Nidha Sha | Master of Science in Media, Medicine, and Health

Nidha Sha, a current medical student at McGovern Medical School in Texas, is taking a gap year to pursue a Master of Science in Media, Medicine, and Health at Harvard Medical School. With a passion for medicine and art, Sha is bridging these worlds through innovative projects designed to enhance the patient experience.

Before joining the master’s program, Sha explored how art could be a healing tool by organizing art workshops for patients with dementia. According to Sha, these workshops provided comfort to patients and allowed medical students to see patients beyond their diagnoses, fostering empathy and understanding. Additionally, Sha contributed to a medical humanities magazine, Human Ties Digest, that showcases creative works from medical professionals to build community and celebrate shared experiences.

“I’ve always loved art and medicine, but they felt like two separate spheres,” Sha says. “The Media, Medicine, and Health program presented an opportunity to merge these passions and work in a way that truly excites me.”

Her capstone project exemplifies this synthesis. Collaborating with Boston Children’s Hospital, Sha is developing a video game to ease the transition for children moving from pre-operative care to the operating room. The game aims to reduce anxiety during this challenging period, creating a more comforting experience for children, parents, and health care providers.

“The transition to the operating room can be incredibly stressful for kids as they leave their parents and enter an unfamiliar environment,” Sha explains. “The goal is to create something that helps reduce patient anxiety and makes the process easier for everyone involved.”

To bring life to the project, Sha is working closely with child life specialists and anaesthesiologist Dr. Julia Gálvez Delgado at Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as her capstone mentor, Dr. Mikael Jakobsson, an expert in interactive design at MIT. This collaboration has allowed her to shadow specialists, observe current methods, and tailor the game design to the unique needs of young patients.

Sha credits the Media, Medicine, and Health program with providing opportunities to explore new mediums and develop skills she had never tried before. An animation class last semester gave her a foundation in design that she plans to apply to her video game project. A writing workshop with Dr. Jason Silverstein helped her connect with her peers and expand her storytelling abilities.

“I feel like the program gives you the opportunity to either improve upon skills that you already have or try out things that you've never tried before, and I wanted it to be a bit of a mix of both.”

Sha’s classmates, consisting of 31 students from diverse backgrounds, have also been a highlight of her experience. “Everyone has such unique perspectives, but we share similar values,” she says. "The community and support in this program are unparalleled."

For prospective students, Sha emphasizes the importance of making the most of the program’s opportunities. "Do your best to try out different things," she advises.

As she looks ahead to finishing medical school and starting residency, Sha reflects on how the program has enriched her journey. "This program has allowed me to merge art and medicine in ways I never thought possible," she says. "It’s been a transformative experience.

Written by Bailey Merlin