Welcoming CUNY School of Medicine 4th Year student, Sumaiya Islam

This August, the Silver Hill Academy for Research and Education (SHARE) was delighted to host CUNY School of Medicine 4^th Year student, Sumaiya Islam, to campus. Sumaiya made the very most of her time at Silver Hill, observing and absorbing new modalities, treatments, and techniques, and she brought with her a very special curiosity and sensibility.

I attended a small high school in New York City that specialized in math and sciences but surprisingly, did not enjoy 9th grade biology class. Much to my surprise however, I was very involved in research early on as a part of our Advanced Science Research curriculum, and research courses I took throughout the summer at the Icahn School of Medicine. I ultimately ended up taking a biology-related course every year of high school that followed, including AP Biology, Genetics, and Anatomy & Physiology which played a big role in applying for the B.S./M.D. program at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. As I had been debating pursuing a research career in neuroscience or the clinical route of medical school at the time, being the first in my family to pursue higher education and medicine has played a tremendous role in shaping how I came to the decision of choosing the clinical path. With medical school, I could do both- research and clinical medicine, almost as if I could pursue the best of both worlds per se.

I love stories- they play such a foundational role and provide such fundamental insights into a person’s lived experience, how we interact with the world around us, what has shaped us, and the influences we carry throughout.

Psychiatry was my first rotation as a third-year medical student and was my primary exposure to the clinical realm. During the pre-clinical years, I had very much enjoyed learning about psychiatry, albeit short, as it was a part of our neurology module. Thus, during my rotation in psychiatry, I was exposed to consult, inpatient, and emergency psychiatry, which afforded me a breadth of knowledge in such an exciting and novel field. Furthermore, prior to my third year in medical school, I had just completed a master’s in public health at Columbia University; from my training in the public health sciences, the intersection between mental health, population health, and social determinants to me are riveting – particularly in the interactions between the multitude of factors that surround individuals and ultimately inform the presentation, symptomatology, treatment, and eventual patient formulation of informing individualized care.

Combined with my love for stories, and the person-centered approach in psychiatry, fuel my passion for the field. I find it a great privilege that as a psychiatrist, you get to not only hear someone’s story, their inner world, but also honor their journey and help them navigate the intricacies and challenges such as substance abuse, mental illness, grief, loss, and many other conditions that may manifest in someone’s day to day life. With the many modalities – including psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and psychiatric interventions – as a budding psychiatrist, I consider myself very lucky to help my (future) patients blossom into the best version of themselves.

During my four weeks at Silver Hill, I have been very fortunate to learn about Adolescent Psychiatry with Dr. Ortiz-Schwartz and Addiction Psychiatry with Dr. Ryan Wade. As a supplement to my clinical pursuits, I also had exposure to weekly lessons in psychopharmacology with Dr. Ryan Flanagan, psychotherapy lessons with Dr. Michael Huff, and discussion about core psychiatric concepts tailored to my interests with Dr. Jeffrey Katzman. The day-to-day involvement in patient care, group therapy sessions, family meetings, and being a part of the care team has been incredibly formative in helping me become the type of psychiatrist that I aspire to be as I continue on my journey through medical training.

One of the most salient concepts that had stood out to me during my time at Silver Hill is the impact of compassion in caring for someone in such a critical time of their life. I am always so amazed by how much capacity we as humans have for empathy and kindness, and how much of these gifts we can share with one another, help support and uplift others – whether it be through words of support, holding space, or by simply lending an ear. I found that all the staff I had encountered, from the physicians to the social workers, counselors, residential staff, and the patients, exude such kindness and warmth, and the therapeutic value of such a feeling cannot be measured by any quantifiable metrics. I am immensely inspired by it all. 

My favorite would be the little bridge next to the Jurgenson building, overlooking the steam of water. It is such a scenic sight and was one of the first places that I encountered as I was on my way to CPI training prior to my start date at Silver Hill. The view reminds me of the beautiful photography that would often be featured in calendars specializing in nature that I fondly remember from my childhood, back before digital calendars became our mainstream modality of organizing our schedules.

Sometimes during my walk from lectures or in-between inpatient to group or individual patient meetings, I would catch a glimpse of the stream while crossing the bridge. Overlooking the landscape- with the formidable trees, stable and grounded rocks, beautiful flora, and the ever-so-changing color of the sky, gave me solace. It became time to reflect, a time for reflection and mindfulness, and the symbolism of the physical bridge as a path connecting one location to the next, both physically and metaphorically, was very compelling, with the continuity of the water across both sides of the bridge representing flow and tranquility.

I am very excited to further build upon the incredible amount of knowledge I have garnered here thus far and will be rotating with Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx under their Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program in September. In the meanwhile, I am also applying for psychiatry residency as I am in my fourth year of medical school. My interests include public psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and addiction psychiatry and I hope to delve further into these subspecialties as I progress throughout. 

I am a firm believer in finding joy in little things all throughout and I try to keep up with my hobbies the best that I can. I was trained in Bangladeshi folk music and performed professionally as a singer for a while, and I have been playing the harmonium (which is a classical South Asian instrument that is a mix between a piano and an accordion) since I was 5. I also try to venture out whenever I can- am a big fan of nature, especially the national parks and local hikes. I love photography, find joy in immersive art, am a big foodie, and very much enjoy trying new cuisines, local cafes, and small bakeries and cafes. I also love learning and am constantly on the search for fun workshops, arts and crafts projects, and planning my next travel adventure, which for the moment includes visiting Iceland again, and seeing all the beautiful sights alongside my journey where my path may lead.