Interview
Youth Advisory Council: An interview Jasmeen Kaur You were one of the founding members of the Youth Advisory Council in 2015. What originally interested you about joining YAC? Becoming part of YAC was initially introduced to me by Nanita Lim-Sulit, an exceptional and truly caring Nurse Practitioner who has known me and has been part of my medical team ever since I was born. Over the years, Nan has always been one of the kindest and most positive medical team members I have known. She became a very close support system for my family and myself and every interaction I have had with her was always so memorable. One day, she came to my hospital room and told me that she thought I would be a great fit for this program called YAC, and I immediately was intrigued. The most intriguing aspect of YAC that Nan informed me was that the entire council would be founded by patients like myself. I loved this main concept since who understands how to improve the hospital environment better than someone who has stayed there and has the perspective of a patient? It felt like I was being given this wonderful opportunity to talk about myself as openly as possible, since growing up in an immigrant family, I was constantly advised not to reveal too much about myself and my medical condition. I knew my family meant well, so I stayed safe and would not be treated differently, but there was also a part of me that just wanted to be honest about myself because it's not just me that has experienced something like this. It felt as if I wasn't completely embracing my true self since, at the end of the day, my medical condition, like so many other individuals I met via this program, plays a significant role in my life. This was one of the greatest decisions I've ever made, and I'm so thrilled I'm still a part of YAC! You took a leave from YAC when you started college, and chose to return to the council the following year. What motivated you to return to YAC? I took a leave from YAC when I went into freshman year at CUNY Hunter College. The reason why I chose to return to YAC was because I simply missed the interactions and connections I made with everyone. Going into college was definitely a transition period for me and I was still trying to handle multiple responsibilities while also trying to take care of myself and my health. In some ways, the Youth Advisory Council has provided a safe space for me to openly express how I feel about many of the important topics we address, and I honestly missed being a part of that atmosphere. Every person on the council I’ve met over the years, including all of the amazing members and all of the Mount Sinai faculty were able to bring this sense of comfort and a community where we all can be ourselves and that really pulled me in to continue to be a part of this amazing council. I also felt as if I was doing something that can help not only others, but myself as well. As you reflect on your time on the council, what stands out to you as the most memorable and/or rewarding initiatives that you were involved with? Over the years, I strongly believe that YAC was a huge part of so many wonderful and rewarding initiatives. Every year, we focused on doing something different and focusing on those topics that we as a team agreed on, in order to enhance the patient and family stay in addition to the hospital ambiance. One of the most memorable parts of each initiative that we did together was the brainstorming process. I believe that was impactful to me as an individual because through all of the brainstorming sessions we had, I was able to learn so much about everyone’s experiences and how deeply I was able to relate to everyone. Additionally, some of the really cool initiatives that I was able to take part in that I can still remember are the many PSA videos we made on multiple topics including the PSA video on the flu vaccine, recreating the whiteboards that are in every patients rooms to better accommodate both the patients and the doctors, emergency room welcoming kits for pediatric patients, seeing Mount Sinai faculty members getting their flu shots, celebrity/influencers visiting our meetings and initiatives, going to a conference with other YAC members to discuss our experiences as patients, music therapy, being part of FAC’s meetings to provide a different point of view on certain topics, shadowing rounds we did with doctors to see how they communicate with patients—which was amazing field experience, recreating the procedure room and what it signifies for all patients, recreating the Mount Sinai lobby so that it’s more welcoming for not only patients, but also their family members, having in-depth conversations with so many faculty members at Mount Sinai and to discuss the importance of each topic they LB 2019
came to present for, and now I am really looking forward to the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program where we can connect with patients to help them feel the same sense of comfort that all of us feel in this council. These are just a few out of the many amazing things that the Youth Advisory Council was able to accomplish in such a little time. I am so grateful to be a part of a wonderful change to the hospital that has been helping so many other patients and that is all thanks to the Youth Advisory Council and all its members. Each of the YAC members brings their own unique experiences and perspectives to the council. What have you learned from your fellow YAC members? I have been fortunate enough to learn so much from my fellow YAC members as the years have gone by. Each member brought so many true experiences and wise words that I was able to deeply relate to on such a higher level. It's really interesting to see because when the council first started, a lot of us were around the same age so we were able to connect with each other immediately. We all felt so comfortable talking about our medical experiences with one another and I was not familiar with that kind of environment. Even if my family knew all the things I would be going through, they would never truly understand the full context the way that everyone on the council did. This was probably one of the main reasons why I was able to bond with so many amazing individuals on the council as the years went by. Even if I have been the oldest in age who has been on the council, I still feel as if all of us can easily talk to one another on such sensitive topics. So many of the council members have experienced such hardships when it comes to the topic of their health, yet seeing all of them be so positive and strong-willed with openly stating how they felt about certain topics really inspired me. Since I was a part of the Youth Advisory Council from the beginning, I was able to see so many wonderful members transition into their next journeys and I truly commanded how each member carried themselves because they are the true definition of hope and strength. I was able to learn how to be more confident and strong through their support. Additionally, Morgan, Lauren, and Nina have played just as important of a role in the council as all of the council members. From each of them, I learned how to openly speak my mind without hesitating, saw what true leadership looks like, and how to be true to myself. Without all of the members and the leadership team, I probably would have still been a shy introvert who didn’t embrace all of myself. I am truly thankful for each member of the Youth Advisory Council for providing me strength, wisdom, and inspiring me to be the best version of myself. Seeing everyone be so true to themselves made me want to do the same and I will always be grateful to the Youth Advisory Council for that. Thank you so much to everyone for being a second family to me! Congratulations on recently completing your college education. How did your experience as a patient at Mount Sinai and a member of YAC contribute to your interest in pursuing a career in medicine? Being surrounded by all the medical equipment and hearing all of the medical terminology doctors spoke made me extremely passionate to pursue a career as a surgeon. I was always a curious child and always asked multitudinous questions to my entire healthcare team on what they were planning on doing next to enhance my overall health. This was also partially because I, the child who also had very little idea of what was happening, had to be the translator for my parents so that they could understand and give consent for all the medical operations and procedures I had to get done. While children my age were learning how to write coherent sentences, I was learning the terminology of what procedure I was going to be getting next. Getting admitted into the hospital continuously over the course of my life really enlightened and motivated me to become a doctor so that I could give back to the medical community that gave me so much. Through this medical community, not only did they give me a lifestyle that I can be grateful for, but I was also able to make such incredible relationships with the people I met through the Youth Advisory Council. Throughout my life, every medical experience I have had was at Mount Sinai Hospital and I was able to openly talk about my experiences with the Youth Advisory Council at Mount Sinai. The Youth Advisory Council solidified my reasons even more as to why I want to become a physician. Through my years with the YAC, I not only became a better version of myself but also was put in positions where I had to see things from the perspective of a physician. One particularly rewarding experience was observing the morning rounds, during which we observed how doctors and their entire staff talked with patients and their families. I watched what takes place behind the scenes before a doctor ever enters the patient's room, and how many different things they have to juggle in order for everything to be in order. This, along with many other experiences I've had with the YAC, has shown me medicine from a new perspective. I saw everything I liked and want to improve even more as a physician so that I can give all of my future patients what they deserve! I don't want any of my patients to experience the physical and emotional suffering that I have, and seeing a smile on anyone's face is the most gratifying feeling in the world! Just like how I witnessed so many different YAC members' lovely smiles and how driven they were to do better in the future, that's precisely the sort of optimism I want to impart with all the patients and families I meet, whether it’s as a YAC member or as a physician. All of my experiences thus far have truly highlighted why I want to pursue medicine as my career.