Karishma Harjani

Quinnipiac University Physician Assistant Program

I was born and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I attended Quinnipiac University and graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree and minors in psychology and biomedical sciences.

In the past, I have worked as an assistant for AIDS Project New Haven and as a childcare aide in a community center dedicated to providing programs such as substance abuse prevention and delinquency prevention in order to foster positive growth. I’ve also volunteered at organizations supporting refugee and immigrant services, rescue missions, food pantries, and institutions promoting research for diseases including Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, and muscular dystrophy. Each volunteer experience has enhanced my overall understanding of and appreciation for members of the communities I served.

The Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) program immerses students in a wide range of underserved settings and provides service to many underserved demographics including children, the elderly, those with intellectual disabilities, migrant workers, and individuals without a home. I want to join the UST/AS because its team-based attention to these neglected areas and groups will improve my awareness of the challenges faced by such communities, which I can use to help bridge gaps in the distribution of medicine to people of different races, ethnicities, languages, religions, socioeconomic statuses, and geographical locations. Through its holistic approach to clinical and didactic training, the UST/AS Program enhances cultural, interprofessional, and advocacy competencies, which together function to mitigate or eliminate healthcare disparities.