Darshil Vaishnav

Darshil intends to earn both an MD/PhD in order to become a physician/scientist focused on psychiatry. Both his coursework and activities outside the classroom are focused on a couple of main ideas. One observation is that students from underprivileged backgrounds often have more difficulty mastering complex STEM subjects not because they lack ability, but because of certain structural barriers. The second is that research and clinical practice are not necessarily separate entities, but two sides of the same coin.

Relative to the first idea, Darshil is dedicated to mentoring other students. He has been employed by UCSD OASIS tutoring math and leading chemistry workshops. In that role he has focused on methods that accommodate diverse learning styles. He created connections to the material that inspired confidence in students who sometimes felt that they didn’t belong in a STEM discipline. He believes that “science isn’t just about discovering, it is also about making those discoveries accessible, inclusive and empowering for those who follow.”

Regarding his second insight, he hopes to be a bridge between discoveries that come from research and patient care. While volunteering in the McCarthy Lab he immersed himself in “the intricacies of neurobiology and the molecular mechanisms of bipolar disorder.” He also volunteered at both the Veteran’s Hospital Physical Therapy Clinic and the Emergency Department where he observed the struggles of recovering from a serious injury.

He has been appointed to the Office of Student Health & Well-Being where he shadows one of their leaders. As a break from all of this heavy lifting Darshil spends several hours a week with UCSD Raas Ruckus; Raas is a folk dance from India.

Ultimately Darshil hopes to “push the field of psychiatry forward while making sure its advancements are accessible to everyone.” He is enrolled in Thurgood Marshall College.