We recently connected with Aneesh Mazumder and have shared our conversation below.

Aneesh, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

The need for greater representation in healthcare is pressing. This issue extends beyond ethnic and racial diversity to socioeconomic diversity.
Many doctors come from affluent backgrounds, which is unsurprising given the high costs of pursuing a medical career. The expenses of college, textbooks, medical school, and several other necessities can be prohibitive. Moreover, becoming a doctor is a highly demanding and challenging profession. Having the time to dedicate to these challenges and access to experienced mentors can make all the difference in achieving success. Considering this perspective, it seems almost impossible for low-income students to become doctors. And it’s not because of a lack of drive or interest—there are many, many hard-working people out there with longstanding dreams to save others through medicine. The only problem is the knowledge of and availability of the proper resources.

Although we had very few resources of our own, my co-founder, David, and I took a risk and co-founded HealthPath Horizons. Leveraging a lot of our own free time, we have strived to connect students to the resources we need. Through infographics, open-access educational materials, presentations, workshops, and more —many of which we have developed, collated, or driven —we have aimed to equip passionate students with the knowledge they need to continue their medical journeys. HealthPath Horizons currently empowers underrepresented and underserved youth populations nationally to feel confident and informed in pursuing a career in the healthcare field.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Growing up as the child of Indian immigrants, I saw early how access, or lack of access, to crucial resources shaped people’s lives. American education was somewhat of a new frontier for all of us, and navigating it has largely relied on self-drive and the belief that I could pursue my dreams of being a physician. Regardless of circumstances, I was fortunate that my parents worked tirelessly to give me every chance they didn’t have. Still, I also saw how other students, just as driven and capable, were held back by barriers they had no control over. That stuck with me. While I was in high school, I had the opportunity to join programs like the Congressional Youth Advisory Council and the Institute for Youth Policy, where I was able to see firsthand how policymakers and policy decisions have a direct impact on access to education and opportunity on a broader scale. However, it wasn’t until I began working directly with students through the non-profit I co-founded, HealthPath Horizons, that everything fell into place. I saw the impact that even small interventions such as short conversations, workshops, and resources could have when students felt seen and supported. I believe that a person’s talent and ambition should not be limited by the ZIP code they live in or the background they are from. Instead, I care about building systems where students from underrepresented communities don’t just get inspired but also get the tools, access, and support they need to succeed. This work feels personal, not because I’ve solved the problem but because I’ve lived close to it. And I know we can do better.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Since establishing HealthPath Horizon, our most effective strategy for expanding clientele has been collaborating with community organizations. We have partnered with the MEDscience program at Harvard Medical School, the Student Success Jobs Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Chelsea High School, and the Tobin School. Through these initiatives, we’ve directly engaged over 300 students in the Boston area and built a network of 4,000 students benefiting from our services. Leveraging this collaborative approach, we’re planning to extend our impact into other regions, such as Dallas, Texas.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building our reputation within the market at HealthPath Horizons has been centered around our commitment to bridging the gap in healthcare diversity and accessibility. We recognized the pressing need for greater representation in healthcare, not just in terms of ethnic and racial diversity but also socioeconomic diversity. With many aspiring doctors coming from low-income backgrounds facing prohibitive costs, we understood the importance of providing access to resources and mentorship that could make a difference.

Despite having limited initial resources, my co-founder David and I took the initiative to create HealthPath Horizons. Our strategy was to dedicate our free time to developing and sharing valuable educational tools. We’ve focused on creating infographics, open-access educational materials, presentations, and workshops. These efforts have empowered underrepresented and underserved youth across the nation, providing them with the confidence and information necessary to pursue careers in healthcare.

Our reputation has grown from a commitment to providing these essential resources and ensuring every passionate student has the opportunity to pursue their medical dreams, thus making a broader impact in the healthcare field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.healthpathhorizons.org/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aneesh-mazumder/