"I believe that healthcare is a human right".

It is only fitting that today is Women's Equality Day to feature such an incredible woman. Smitha is attending Harvard Medical School, the prestigious university that was formerly only for male students, where she has made it her mission to make global high quality healthcare a reality. See why this ambitious healthcare advocate is our #WCW:

1. What's your story? What makes you unique?

I am a second generation Indian American from Johns Creek, Georgia, and I have had the privilege of growing up with my brother, sister, parents, and maternal grandparents. Watching my grandparents navigate the healthcare system in the United States through multiple cardiac procedures and rounds of chemotherapy laid the foundation for my interest in medicine and public health. In college at the University of Georgia (go dawgs), I studied Biology and Anthropology, and I am now pursuing a medical degree at Harvard Medical School.

I don’t really think I am any more unique than anyone else. Everyone has an incredibly unique narrative to share and contribute. I am so pumped that part of my job will entail getting to know those narratives.

That being said, I love peanut butter jelly sandwiches (I think I’ve eaten one every day for the last seventeen years), fiction books, and running along the Charles River (even though I’m terrible at running).

2. What motivates you?

Seeing how hard my parents have worked and continue to work to provide for my siblings and I continually pushes me to work hard and challenge myself. I am so humbled by their service and the countless people along the way who have taken a chance on me and selflessly lifted me up. I will never be able to repay their kindness and generosity, but it is my goal to pay that forward as best as I can.

3. Who is a hero of yours?

My mother. No one inspires me to give more than I think I can give and work harder than I ever thought possible than my mom. She is a mother of three, CEO of a software development company and the caring daughter of my aging grandparents. Despite the stress, she never misses an opportunity to make me laugh with her one-liners. She chooses to live boldly and loudly, and I will be satisfied if I am half the woman she is.

4. What's your future plan? Your goals?

Well, I’ll be in school for the next decade or so (I can’t get enough of it). But after that, I plan to take care of patients for as long as I can, while working on systems-level issues to help build a healthcare system that is effective, safe, and efficient with a focus on health disparities and population health. Not sure exactly what that looks like yet, but stay tuned…

I also want to live in India for a year, learn how to ski, run a half-marathon, and spend my life laughing and adventuring with the people I love. This life is bewilderingly awesome and short.

5. If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?

“If it’s both amazing and terrifying, then you should definitely pursue it” – Erada

6. What is something you feel strongly about (a cause, belief, etc.)?

I believe that healthcare is a human right, and that access to basic health services should not be contingent upon the color of one’s skin or the ability to pay. I believe that we can engineer systems to deliver high quality care to our entire population, and that it is our duty to do so. I plan on dedicating my life’s work to making this a reality.

7. What's one of the coolest things you've ever done?

Probably performing a three-hour senior Indian classical dance recital by myself in front of hundreds of people, who came from every aspect of my life. Many of my high school friends had never even seen me in Indian clothing, so it was really fun to share such an important part of my life with them.

8. Anything we haven't asked that you'd like to talk about.

I think everyone should read Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Oh, and also listen to NPR podcasts. Then, contact me at smitha.ganeshan@gmail.com so we can talk about them.