Meghana Rajeshekara Swamy, MD
Biography
Hello! My name is Meghana (she/her). Born and raised in Bangalore, India, I thrived on vibrant city life. Dichotomously, I was constantly exposed to the politico-economic disparities that come with hyper-globalization, such as ethnic conflict and income inequality. Our version of compressed modernity led to the entrenchment of inner-city slums perpetually subject to disease morbidity and severe poverty. Being a daily witness to these squalid living conditions and malnourishment provided the impetus for me to become a doctor for marginalized communities. My interests in community outreach, advocacy and research were honed in medical school and continue to expand. I moved to the U.S. to combine my unusual interdisciplinary interests in dermatology, family medicine and gerontology, and focus on prophylaxis and medical justice.
Securing a Master’s in Clinical Dermatology at New England’s largest safety-net hospital, Boston University’s Boston Medical Center, stationed near a homeless shelter, allowed me to examine variegated factors that create intergroup inequities in health denouements. As the program’s chief trainee, I led grand rounds sessions on health disparities to reassess the ways cutaneous ailments can manifest as effects of precarity.
To broaden my scope of practice, I’ve pursued my first year of residency in family medicine in the underserved city of Flint, Michigan. As a resident doctor in the frontline of COVID-19, I encountered social precarity and deep-rooted fault lines in mainstream medicine, and inattention to research regarding the underserved. I bore witness to the historic “Matthew Effect,” or escalating cycle of disadvantages, that afflicts Flint. The imperative of health equity and social justice led me to deliver a population health curriculum; and Street Medicine and geriatric ECHO Initiatives through the residency. I have also served in health advocacy leadership positions which allowed me to advocate through state and national policy platforms for increased access to primary healthcare services.
While I’ve gained experience in fields such as dermatology, community engagement and health advocacy, I chose Brown's stellar Family Medicine residency program to complete the remainder of my training years in family medicine so I can hone my skills to implement a holistic approach to health care policy, especially for vulnerable populations; and become a more resourceful advocate who creates systemic change locally and nationally. I look forward to support in research and collaborations in diverse areas such as global health, health equity, population health, and geriatrics. Being an immigrant, I am excited to contribute to the global health atmosphere at Brown. As a skin of color female physician, I am allured by the residency's diverse workforce. Lastly, I am eager to further my learning in health equity and community outreach at Brown to create a healthcare system that is accessible and sustainable. I look forward to developing lasting professional relationships with my fellow residents and faculty as I train to be a family physician.
Outside of medicine, I enjoy hiking, traveling, baking, reading legal thrillers and spending time with friends and family.