Enjuli Kiritkumar Chhaniara is a fourth-year student at the A.T. Still University – School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona. She hails from Washington State and is this year’s recipient of the Giving Back scholarship.
Jasmin Chaudhary, MD CWS-P told us this about Enjuli, “I first met Enjuli in March of 2022 when she began an infectious disease rotation at my clinic. I was immediately struck by her positive attitude and drive toward learning more about infectious diseases. She took time to read and learn more about the cases that we saw and always asked intelligent and thought-provoking questions. I was also very impressed with her inquisitiveness as it pertains to the field of medicine. She frequently would read journal articles in Clinical Infectious Diseases or JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) and always had very thoughtful questions and discussion points. She was always very reliable and hardworking. I knew I could count on her to get any job done perfectly and stay up to date on recent developments in infectious diseases. In short, her abilities far exceed that of her peers.
“In addition to her reliability and meticulousness, Enjuli is caring and respectful towards our patients. She always treated every patient with respect and dignity; listening intently to everything they had to say. I frequently would get feedback from my patients regarding how impressed they were with her bedside manner and ability to listen.
“Enjuli is inquisitive, driven to learn more in the field of medicine, and most importantly is caring and respectful to our patients; listening to and actively absorbing what they have to say. These are all qualities that I would want in a physician. In fact, the ability to listen is what patients state they look for the most in a physician. This is a quality that Enjuli embodies.”
Student Doctor Chhaniara told us, “It is no secret that healthcare extends beyond the examination room. Through my clinical rotations and extracurricular experiences, I have seen how different social determinants of health affect a person’s health status. Therefore, helping one’s community bridge these gaps inside and outside of the office is important. Having this ‘holistic’ mindset is what inspired me to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine and another reason why I chose to obtain a master’s degree in public health concurrently. Here is how I plan on using my new skill set so that I can contribute to society in more ways than one:
“I would like to partner with organizations whose missions I align with. Before starting medical school, I volunteered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) because mental health awareness is important to me. After becoming a physician, I will be able to offer medical expertise on mental illness and provide allyship by giving resources and bringing awareness to other healthcare professionals to further the mission. I envision myself working with other organizations in a similar capacity.
“Part of being a physician means being an educator. I have demonstrated my commitment to being a teacher by tutoring children and my peers throughout the years. I would like to continue this passion by giving free health lectures at conferences, schools, and community events. If time permits, I would love to start a YouTube channel and discuss important health topics that I do not have time to address during clinic hours. With this, I can reach a wider audience and make a larger impact.
“Another way I plan on giving back is by helping osteopathic medical trainees. As a medical student, it has been challenging to find good mentors and clinical experiences, which cater to my learning style. Therefore, I am committed to easing this burden for the next generation by becoming a clinical preceptor and offering my mentorship. I would also love to offer shadowing opportunities and free career advice to anyone who seeks it, especially low-income and minority individuals. Helping students in their medical training is the least I can do to support the osteopathic medical field.
“I envision volunteering being a large part of my life outside of the clinic. My hope is to embrace the title of being a ‘community physician’ by getting out into my community and utilizing my newly acquired skills.”
Enjuli, the Foundation is thrilled to know that you will be one of the doctors we follow throughout your career, and we look forward to working with you in the future to bring healthcare and education to the public. Job well done.
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