Building a Healthier Austin: Innovation Through Collaboration
Health Innovation
Texas
From India to Austin: A Dell Med Student’s Mission to Expand Health Care Access
Overview
Dell Medical School doesn’t just train students like Sonali to practice medicine — it prepares them to lead change.
Impact
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Doctors graduated from Dell Med since 2020
Leading Change, One Patient at a Time
Sonali’s passion for medicine began early. Growing up in India, she saw firsthand how access to medical care led to big changes for people in her community. In high school, she co-founded a clinic for underserved communities and created clear, accessible brochures to help patients manage chronic conditions through lifestyle changes.
At Dell Medical School (Dell Med), she’s building on that foundation as a student director at the C.D. Doyle Clinic, a student-run clinic where medical students and faculty volunteer side by side with other health professions students to care for Austin’s unhoused and uninsured residents. Sonali oversees patient care and operations, ensuring patients receive medications and health services and connect to long-term support. By serving communities with the greatest needs, students engage directly with some of health care’s most pressing challenges. This experience pushes them to think boldly and deliver solutions that make a real difference.
Care in the Community
Whether she pursues neurology or pediatrics, Sonali’s path is grounded in one purpose: serving her community. From India to Austin, she embodies Dell Med’s commitment to training the next generation of leaders to advance care that’s focused on what matters most to patients — ensuring they receive the treatment they need, close to home.
Volunteering, she adds, teaches lessons no textbook can. “It brings answers, perspective, and a lot of education,” she says. “I think it turns you into a physician who’s more well-rounded.” With that perspective, Sonali is ready to lead with compassion, meet patients where they are, and make a lasting impact — one person at a time.
As student director, Sonali supports her peers and coordinates patient intake, helping the clinic run smoothly from the moment someone walks in.
While one student takes vitals, another logs measurements – getting used to the routines and teamwork that shape real clinical practice.
Students collaborate on diagnoses and care plans, learning through dialogue, shared insight, and peer support.
Every clinic appointment is guided by an experienced physician, who mentors students and ensures each patient receives high-quality care.
