Emphasising her love of art and good coffee as we talked about her medical achievements, you can immediately tell that Aaniya is a different calibre of doctor: certainly a consummate professional, she is moreover a dynamic spirit, emblematic of our time. It is customary to comment on the characteristics that define a generation as they become apparent, and as the new kids on the proverbial block, dubbed ‘Generation Z’, begin to enter the vocational arena, this becomes pertinent. A few years ago, liberal journalist, Laurie Penny, had talked of the “anxiety” that differentiated older members of generation Y, otherwise known as Millennials, from their parents or Generation X, who in turn had been defined by a surfacing “depression.”
Now in the midst of online culture, and worldwide inter-connectivity, a newer, refreshingly promising, trend seems to emerge: one where young people are negotiating the disillusionment, and successfully turning available actions into tangible change. The necessity of securing basic financial stability is clear, but Aaniya also specifically pointed out “that we’re definitely part of a generation who looks for happiness as well as meaning in our lives. We take more risks, and some are even willing to take a hit to their pay cheque to do what fulfils them.” She continued: “from my experience, life in the NHS is really difficult and harder than people realise, but it’s always important to focus on the positive. You find yourself stretched, chronically understaffed, and challenged with limited funding, but there’s always the emotional pay-off. The gratitude I receive from patients is priceless, and I love the opportunity to meet so many new people. From the patients and nurses to physiotherapists and everyone in-between, working in a hospital environment has allowed me to socialise with people I might not otherwise have met. It’s not like a typical office, and that gets me out of bed!”
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Aaniya is a recent graduate of medical school, having won an NHS championship prize in 2016 as part of a select team in a national QI competition. She also interestingly studied Healthcare management at Imperial Business School and placed top of her class. “I loved my medical degree, but it was a breath of fresh air to be able to explore my innovative side,” the young doctor said. “I’ve always been interested in socially advancing the lives of people beyond just physically treating patients. We are more than our bodies and the mind should be respected. In A&E, for example, I’ve made sure to offer a sympathetic ear to patients throughout their admittance. Valuing interactions and the patient's feelings is becoming more practised in patient-care relationships.”
This psychological awareness is also apparent in the enlightening marketing campaign to which Aaniya contributed while studying for her BSc. She spent much of her time investigating how healthcare professionals could best help declining patients achieve their dying wishes. This involved forming a collaboration with Darzi’s Helix Design Centre at St. Mary’s hospital to tackle the taboo on death and dying. "Death, especially in British culture, is a phenomenon which is avoided. But we must confront it, to be able to better plan for it.” Indeed, equally a natural part of our lives as “careers, relationships and finance,” as Aaniya detailed, “we should not be afraid to accept it.” Excited to have been able to focus on the tactical side of medicine, the dedicated doctor, “informed the different policies on how people could achieve their dying wishes as part of a talented team, reading a lot of literature around the subject, and analysing the research. One finding, for example, was that when people reach the end of their lives, they strongly prefer living at home among family.”
Here, Aaniya, who also has experience in the US’ famed Silicon Valley where she worked on the Y-combinator backed app, Quit Genius, founded by her husband Yusuf, stressed the importance of tech to improve well-being: “The app is a digital tool that helps people to stop smoking, using CBT and personalised information. It is tailored to carry people through the difficult process.” Currently on the prestigious Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, she continued: “I see my future continuing in Healthtech, thinking creatively and delivering many effective resolutions for better public care. We use lifestyle apps in so many ways: from bettering transport and communication to organising finances, cooking and shopping, so why can’t we go the whole way to assist the basic needs of the population?” Indeed, while there has been a proliferation of healthcare apps, this has not yet reached a stage where the fundamentals of life have been managed.
“And there is so much scope,” Aaniya told us. “It might not be complex surgery, but Healthtech offers simple, significant tools to create a reverberating positive impact. Everyday awareness makes the biggest difference.” And so, the ambitious Aaniya doesn’t just represent a swathe of rising professionals who prioritise their passions, but also who champion social democracy as they work to realise them. “Medicine has been slower in terms of electronic reform in comparison to other industries such as domestic comfort but it is now catching up. Much of the NHS still uses paper to handle information because, of course, due diligence must be paid to the patient's confidentiality and security, and a switch takes time. Similarly, there are ground-breaking experiments being done with robotics and surgery, which must be tested extensively first.”
Facilitated by the technological revolution then, this as much a time of constructive solution and mobilisation as it is confusion and apparent stasis. “I have loved the opportunity to be able to experiment with my passions, and extend this to the world around me” Aaniya concluded. “We are all different, and have so much to give. I hope we can keep accommodating novel approaches to traditional routes, using differing perspectives to our advantage, and being more imaginative as we do it! Don’t be afraid to invest in what we call the ‘side hustles’ to make that your life.” A shared communal project, this could significantly remedy the country's uncertain economic state.
Were you always philanthropic in your goals?
My ethics and moral compass have always guided me. They’re what led me to study medicine. That then branched out into alternative ways of helping people over time.
Coming from a family of doctors, where my twin sister and both my father and mother are practising, has obviously influenced me too! As a Muslim, I would say my faith has generally made me want to improve the world around me too.
Why do you think people are so apprehensive about discussing death?
We live in such a hyperconnected world that the thought of feeling alone is distressing. It is better to appreciate that life is temporary. People want to be in control, but that is not always possible. It’s more helpful to embrace the difficulty.
Tell us more on why you are attracted to the field of public health?
As I say, I’m interested in inspired ways of problem-solving as well as exploring aspects of human psychology and behaviour as well as the conventional medical tools and processes. It is a route to fulfil my ambition on health on a larger scale through combining management, economics and heath policy.
Ultimately public health is about creating happy, healthy and well-gelled communities.
T: @Aaniyaa29
