Nuzhat A. Chalisa, MD | Effective Writing for Health Care
Nuzhat A. Chalisa, MD is a practicing clinical endocrinologist. As a diabetes and obesity specialist, Dr. Chalisa treats patients at the Channahon Healthcare Center of Morris Hospital in Illinois. Her passion for educating others on diabetes and weight loss topics fostered her initial love for writing. These interests brought her to the Effective Writing for Health Care program, where she is a current participant. We recently spoke to Dr. Chalisa about her experiences with the Effective Writing for Health Care Program.
Can you tell us about your background?
My interest is in diabetes. I do a lot of community work. About five years ago, I founded a diabetes nonprofit. Through this experience, I began writing blogs. My local newspaper featured my work on related diabetes and endocrine topics. I then wrote a paper on disparities in diabetes management, which got published in a small journal.
As someone with a background in medicine and not academia, I did not expect to get published. I know diabetes content very well, but I never thought of myself as a writer. I decided to pursue writing further after I had a few more papers published.
After the initial publications, I started writing a book last February. When I saw the this program, I thought, ‘I know that I love this.’ I am not going to stop writing after finishing my book. I want to pursue this career.
Can you tell us what you are hoping to achieve by taking this program?
Effective Writing for Health Care is a great program. My writing is already improving. Right now, we are learning basic writing principles. It’s hard. If you are not a writer with an English literature background, it can be challenging.
My goal is to obtain guidance on how I can reach the mainstream media. I want to write more books. Now that we have completed the first part of the program, I am looking forward to the Writing for the Public Trackcurriculum. I want to learn more in this area.
What is your experience with the Effective Writing for Health Care Program?
Joining a program with an institution like Harvard, you expect the ‘best of the best’ to be there. Yet, I am surprised at how humble the faculty are. They are very down-to-earth; they come to your level. You almost feel they are your friends. It makes you feel very comfortable asking questions. For myself and my peers, it feels that we are building a direct connection with the faculty.
It is a lot of fun to work with people from all over the world. You develop a global perspective while building connections with like-minded people who are working and learning the same topics.
I would recommend this program to anyone working towards building a writing career. It is especially good for people who don't have a writing background or don't have the needed support to pursue a writing career. I am looking forward to learning great things from this program. I am hoping to leave with increased confidence in my writing and new friendships.
Learn more about Effective Writing for Health Care.