Even as an undergraduate, Ruchi Pancholy hit the ground running in her chosen field of public health, originally taking aim at the Big Apple.
From college intern on New York City’s trans-fat awareness campaign to post-graduation work on the city’s West Nile virus control program and a mental health services reimbursement program for 9/11 first responders, the 2005 Douglass College graduate has seen her fair share of public health initiatives.
Pancholy even tried an accelerated nursing program, but realized it wasn’t for her: Her interests lay in epidemiology, not direct patient care.
The hard-working Burlington Township native contemplated her priorities and career options, and realized that her dream was to live in a tropical place and work on emerging infectious diseases in a global setting.