Healthcare Studies junior Abbad Hoda has always been interested in a career in healthcare, but coming of age during the COVID-19 pandemic made him realize there was a certain field that was especially important to him and the entire global community: public health. In this interview, Abbad shares his story of self-discovery, deciding where to go to school, what to study, and how he’ll use his education to make a profound positive impact. Finally, he encounters public policy head-on as an Archer Fellow in Washington, D.C. this semester.
Why did you choose Healthcare Studies?
Originally what really brought me to the field of Healthcare Studies was during the COVID-19 pandemic — it sounds a little cliche but during that time I was trying to figure out what I wanted to study at college. I always knew the health field was something that I wanted to pursue, but I didn’t know what exactly. Did I want to be a doctor? Did I want to do research? What exactly did I want to do?
During the pandemic we heard the words “public health” being thrown around a lot. At that time, in high school, I was involved in quite a few public health initiatives. I was advocating for melanoma awareness in my home town. I was raising awareness for domestic abuse during the pandemic because it was at its high, unfortunately.
At the same time, I did want to be an aspiring physician in the future, be able to shape people’s lives that way. So I was thinking I want to do something in the medical field but I also want to do something more in the public health field. I was initially unsure about what program I wanted to do here. I was thinking: should I be a biology or neuroscience major? But at the same time I don’t really see myself committing to sitting down and just studying pure science the entire time.
So I heard about the Healthcare Studies program. I had a few friends that went to UTD prior and they told me, “Hey I’m a Healthcare Studies major. It’s something you should check out.” I remember I was exploring my different options and actually came to UT Dallas for a tour with the National Merit Program. I was able to meet Dr. Byrnes, head of the Healthcare Studies program. And she sat down with me and she was like, “What are you really looking forward to pursuing in your future?” I remember telling her all my goals, my aspirations, and she said, “I think this program is going to be a good fit for you.”
Being a pre-med student, I’m able to fulfill those those science courses we all have to take but at the same time I’m able to sit down and learn about the healthcare system, issues in patient education, really relevant topics that I feel like someone should know going into any type of health field that I really think aren’t present in other programs, per se. For me, when I think about being a physician, I really just see a personal calling of being involved with more of the policy side of things, being able to shape the public health of our communities.
Being a pre-med student, I’m able to fulfill those those science courses we all have to take but at the same time I’m able to sit down and learn about the healthcare system, issues in patient education, really relevant topics that I feel like someone should know going into any type of health field.
abbad hoda
What made you choose UT Dallas?
I always knew I wanted to stay in Texas. It’s a great state for undergraduate education and financially very viable. I think that’s one of the main reasons why my family came to Dallas almost fifteen years ago now because they saw great potential for me and my older sibling as we grew older and went to our undergraduate education. So I was considering other universities such as UT Austin and Rice. Those are both great schools as well. I was trying to figure out of these three which was the best fit for me. I was also considering other state schools.
I remember being super conflicted, but once again that meeting I had with Dr. Byrnes… It was just such a great opportunity. Number one, I’m blessed to have a full ride at UTD. That was one huge thing I wanted to help my family out with. Plus, when I came to UTD and applied as a Healthcare Studies major, I just felt really prioritized and felt like I was being heard. Not everyone can say, “I went to tour at my college and I got to sit down with the head of the program.” Not everyone can say that. In fact, I think I was one of the only people in my senior class that was able to say that.
I just felt like everyone here, compared to the other universities I went to, just prioritized me a lot more. They really listened to what I was saying. At the end of the day, that put the nail in the coffin that I wanted to go here. I just feel special. I feel heard. To this day it’s something I’m really appreciative for. These past two years, I’ve been part of the student government, and this past year I was the liaison senator for the school of IS and I’ve been talking about how much the school of IS and the Healthcare Studies program impacted me and how much I want to advertise it and tell incoming students about my special experience with the program. And this could be your experience as well. Being able to work orientation and meet with incoming students that are in the school of IS and Healthcare Studies, I was able to talk about why I came to UTD: because I just felt heard. I just felt seen.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic influence your desire to go into medicine?
It was an unfortunate time to live through, but at the same time I think it helped many people visualize what they wanted to do in their future. It made me realize that this is something that’s probably going to occur again in the future. So people need to be ready if God forbid the next time comes around. So my more emotional reaction was, I think this is a really good calling for me. In a way I’m thankful that I was able to live through the pandemic because it helped me realize that if something happens again I will be able to draw from this experience and be able to apply it in my future. I would open up the TV and see Dr. Fauci speaking and think, I really admire the work that he’s doing. This is something I could see myself doing in the future. This is how I developed my goal of yes, being a future doctor, but also someone who champions public policy and public health.
I would open up the TV and see Dr. Fauci speaking and think, I really admire the work that he’s doing. This is something I could see myself doing in the future. This is how I developed my goal of yes, being a future doctor, but also someone who champions public policy and public health.
abbad hoda
Do you have a favorite course or instructor?
The classes I think of are our Public Health class and our Healthcare Systems class. I had the privilege of taking these classes with Dr. Stark. It’s kind of a Socratic seminar and we really are able to share our experiences. Obviously, COVID-19 is something we would always discuss. I had classmates tell me, I was thinking about doing Engineering or I was going to study Literature or something, but then the pandemic happened and they realized the importance health and medicine have to our lives. I’ve met many students just like me at the intersection of being pre-med but also wanting to go the public health route.
Tell us about the Archer Fellowship.
The Archer Fellowship is a program that all UT system students can apply to. The fellowship requires you to be in Washington D.C. for a semester, and you can pursue any internship relevant to your field. Many Archer fellows are pre-health or pre-public health like me, they can be pre-law, business — it’s a really diverse cohort of students from not just UT Dallas but across the entire UT system. Around the time my sophomore year came around — that’s when students can start applying if they want to go their junior year. I had taken classes at that point like Public Health, Economics of Health, and Issues in Patient Education, and after experiencing all those classes I realized, I can really see myself doing something pertinent to these classes within the fellowship. It’s such a great opportunity and something that perfectly encapsulates who I am, because I can talk about how I want to be a physician who champions policy for healthier societies.
I was able to apply to the Archer Fellowship and talk about my experience as a Healthcare Studies student and how the curriculum has helped me prepare for doing this fellowship. I told our interviewers at the Archer Fellowship about it, and I wrote in my personal statement about how the Healthcare Studies program has been beneficial to me. And I’ll be going there for the Spring 2025 semester. It’s a huge opportunity that I’m really excited for and I’m really grateful the Healthcare Studies program helped me prepare for it.