Student Spotlight: Sushant Sharma, MPH ’25

Bridging Medicine and Public Health 

Sushant Sharma, MPH ’25, has always viewed health as more than clinical care. Growing up in Delhi, India, he witnessed how poverty, stigma, and limited access to healthcare shaped people’s well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he volunteered with local organizations to provide food relief, basic medical support, and emotional care. These experiences deepened his understanding of health as a systemic issue and inspired him to pursue public health.

“I realized that health doesn’t begin or end in the hospital. It’s shaped by your environment, community, and access to resources,” he says.

That perspective guided him to the University of Waterloo in Canada, where he earned a degree in Health Sciences. There, he completed two independent research projects: one on how the pandemic disrupted tuberculosis care in different global settings, and another on the mental well-being of Canadian immigrants. Both reflected his growing interest in the intersection of health, equity, and policy.

When he arrived at Dartmouth to complete the accelerated on-campus MPH program, Sushant knew he wanted to continue building on those interests. He immersed himself in topics like mental health, addiction, immigrant health, and equity, tailoring projects to reflect those priorities. In a health policy course, he developed a proposal to expand telepsychiatry in correctional facilities. A classroom debate on harm reduction led him to write a commentary supporting the legalization of overdose prevention centers, which was later published. In a health systems course, he analyzed access to rural mental health care in New Hampshire. He also pursued a directed reading on refugee mental health in the U.S., connecting classroom learning to real-world public health challenges.

One particularly memorable course was Voices from the HIV Pandemic, which brought in speakers who had helped shape the HIV response across medicine, policy, and industry. “I learned what public health leadership can look like when it’s grounded in advocacy and community experience,” he says.Through the Global Health Fellowship, he also had the chance to engage with U.S. Ambassador Erica J. Barks Ruggles. Her insights into diplomacy and systems change gave him a broader view of what leadership in public health can mean.

Now in medical school at the University of Auckland, Sushant plans to specialize in psychiatry and continue working at the intersection of medicine and public health. His MPH experience has given him the tools to think beyond the clinic and consider how policy, systems, and social determinants shape patient care.

Reflecting on his time at Dartmouth, Sushant emphasizes the importance of taking initiative. “Be proactive. The program gives you freedom to shape your experience, so take time to explore the topics, populations, or policy issues you care most about,” he says. “And get to know your classmates. They bring so many different perspectives. Investing in those relationships makes the experience much more meaningful, both professionally and personally.”

Outside the classroom, Sushant found comfort and community in small routines. The Hanover Farmers Market became a weekly ritual, and he often walked along the Connecticut River with a cup of tea to unwind after class. “Those quiet moments helped me reflect and reset,” he says. He also recommends the Dartmouth Skiway for anyone looking to try something new and take a break from coursework.

Written by: Mia Soucy

POSTED 7/14/2025 AT 10:25 AM IN #mph on-campus #studentspotlight #mph #2025