Our Interview With Surya Ramachandran, Board Member at Rangoli Pittsburgh

Inspira Advantage recently interviewed Surya Ramachandran, Board Member at Rangoli Pittsburgh.  Learn how our med school admissions consulting services can help you gain admission to medical school today.‍

What makes the work at Rangoli Pittsburgh unique in advancing LGBTQ health and equity?

As a community organization, we focus on providing a community and increased visibility for queer South Asians, and intersection that has lacked visibility till recently. Many of us grow up not even knowing if others actually exist, and feeling the need to make a choice between South Asian community and queer community. Finding this community can be life changing for us, both for improved mental health as well as providing aid in accessing healthcare that understands our intersectional needs.

What are some of your recent initiatives that have contributed to more inclusive healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community

We have recently spent a lot of time advocating for trans healthcare. South Asian culture is intertwined with a long history of gender diversity, and advocating for trans healthcare is an intrinsic part of advocating for LGBTQ+ South Asians. One part of this is visibility. Seeing and meeting with other trans South Asians who understand our unique cultural barriers to coming out and seeking healthcare can be critical to finding a path forward. Another part is helping promote organizations that do work to help with language barriers for South Asian immigrants in our community. We live in a time with increasing barriers to trans healthcare, and standing against this as a community is an important value of ours.

What lessons or qualities should future doctors and healthcare leaders develop if they want to provide more inclusive care?

I think that it’s critically important for doctors to not make cultural assumptions about patients. Many people are still surprised to learn that a South Asian person is queer, especially if they’re religious, and this includes doctors. Providing care without judgement is critical.‍

Inspira Advantage is proud to interview experts like Surya Ramachandran to help pre-med students understand the importance of culturally responsive care and inclusive support for diverse communities.