value.
How do you think this pandemic will change your post-grad experience?
I’m planning to go to medical school, so I feel like the COVID-19 pandemic has not only revolutionized healthcare, but also medical school education. I think medical schools are going to place more emphasis on viruses and how to protect ourselves from future pandemics as future frontline workers.
How will you take what you learned from this pandemic into your career?
As a future physician, I think that patient- doctor interactions are going to be changed forever with telehealth and normalizing PPE for doctors and patients. Personally, since I want to work with children as a physician, I think we need to change the way we teach children about hygiene. In the future, practices such as wearing masks and frequent hand washing should be second-hand nature to children. Since children are around so many other kids in school, daycares and playgrounds, they can spread and contract illnesses much easier than most. Even in the absence of a pandemic, better hygiene for children will prevent numerous cases of other illnesses being spread between children.