Beenish Lakhani knew about Georgia State’s health informatics program before she enrolled in the university. Family members who worked in both healthcare and the tech industry fueled her interest in this growing field. She briefly considered another major – nursing – but not another university.
“I wanted to experience going to school in the heart of the city, so I knew I could call Georgia State home,” she said. “[I] was intrigued in the new and growing field which geared me towards choosing GSU over any other school.”
Lakhani graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of interdisciplinary studies degree with a concentration in clinical health informatics. A recent internship at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will give Lakhani her first post-graduation work experience.
“My internship at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta did help me make many connections throughout the organization and learn a lot about how the entire healthcare system functions,” she said. “After graduation, I will continue to intern there and hope to lead to a permanent position soon.”
Lakhani looked at other healthcare organizations before Children’s. She completed an internship at Emory Johns Creek Hospital the summer before starting the health informatics program.
“I was excited to get hands-on experience with healthcare and information technology,” she said. “The people I worked with and those I met along the way confirmed my passion and decision in health informatics. I created lifelong connections from the experience and was well prepared with real-life concepts for my classes.”
When not busy with classes and internships, Lakhani volunteers with the Aga Khan Foundation through her church. The foundation focuses on service to some of the most impoverished communities in the world.
In fall 2019, Lakhani won the Georgia HIMSS David Cowan Scholarship Award, an award given to 10 students in Georgia pursuing any variation of healthcare and information technology in college. Now, she is eager to begin her career, merging the fields of healthcare and technology, which are both prominent among her cousins.
“My parents always supported me and anything I wanted to pursue, so they were excited to hear about this major in an industry that was growing quickly,” she said. “Working in a field that brings the two industries together was something I was excited to be a part of, and all my relatives were extremely supportive of my choice.”