We sat down with alumna Donna Bacchi, MD, MPH to talk about her journey as a student, doctor, and child-health advocate. As an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Chair of the Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Director of the Central New York Master of Public Health program, and Medical Director of Maternal and Child Health within the Onondaga County Health Department, Dr. Bacchi provided some insightful advice for students interested in medicine, public health, and career exploration in general. Here are some highlights from our conversation:
How did a Human Ecology education prepare her for her career?
As an undergraduate, Dr. Bacchi was a nutrition major. At the time, she felt that nutrition majors had limited options: become a dietician and work in a hospital, or pursue a PhD and conduct research on rats. She chose to go into medicine because she knew that a nutrition background would be different than most doctors, but recognized the importance that nutrition plays in health. “From birth… nutrition is an important part of shaping a child’s life,” she said, stressing the importance of our consumption across the lifespan. Dr. Bacchi started at Cornell as a Human Development major, but later switched to Nutritional Sciences to impact children’s development based on their nutrition and environment, she says.
How does a Master’s of Public Health and medical degree work together?
Dr. Bacchi stressed that students considering pursuing both degrees either earn them jointly (i.e.: in a combined MD/MPH program or simultaneously) or focus on getting a MPH before continuing on to medical school. She believes that the combination of degrees lends a sense of authority and depth that either degree cannot accomplish alone. Together, they provide a “broader perspective on what is going on in the community”. When a patient comes in with a problem, Dr. Bacchi tries to examine it in the bigger picture: the frequency in the community, the causes in the community, and how this can be solved on a larger scale in the community. “Every medical program should have more public health in their curriculum” she believes, because it allows doctors to “look at your population as you practice”. On a similar note, she said it has definitely boosted her credibility when working with legislators, because she can talk from personal experience in her practice and also from a statistical, population-sized perspective with her public health background.
What advice does she have for pre-medical students and about career exploration in general?
Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer! Dr. Bacchi emphasized that regular volunteering not only ‘looks good’ on applications, but changes a person’s perspective. “Being well-rounded is important,” she said, but “broadening your perspective” is just as important. Getting out into the community to see what is happening and how things are working allows you to view patients and issues more personally. She noted that pre-medical students often feel the need to do a lot of research, but demonstrating an “interest in the community” should also be a priority.
What was her most memorable Cornell experience?
Without hesitation, Dr. Bacchi named NS 1150: Nutrition, Health, and Society as one of the most impressionable classes she took while at Cornell. All of the nutrition courses deeply impacted her, she noted, but Dr. Levitsky’s enthusiasm and knowledge is what sparked her to switch majors.
What accomplishment is she most proud of?
While she has a lot of be proud of, Dr. Bacchi said that passing the smoking ordinance is what she feels like is her greatest achievement yet. After witnessing asthmatic children, as well as her own son, suffer from the prevalence of second-hand smoke, Dr. Bacchi was determined to make the town a more lung-friendly place for children to grow up. After battling with legislation in a conservative, Texan town, she managed to get a smoking ordinance passed. “It was the most difficult, most challenging, but most rewarding” experience, she said. “Never doubt that a small group of people can accomplish a great thing.”
Check back soon for more alumni spotlights!