Student combines majors to study social side of medicine
When Gaybrielle James, ’09, came to Richmond she was already interested in women’s issues and the social components of medicine, so it was a natural fit for her to double major in sociology and women, gender and sexuality studies. The pre-med program and Women Involved in Living and Learning helped her tie all the pieces together.
What was your most significant academic experience at Richmond?
Well, the project that had the most impact on me was definitely the gender action project I did as a part of the Women Involved in Living and Learning (WILL) program. In the spring of my first year, I was part of a group of three that decided to focus on domestic violence. Specifically, we looked at the case of De’Nora Hill, a University of Richmond senior who was stalked and then killed by her ex-boyfriend in December of 2005. We started by investigating how various stalking cases were documented in Virginia legislation, but the project really grew from there.
The directors of the WILL program helped us connect with several Virginia delegates as well as others from the General Assembly. We wanted to try and re-formulate the stalking laws in Virginia—to enact a harsher penalty for the offense. Stalking is a misdemeanor and we wanted to introduce a bill that would make it a felony. We collected over 1,500 signatures on a petition to support this bill.
What made this project particularly meaningful for you?
For one thing, we were working with De’Nora’s mother. Because stalking and domestic violence legislation is something she obviously feels passionately about, we came to feel passionate about it as well. After the bill had been introduced and was moving through the House, I actually had the opportunity to speak in front of the General Assembly about raising awareness of the issue. In the end, unfortunately, the bill wasn’t passed because of its fiscal impact—increasing the penalty for stalking would mean increased jail time for those convicted. With the economy already beginning to decline, it just was not feasible to extend prison sentences. Even though the outcome was disappointing, the experience was incredible.
The whole process unfolded over two and half years of my college career, so it made a big impact on me and my time at Richmond. Just recently, our group got together with De’Nora’s mother for lunch and we spoke to WILL’s directors about encouraging underclass women to take on the project.
You have a pretty interesting mix of academic disciplines. How did they all come together?
I’ve wanted to be a doctor ever since being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 13. The experience of being a patient motivated me to want to help others. When I got to Richmond I was really glad to find out that you don’t have to be a traditional science major in order to participate in the pre-med program—it allowed me the freedom to be able to explore my other academic interests.
I was drawn to women, gender and sexuality studies (WGSS) and the WILL program after going to an all-girls high school and enjoying a lifetime of inspiration from the strong women in my family. After taking a few sociology classes, I was really able to see how WGSS and sociology intersect, especially since a lot of classes are cross-listed between the two majors. So essentially, I was able to get a biological and physiological understanding of medicine from the science classes in the pre-med program and a social understanding of medicine thanks to my two majors.
Were there any particular classes where everything came together for you?
In my senior year I took medical anthropology with Dr. Jennifer Nourse. That class was such a great fit for me because it factored sociological issues into medicine.
What’s on the horizon after graduation?
I’m going to take a year off before med school and do research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Specifically, I’ll be looking at the health disparities in cancer patients and investigating the cultural, social and economic factors within the healthcare system that influence the well being of some patients over others. I’m excited about this research because it’s exactly the field that I’m interested in.
I’m planning on taking the MCATs in the early fall, which will, hopefully, mean I’ll be starting med school in the fall of 2010. I’d like to pursue a medical career that focuses on women. I’m really looking forward to seeing the ways that all my majors will influence me once I’m out in the real world.