We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kavya Gangasani. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kavya below.
Kavya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
As someone who is passionate about medicine, I found myself searching for opportunities related to medicine, hoping to get experience and exposure to opportunities related to healthcare. Throughout this process, I quickly realized how expensive they were—costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. One day, I had been sitting in the library about to pay around $2000 for an internship, and that was when I had been hit with a certain epiphany. That epiphany in the library was my defining moment. The idea of creating a platform that gave youth better opportunities in medicine without having to worry about the cost seemed truly remarkable to me, and the idea of it excited me because I had the chance to give other teenagers like me who are also interested in healthcare better opportunities at little to no cost. It also made me realize the power we have as humans to take the initiative to change a problem we see—whether it is in our community or in general. All through a computer screen, I helped give youth the opportunity to gain exposure and experience in medicine. With that being said, it goes to show how much potential we have to empower and inspire those around us.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Of course! Well, my name is Kavya Gangasani, and I am the Founder and Executive Director of Bay Area Medical Explorers. After experiencing how difficult it was to find low-cost medical opportunities as a teenager in the Bay Area, I wanted to create a platform for youth to find opportunities related to healthcare without having to worry about the price. Bay Area Medical Explorers is a student-led nonprofit that focuses on empowering youth in pursuing medicine. Throughout the course of my journey with Bay Area Medical Explorers, my team and I have worked to offer free or low-cost opportunities for youth through hands-on experiences, mentorship, bootcamps, etc. Bay Area Medical Explorers has reached over 120,000 people on social media, gained 3,000 and growing followers, and led over 200 members. What sets us apart is that we do everything with purpose. Every week, my team and I meet up to discuss strategies to create inclusive opportunities for youth because one of our core values is that we believe nobody should be charged for simply exploring their passion for medicine. We focus on inspiring the next generation of leaders in healthcare, especially those who come from underserved communities. Overall, I am proud of the amazing community that we have built, and I am extremely grateful for my team that has helped me create the chance for students to explore their passion and interest in healthcare.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Bay Area Medical Explorers originally started as a small, local initiative between myself and a group of friends. We did events occasionally and offered volunteer opportunities throughout the Bay Area. As our impact grew and reached thousands globally, we had to figure out a way to offer inclusive opportunities for everyone. To fix this problem, we decided to offer virtual events, programs, internships, and more. This allowed us to create a platform where people could explore opportunities simply from the comfort of their homes.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
Not at all. I can say with utmost certainty that being the founder of Bay Area Medical Explorers has been one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences of my life. It helped deepen my passion for medicine and healthcare, but also taught me very useful skills. Bay Area Medical Explorers has allowed me to further my leadership skills, and gain other useful ones such as mentorship, teamwork, and advocacy. I can also say that it taught me one important life lesson as well. For instance, I was able to learn empathy. Empathy is a foundational truth in leadership, and it taught me to understand that everyone has unique and different experiences. Using this information, I created programs that were accessible for everyone and fit everyone’s needs. Overall, what I am trying to say is that founding Bay Area Medical Explorers has helped me grow in many ways and shaped not only my goals, but my values as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bayareamedicalexplorers.com
- Instagram: @baymedexplorers
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kavya-gangasani-7a060a33a/
