LBN Alumni Interview: Dhanvin Raj Puppala
Source: Unsplash (@digitalmike)
Ever wonder about the story behind one of the hundreds of Learning Buddies Network (LBN) volunteers, and how their involvement with the organization has impacted their life? In our LBN Alumni Interview series, we are uncovering just that! On June 9th, we had the pleasure of chatting with Dhanvin Raj Puppala about his life experiences, time with LBN, and his career trajectory!
Introduction
Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself?
Dhanvin moved from British Columbia, Canada, to Ireland to pursue a career in medicine and is currently a second-year medical student. He has been involved with LBN for the past 3 years and has volunteered as a Reading Mentor, Program Coordinator (PC), Executive Coordinator (EC), and Recruitment Team member at LBN. In his spare time, he dabbles in a wide range of activities – reading scientific journals and biographies, sailing, diving, painting, and playing chess!
How did you discover LBN, and why did you decide to join?
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented Dhanvin from exploring many volunteering opportunities during high school, which quickly posed a problem when medical school applications opened up. His career advisor directed him to LBN, and while he was initially drawn in by the convenience of a virtual volunteering opportunity, he quickly found himself resonating with LBN’s mission.
This connection was deeply personal, as Dhanvin’s parents were first-generation immigrants. Having “watched them struggle with learning a new language,” he sought to mitigate this issue in newer generations. Furthermore, with his experience as a cadet instructor, he realized a passion for helping others. “I don’t like to capitalize on any of the knowledge or resources I have,” Dhanvin explains. “I felt that LBN was a good way of transitioning what I’ve discovered and what I’ve learnt down to … future generations, so they don’t struggle when they’re at my stage.”
LBN-Focused
What were your favourite memories as an LBN volunteer?
“Two things,” Dhanvin answers. “Discovering the impact I could have on buddies, and being in leadership positions where I could mentor other volunteers.”
During his time as a mentor, Dhanvin recalls how one of his buddies struggled with a learning disability, which hindered their ability to focus. As a result, Dhanvin ensured he poured extra time into tailoring the buddy’s learning experience. When the end of the term rolled around, the buddy’s parents expressed their gratitude to him, as his teaching strategies left a large positive impact on their child’s learning. “I felt really happy when they told me about the progress their child made with the strategies I provided,” Dhanvin remembers. “As a 15-year-old, I didn’t know I could have such an impact on someone.”
When he began taking on leadership positions, such as a Program and Executive Coordinator, he found fulfillment in guiding new volunteers. Mentors would often reach out to him, seeking advice on how to approach a problem or teaching methods. He fondly reflects that he “had the privilege to transition the experiences and knowledge he had to help volunteers.”
Did you ever encounter any challenges as a Mentor and/or Coordinator? If so, how did you overcome them?
In his first few days as a Mentor, Dhanvin shares that he felt lost with the organization of resources and materials. As a result, he reached out to his Coordinators, who taught him how to navigate the Google Drive with ease. Dhanvin states that “it didn’t feel like that big of a problem because I had such good support from LBN.” Additionally, Dhanvin acknowledges how LBN’s Staff, who were always willing to help him with any problems that came up, made him feel a part of a “tight-knit community, where I was never lost.”
After transitioning to leadership roles, Dhanvin quickly encountered a new struggle – Mentor engagement. “When people signed up, they dropped out really quickly. They wouldn’t be able to commit to the hours or the days,” Dhanvin explains. He adapted to the situation by re-evaluating mentor-buddy pairings and adjusting how he would structure sessions; however, he notes how there was “not much he could do on his end.”
One solution he implemented was to be clear on the expectations of the role through phone call and confirm their commitment, before he conducted an interview. Although this did not solve the engagement issue completely, it streamlined the interview process, and he was able to filter out Mentors who were less committed to the role. “Since it’s a volunteer organization, we can’t rely on mentors having 100% effort,” Dhanvin says. “We have to cultivate a culture where we’re engaging them and getting them involved.”
Outside of LBN
How do you think your experience with LBN has shaped your other endeavours, particularly in your journey to medical school?
