dispatch from

    New York City

    For Dr. Saumya Dave (MD ’15), being a writer was never just something she wanted to do on the side; it was always part of the full equation. Growing up, she dreamed of being both a doctor and a writer, and those dreams followed her to medical school, where she realized she wouldn’t be happy unless she did both.

    “I knew it would probably be harder and maybe messier and a little bit more complicated, but as I kept thinking about it, I knew that’s what I had to have,” she says.

    Graduating from the Medical College of Georgia’s Athens campus, she matched at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City in psychiatry, where she currently teaches narrative medicine to first-year interns; the class combines themes in medicine and in art in order to provide greater reflection and hopefully more meaningful patient care.

    On Staying Focused

    “I have always told myself that I have two jobs. Medicine is my first job, and writing is my second job. The writing job has looked different from year to year depending on what project I was pursuing, but I definitely always felt like I couldn’t waste time.”
    —Dr. Saumya Dave

    Along the way, she also blogged for The Lancet Student, went on a reporting trip to West Africa with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, got married, worked on a novel, started a nonprofit with her husband, had a baby and started out in in private practice.

    And that novel she was writing? Not only did she finish it, she signed a two-book deal with Penguin Random House. The first book, Well-Behaved Indian Women, was released in July and was favorably reviewed by The New York Times Book Review.

    The pandemic has prolonged the young family’s temporary stay with Dave’s parents in Atlanta, and while her second book is due to be published next July, it’s not hard to imagine her present circumstances finding their way into whatever comes after that.

    “Now, we’re in a house with four generations of people, literally ages 8 months to 94,” she laughs.

    OUR MAGAZINES

    A.

    Augusta University’s flagship alumni magazine provided free of charge to all living and located alumni.

    Cyber Augusta

    Explores Augusta and Georgia’s pivotal role in the growing U.S. and global cyber industry.

    R&D

    Tells the fascinating stories of research and discovery from faculty and students across the enterprise.

    MCG Medicine

    Focuses on the Medical College of Georgia and its alumni

    DCG Magazine

    Focuses on Georgia’s only dental school, The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, and its alumni.
    RSS The Latest from Jagwire
    Like
    Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry

    For nearly 200 years, Augusta University and its legacy institutions have been centers of learning and drivers of discovery and innovation in Augusta, the state of Georgia and beyond. Our community of alumni, students, faculty and friends are amazing people living incredible lives and making invaluable contributions to our world.

    We are pleased to publish four magazines in which we get to tell their stories:

    Back Issues