1 year of Invite Health
Oh, how much can change in a year.
Hi friends!
Today we are celebrating Invite Health’s belated birthday! 🎂
Invite Health’s first newsletter was published on September 21, 2022:
In just over a year, I’ve had the opportunity to publish 48 newsletters, including 30 interviews!
There is not enough words to express my gratitude and what Invite Health means to me. Whether you’ve read 1 or 30 newsletters, thank you for reading and supporting Invite Health.
Storytime
The night that I started Invite Health was one of the most distinct of my undergraduate career.
At the time that I launched* Invite Health, I was in my first month of my final year of undergrad. I recently made the decision that I was not going to apply to medical schools after I graduated, and instead going to apply for Master’s programs in graduate school. This was a difficult decision, and one that was made after months of reflecting after my medical school rejections (read more on that here). I am fortunate for the conversations I shared with many people over that summer, who encouraged me to pursue grad school and forge my own path.
*Invite Health was an idea I had since the start of 2022, and I initially wanted to make it a healthcare online job board for students:)
Before I hit “publish” on the first Invite Health newsletter, I had an anxious breakdown. I felt like my crying came out of nowhere, but I know that I was bottling up my anxious emotions that accumulated over the summer. I was anxious for many personal reasons, but they all ultimately related to me thinking that I was going to be disappointing others (mostly my family) by not choosing the medical school path. When I write this out now, it sounds silly. However, I felt that I had to “work extra hard” to prove that I could be successful without going to medical school. At that time, I would’ve told you that I was trying to prove myself to my family and peers, but in reality, I know I wanted to prove to this to myself. That’s probably part of the reason I started Invite Health: to create a successful, tangible project that I could be proud of and show that I did it on my own.
What made this decision to pursue grad school even scarier was the fact that I felt like I was going through this alone. I did not know many people who were in a similar position to me, and by that I mean those who shared similar career goals to me and were also applying to similar Master’s programs in graduate schools. Although I had a community of support behind me, I felt that I was entering unknown territory on my own.
As I write this out now, I want to laugh at how silly I sound from last year. But I also want to provide myself empathy and reassurance. I know that I am not the only one who experienced this stress and anxiety about the future. This is a universal feeling for anyone who makes a major life decision, especially when it’s related to school and careers.
Change is complex.
Decision-making is difficult.
Uncertainty is uncomfortable.
And these all can contribute to isolation and anxiety about the future. So, to myself a year ago today, I want to reassure you that your anxiety is short-lived, and that things will work out in your favour. It will get better, and you can attribute it to your proactiveness, your work ethic, and your communities of support.
Today, I am getting ready to start a new chapter in my post-grad life. I am excited to share that I am starting my Masters of Science (MSc) in Translational Health Sciences at the University of Oxford! The program description reads as follows:
“This course takes an interdisciplinary and applied approach to the challenges of implementing innovations and research discoveries in a health care setting.”.
Essentially, the “translational” aspect focusses on translating research into (healthcare) practice. In many ways, Invite Health is a personal translational project of mine. I took “research” (my own experiences, my friends and peer’s experiences, the internet) and translated that into “practice”, by creating the Invite Health newsletter. It is also quite interdisciplinary, as this combines many of my interests in healthcare, entrepreneurship, education, technology, journalism, and more!
The Future of Invite Health
As a result of starting my Master’s program, I’ve decided to pause publishing on Invite Health. This was not a light-hearted decision. Invite Health is an incredibly personal project of mine, and one that I am most proud of. I’ve been able to connect with many incredible people and share their stories, and I’ve been told from many of you that you’ve learned something new through reading the newsletters. Invite Health represents many things that I advocate for, including:
putting a spotlight on students and their stories
highlighting paid over unpaid / volunteer work
transparency with career opportunities and application processes
free, open-access knowledge and information
celebrating accomplishments and growth in a society that promotes “hustle culture” and “self-improvement” 24/7
As my story demonstrates, a lot can change in a year. Therefore, I cannot promise when or if I’ll be back to publishing on Invite Health. It’ll be fascinating for me to read this newsletter a year from now, to see where I have grown.
Although I won’t be publishing anymore, Invite Health will always continue to be available and accessible at invitehealth.substack.com. Feel free to share Invite Health with friends, peers, and communities. I know Invite Health can provide timeless value.
I also created a Notion page called “Applying to Grad Schools Guide”, where I share tips and insights from my graduate school application experience. I try to be as transparent and informative as possible, and I hope that the guide can help you if you are applying to graduate schools! Additionally, if you want to follow along with my Oxford MSc journey, feel free to follow @sachinoxford on Instagram!
Thank you for all of your love and support with Invite Health. Cheers to 1 year+ of Invite Health, and to many more upcoming occasions to celebrate. 🥂
Signing off,
Sachi
Founder, invitehealth.substack.com 💌
