Electronic Winter 2024 | Issue 61

Breakfast with the APA President

By: Eliza Hofman, MFA, and Nandita Gupta

Eliza Hofman and I are the Co-Head Chairs of the IPS Medical Student Committee. We are both fourth year students at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University and came to medical school with the intention of becoming psychiatrists. Therefore we were thrilled and felt it was a true career highlight when we were invited to have breakfast with the American Psychiatric Association (APA) President, Dr. Viswanathan, on the morning of the IPS annual meeting on October 5th! We wanted to write this article to share some of our conversation with him, and his advice. 

Nandita Gupta:
My participation in the IPS Medical Student Committee since my first year of medical school has deepened my interest in continuing to be involved in advocacy work, organized medicine, and leadership in the field. I asked Dr. Viswanathan what his advice would be for medical students, residents, or psychiatrists early in their career who share my interests and are looking for ways to be more involved in this work. Dr. Viswanathan’s advice was simple: keep showing up. Go to APA or IPS committee meetings, conferences, events, etc. He said that consistency is important. People pay attention and listen to those who have a history of repeatedly showing up, especially when not many others do. Furthermore, when you do show up, talk to as many people as you can. There is always something to learn from everyone. Dr. Viswanathan also stated that the APA fellowships, such as the leadership fellowship, are valuable opportunities, and highly encourages those in residency to apply. 

Dr. Viswanathan’s advice really resonated with me, because even the opportunity to meet with him came from my making a commitment to showing up to the IPS Medical Student Committee meetings for the past four years. When I started attending the IPS MSC meetings, the committee was just newly created and still gaining its footing. I did not know what would come out of going to these meetings, but I made a choice to keep showing up because I liked engaging with other students passionate about the field, and hearing from psychiatrists each month about their work. This commitment resulted in me being elected to leadership positions in the committee, and made way for opportunities such as getting invited to this breakfast. Showing up and remaining committed to a cause does pay off! 

Eliza Hofman, MFA: 
Spending the morning savoring a healthy breakfast with Dr. Viswanathan embodied his mission and highlighted some of my hopes as a future psychiatrist. He ordered a modest plate of berries and yogurt, and I enjoyed a veggie egg white omelet, giving us a boost of protein and fiber to fuel us through the day’s conference. As APA President, Dr. Viswanathan’s theme this year is Lifestyle for Positive Physical and Mental Health. Coming from the perspective that healthier lifestyles promote better outcomes for physical and mental health, he shared with us his vision. We discussed engaging in regular exercise, eating a plant-based diet with few processed foods, sleeping well, reducing stress, avoiding harmful substances, and connecting with others. I almost substituted my second cup of coffee for water (almost) as he inquired about our experiences as medical students. We shared the challenges of maintaining wellness under the demands of studying for exams and clinical duties, and he expressed his support for prioritizing our wellbeing as a means to not only to improve our own lives, but also to set a strong example for our patients. 

Before attending medical school, I worked as a yoga teacher for patients with mental illness. I saw firsthand how improving awareness of somatic needs and properly attending to them (especially sleep and diet) could reinvigorate a patient and allow them to do the therapeutic work they needed to heal. Spending this breakfast with Dr. Viswanathan validated many of my hopes to someday provide my patients with a treatment plan that includes lifestyle changes. Dr. Viswanathan’s mentorship and observing him living his advice inspired me. I remain grateful for his time and all of the amazing IPS opportunities to see psychiatrists in action as I develop as a future psychiatrist!