Working in different campus organizations helped future doctor develop interpersonal skills critical for health care career

At the surface, joining and leading an all-female acapella group and becoming a tour guide for prospective students may not seem related to Anvita Pudipeddi's goal of becoming an obstetrician and gynecologist.

But they absolutely are, said Pudipeddi, a senior microbiology major at Clemson University.

"A large part of healthcare is knowledge and scientific background, but an equally as large part is knowing how to connect with your patient and knowing how to support them and talk to them and explain things to them in a way that they can understand and feel comfortable asking questions," Pudipeddi said.

Pudipeddi grew up surrounded by music, and in high school, she participated in the choir and an acapella group all four years. While Pudipeddi wanted to continue pursuing her love of music, her goal in college was to grow and involve herself in as much as possible.

She became president of Clemson's all-female acapella group, TakeNote. She also joined Clemson's chamber choir, became president of the College of Science Student Advisory Board (SciSAB), worked as a tour guide for Clemson University Guide Association and served as deputy secretary of student wellness for Campus Advancement, a sustainability focused committee in Clemson Undergraduate Student Government (CUSG).

The time she spent in different activities helped Pudipeddi develop leadership skills, a service mindset, character and to become part of an overall community. Her biggest takeaway from her time spent at Clemson is an appreciation for the people who surround her, the students and faculty who share her service mindset, she said.

The Clemson way

"After all, that is the Clemson way - dedicating yourself to leaving things better than when you found them for the people that come after you - and I see that very evidently through the mentors, friends and classmates that have become so important to me, and through the impacts that I've been able to make on those around me," she said.

For Pudipeddi, college has meant learning from your mistakes, getting out of your comfort zone, andexperimenting with new methods to learn what works best for you.

She recalled hearing Dean Cynthia Young's experience failing calculus II while in college and then going on to teach the class.

"Getting to hear someone in a position like that, that they too struggled, it reinforces the fact that it's okay to struggle. In the College of Science, we're all so driven and focused on school and the future, so we constantly put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do well. It's easy to forget sometimes that it's okay and normal to struggle and that we can learn a lot from it," she said.

After graduating, Pudipeddi plans to take a gap year and work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on infectious disease initiatives. Afterward, she'll apply to medical school with the goal of becoming an obstetrician and gynecologist.

Pudipeddi feels passionate about science and the human body, particularly women's health. "I think it's a very nuanced field that demands a lot, especially people who know what they're doing and people who have a lot of empathy. It's a field where you have to get comfortable with people who are in very vulnerable positions," Pudipeddi said.