Name: Akshay Yadhati (AS '09) Hometown: Hockessin, DE Major: Neuroscience and Liberal Studies (Medical Scholars) Minor(s): Favorite Book:Complications by Dr. Atul Gawande
Activities/Clubs at UD: Community Services Co-Chair for Student Government Association, Treasurer for Project Sunshine, Writing Fellows and Undergraduate Researcher in the Twiss Laboratory at A.I. duPont Children’s Hospital
Goals: I hope to become a spine surgeon in a private practice in Delaware and to start a program in India that focuses on disease education and preventive medicine. Under the advisement of Patricia Sloane-White, I volunteered at a free clinic for the poor in an urban district of Andhra Pradesh, India; it is here where I learned first hand that both acute care and preventive care are essential parts of the provision of health care.
Why did you choose Delaware? Becoming a doctor has been a life-long goal of mine, and I knew that I would have to do well wherever I went. I chose Delaware because I knew I could do well here, especially with the support of the Honors program staff, faculty, and students. It has been three years since I made that decision, and I know that I made the right one.
What has been your favorite Honors class so far? Dr. Susan Groh’s CHEM103/104 courses have been my favorite Honors courses thus far. It was so much more than a freshmen general chemistry course. Between the direct lecture of the theory in a small class setting, in-class problem-based learning exercises, short answer problem sets and tests, lab experiments, and her passion for teaching, I have built a strong foundation in chemistry. Dr. Groh’s class provided an extremely thorough review of the information and pushed you to synthesize the information that she had presented and apply it to the real world.
Who has been your favorite Honors professor and why? Dr. Steven Most has been my favorite honors professor. I took PSYC100 with him during his first semester as a professor at Delaware. He demonstrated a great deal of knowledge and passion for the subject. He required his students to think outside of the text and managed to explain the material in an interesting, discussion-based fashion. He has become a fantastic mentor over the years and has always provided a great deal of support in my educational endeavors.
What has been your most rewarding leadership or extra-curricular activity at UD? I am treasurer of the UD chapter of Project Sunshine, an international not-for-profit that provides free services to children with terminal illnesses and their families. I have been able to help the organization build a stronger presence on campus and visit the A.I. duPont Children’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House of Wilmington, and the Emmaus House and have a positive impact on the lives of children with a variety of illnesses.
