System Strategist

In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future, host Rhea sits down with Ayushi Aggarwal, a healthcare strategy consultant with a background in medicine and public health. Ayushi shares how her path, from a public health project in rural India and an MPH at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, to medical school and then a role at McKinsey, shaped how she understands healthcare as a system and not just a profession. During this episode we talk about what it felt like to step away from medical school while navigating a parent’s cancer diagnosis and a demanding curriculum, and why medical training offers plenty of support for continuing on the path but far less for those whose paths change. Ayushi reflects on the question “Who is this system actually designed for?” and on how rigid assumptions about continuity leave little room for health challenges, family responsibilities, financial pressure, and burnout. She also shares three places she sees similar misalignment in healthcare today: clinical workflow tools that struggle with adoption when they add friction, misaligned incentives in access to therapies like GLP-1s, and the “last mile” problem faced by digital therapeutics. Finally, she offers advice for anyone who feels “off track,” including using institutional resources early, leaning on mentors and communities like AMWA, and normalizing that struggling with or even failing an exam like Step 1 is not the end of the road. To learn more about Ayushi’s work and perspective, reach out to her directly. You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/ You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/ If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to our team at getf@amwa-doc.org If you are interested in joining the incredible network of women in medicine - join AMWA today at https://www.amwa-doc.org/ Thank you for tuning in to Our Voices, Our Future, we will see you next time!