Student Profile: Meenal Cacsella combines her passion for medicine, public health and policy in pursuit of her calling

Meenal Cascella had known for a while that she wanted to pursue a career in medicine, so when she headed off to college at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, she got busy pursuing her biology degree. She didn’t know that during her undergraduate years she would also discover a passion for studying public health and health policy.

It was when she began to volunteer at a non-profit health clinic as a college student that Cascella’s education and career goals began to change shape.

“Being at the clinic opened my eyes to a lot of healthcare disparities and their impact on patients," she said. "And I wanted to be able to have a career where I could do something to reduce those disparities across society, as well as just improve the health system in general.”

Cascella still wanted to go to medical school, so she added her newfound interest in public health into her plans, and is now enrolled in a dual degree program as a

a second-year medical student at the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, and an MPH student at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in San Antonio.

“I had been drawn towards the sciences, which is what led me to pursue a degree in biology,” Cascella said. “I knew I wanted to be somewhere where I'd be directly working with people, so, I decided to try out healthcare, and I ended up really enjoying it, because I wanted to have that ability to treat patients and help improve their quality of life.”

In medical school, Cascella said she began learning more about health disparities and social determinants of health in her classes, which only further confirmed her interest in public health, and so she enrolled in the MPH program.

Pursuing dual degrees in medicine and public health would keep most students very busy, but Cascella still finds time for her passion of writing and advocating for improvements in medical and health policy in Texas.  She has been actively involved in the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) in the past few years where she has worked with other medical professionals on efforts to shape the state’s medical laws.

"I coauthored resolutions on increasing insurance coverage for gynecologic oncology and women’s representation in clinical research, which were passed through TMA," she said. These resolutions influence TMA's official policies and guide advocacy efforts with the state legislature.

Cascella said her passion for policy stems from her belief in systemic change.

"Being involved in policy writing as a medical student has shown me how impactful organized medicine can be," she said. "I hope to continue this work throughout my career."

Cascella said that pursuing two rigorous graduate degrees simultaneously is challenging mentally and financially, but the Baptist Health Foundation Scholarship she was awarded as a school of public health student has alleviated some of the financial burden.

"The scholarship has been incredibly beneficial, allowing me to focus on my studies and fully engage with educational opportunities without the stress of finances," she said.

The support has not only empowered Cascella academically but also reinforced her desire to serve south Texas communities.

"I hope to make a meaningful impact on healthcare in south Texas, across the state, and maybe one day the country through policy or community health initiatives," she said.

While she remains open to various specialties, Cascella’s interests currently include obstetrics and gynecology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and dermatology. Whatever medical specialty she lands in, she said she plans to incorporate public health into her future career, blending patient care with broader healthcare improvements.

Cascella said she is grateful for the support she has received and the opportunity to start a career in medicine and health.

"I truly appreciate the Baptist Health Foundation for enabling me to pursue my degrees to the fullest and work toward a career that will benefit communities on a larger scale," she said.