FIQWS Digital Portfolio Assignment

Introduction

Interviewer: We’re here today with Priya Chacko, a U1 freshman at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. She completed her FIQWS portfolio for the fall semester and we’ll hear about how that went.

Priya Chacko: Thank you so much for having me. The portfolio was a LOT of work, but it was so rewarding! It’s something I’m so proud of, combining both my personal and professional interests. Seeing the progression between my first and final drafts was something so gratifying to see.

Interviewer: It sure was! So tell me Priya, your first assignment was “The Outside Narrative.” Tell us about the writing process and what you got from it.

Priya Chacko: I originally had so many ideas for the project, but nothing remotely related to the topic I wrote about my brother who has autism. But none of my original topics stuck with me. It was only when I saw my BIO 101 lab book all scribbled upon by my brother, that I knew what to write about. See, I was used to my brother writing all over my homework and on important documents since this happened for years, but a lot of my friends were puzzled about my scribbled-upon lab book. The Outside Narrative let me put the readers into my shoes when I learned the truth about my brother’s antics and condition. I let myself initially seem like an outsider and slowly shifted this role away from me to my brother (Chacko, In His Shoes: Understanding Autism in My Family). The narrative assignment helped me make peace with my brother’s actions and reminded me about how people deal with stress. 

Interviewer: It was an eye-opening personal piece, that I feel like many readers that have loved ones diagnosed with autism can relate to. The next assignment you had was your metaphor essay. I know that you like to infuse metaphors throughout your writing. How did you handle this assignment and is there anything you wished you did differently?

Priya Chacko: If I’m being honest, this was the assignment I struggled with the most. Even though I like to use metaphors throughout my writing, I found this task challenging. It took me a while to find a topic I resonated with while also finding a compatible metaphor. It was only when I grasped the political climate of the United States, especially during an election year combined with learning about the apathy of voting among the youth that I knew what to write about. I decided to write about the power of one’s vote using hives and herds as metaphors (through individualistic thinking vs groupthink). However, choosing this topic made the assignment more challenging as I had to extensively research the U.S. voting system to establish and support my argument (Chacko, Beyond the Crowd: The Weight of a Single Vote). However, this diligence allowed me to learn more about the U.S. political system which was especially helpful as a first-time voter. The only thing I wished I had done differently was giving me a little more time for the researching and writing process especially since it was on a topic I was not initially familiar with.

Interviewer: I see, it looked like a lot of work was put into writing that assignment. I recommend that all young people eligible to vote read the essay to learn more about their power. Your next assignment was your “Critical Lens” essay, which I definitely can tell you had a lot of fun with. What inspired you to choose your lens and target and what do you think your reader can get out of it? 

Priya Chacko: This was the assignment I enjoyed the most. I initially decided that I wanted to study the history of coquettism with the quest narrative as my lens but then became frustrated over the lack of sources on this topic. But then I realized that the book series I recently reread, The Folk of the Air by Holly Black, combined with Lennard Davis’ Constructing Normalcy was the perfect subject for me to write about. The main character in this series was the most interesting I read of, with her character arc being phenomenal. Being able to analyze it through questioning what normalcy was in her society, brought out a lot of enjoyable social critique while also being able to tie in Sophie Davis’ mission. Through this assignment, I truly understood how essential diversity was within society seen through the protagonist’s contributions to her kingdom (Chacko, Critical Lens Essay: Exploring Normalcy and Disability within Fantasy). 

Interviewer: Wow! That sounds like some serious dedication was put in and you sound really happy with your work. Now your last assignment was definitely the most extensive. Walk us through your writing process for the Research assignment, including how you chose your topic and executed the assignment.

Priya Chacko: Reflecting on my previous assignment before the research project, I realized I gravitated toward disability and politics, especially after doing the invention assignment. This has been a major topic within my household, with gaining the necessary resources for my brother who has autism. I decided to write a specific time when I saw this affect my family for part one of my assignment. Then I had to do the source report which was by far the most difficult part in this whole assignment. Reading and analyzing court cases, peer review sources, and media forms, and connecting it all to a lens is not for the weak. However, when I got that done, part two of the research project became much easier as I was reworking my source report to fit the assignment criteria. I learned a lot about autism-based politics which is crucial so that I may learn what the future holds for my brother and my family. Part three of my reflection became an outlet for what I felt after conducting and writing my research report (Chacko, The Narrative Shift of Autism-based Policies). I felt very accomplished in the work I put in and I know it will help me in navigating what is going to come in the future.

Interviewer: That sounds incredible, Priya! Your portfolio is truly a reflection of what you stand for as well as a visual evolution of your understanding of narrative medicine. These written assignments will surely make you a compassionate future physician. Thank you for being here today!

Priya Chacko: It was a pleasure to be part of your interview. FIQWS was one of my favorite classes this semester, and it changed my understanding of narrative medicine. 

Works Cited
Chacko, Priya. “Beyond the Crowd: The Weight of a Single Vote.”  2024. The City College of New York, unpublished paper.
—. “Critical Lens Essay: Exploring Normalcy and Disability within Fantasy.”  2024. The City College of New York, unpublished paper.
—. “In His Shoes: Understanding Autism in My Family.”  2024. The City College of New York, unpublished paper.
—. “The Narrative Shift of Autism-based Policies.”  2024. The City College of New York, unpublished paper.