“Tailoring approaches to individuals,” Dhanvin says. LBN’s one-on-one mentoring style taught him how to tailor his teaching style, a skill that aided him immensely when he began working at his hospital. In particular, Dhanvin highlights how, during his ward rounds, he adjusted his communication style, prescription style, room layout, and other aspects to each of his patients. He finds that his time with LBN has “honed this very translatable skill.”
Moreover, Dhanvin adds that he strengthened his leadership skills through his time at LBN. “I like how LBN creates a student-led environment,” Dhanvin highlights. “It gives students the taste of what a leadership role might look like – I was a PC when I was 16, 17.” He expands that developing leadership abilities also hones adjacent skills, such as communication, adaptability, and resilience. Dhanvin has translated these skills to his medical school endeavours, in which he currently stands as the class representative for First and Second Years. In this role, he delegates tasks and schedules meetings, and he thanks LBN for exposing him to leadership positions that allow him to succeed as a Representative.
Why did you decide to pursue medical school, and do you think LBN contributed to this?
“My dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I was 7,” Dhanvin recalls. He remembers seeing him endure the emotional burden of continuously going to the physician and taking medication. “It was really stressful, so I wanted to ensure that didn’t happen to others.” Another factor that contributed to this decision was his experience shadowing physicians and seeing a number of patients struggle with health issues, such as difficulty breathing or headaches. “I wanted to be involved in making a difference in someone’s life,” Dhanvin says.
He ties this back to his time in LBN, in which he learned how even small gestures can make a lasting positive impact on another person’s life. “People may come to a physician saying, ‘I’m struggling with joint pain,’ or whatever it might be. But the thing that could potentially improve their quality of life is seeing the person, talking to them, and just being heard.” Additionally, Dhanvin compares mentoring to the work a physician does. Similar to how a Mentor watches their Buddy grow and improve over time, a physician “sees a patient at their worst, and helps them improve to have a better outcome.”
Beyond
What do you think is the long-term value of mentoring?
Dhanvin says that “mentoring is the foundation of anything.” He emphasizes how, when you have access to a plethora of knowledge and information, you are obligated to translate it down to future generations – otherwise it will cease to exist. “For example, in Canada’s healthcare system, medical school graduates (residents) are mentored by an experienced doctor. You need to complete this in order to progress in your career,” Dhanvin elaborates. “We have procured so much knowledge, and we need to transition it down to others. That’s what progresses our society and community to being better.”
Another value Dhanvin extracted from mentorship is being an inspiration to others. In his case, he finds that people often approach him regarding his medical school journey, keen to learn about how he succeeded in his interviews and applications. Dhanvin is always willing to mentor and share his knowledge with others, due to his strong belief that information should be passed down from one generation to the next. “Mentorship is a cycle. You have to train your mentees and consider them as potential mentors for others.”
If you were to give advice to a current LBN mentor, what would you say?
“Stick to it and commit to it.” Dhanvin reminisces about how his only regret during his time with LBN was that he left the program earlier than he wanted to. He found it difficult to juggle his leadership roles with medical school applications, but ultimately thinks that he could have still dedicated a handful of hours out of his week to make a difference in someone else’s life.
“Treat the other person as human.” He highlights the importance of empathizing with them and considering their unique learning styles or experiences. “Your learning style may differ from your students’, so you need to gauge what their situation is.”
“Tailor your approach.” In medical school, Dhanvin’s philosophy is that if you are repeating your approach for every course, you’re doing something wrong. “I would encourage mentors to change their approach from a day-to-day, even hour-by-hour basis.” He reinforces this idea to ultimately discover what works best for the specific buddy.
“Professionalism.” Treating your Buddy with respect, dressing appropriately, having a proper camera set-up [for online programs], body language, and active listening – he believes these are all aspects that contribute to being professional. “Make sure you’re reflecting positive attributes of yourself onto your students, so that you can inspire them to follow suit.”
“Make your sessions fun and positive.” Dhanvin illustrates how no student wants to attend a session after 8 hours of schooling just to listen to a boring, unenthusiastic lecture. He encourages Mentors to interweave games, activities, and make use of online resources in order to make the session as interactive as possible. “I want my buddy to come back to sessions because they genuinely enjoy learning.”
Thank you, Dhanvin, for volunteering to take part in the LBN Alumni Series! It was a pleasure meeting you and learning more about your insightful volunteer, educational, and personal experiences. We wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours!