Performer Spotlight: - Gina Chang (Cello and Co-Founder)

MD-MPH Student

What is your connection to PennMedicine?

I'm in my final year of the MD-MPH program at Penn.

Why did you decide to study medicine and public health? 

I decided to study medicine because I wanted to help people on a one-on-one level. My aunt and uncle are both physicians and I really admired how they connected with their patients to make a profound impact on their lives. I also really enjoyed the science and logical nature of medicine. My decision to get a master's in public health was largely shaped by my experiences as a medical student working with patients in the hospital and clinic. While it was incredibly satisfying to learn to correctly diagnose, treat, and help individual patients, there were many patients for whom I felt like we weren't doing enough – larger issues of poverty, neighborhood violence, food insecurity, and unstable housing were preventing them from leading healthy lives. I wanted to learn more about these social determinants of health in the hopes of contributing to population-level change in the future. 

When will you graduate and what do you want to specialize in?

I will graduate in May 2020 and am currently applying for residency in Child Neurology.  

Why did you found the PMSO?

I played the cello in orchestras from elementary school through college, so when I got to med school, I found myself really missing both the actual music-making and community-building aspect of orchestra. During the first year of med school, a group of us would go to Philadelphia Orchestra concerts fairly regularly. After a particularly inspiring concert, we were reminiscing about how fun playing in orchestras had been and how much we missed it, only to realize that we could potentially start one of our own since Dan's a conductor. We sent out some emails to med students and faculty to gauge interest and got enough responses that we decided to go for it. 

Studying medicine must take a lot of time – why is being involved in the orchestra important to you? 

The orchestra has definitely been one of my favorite parts of medical school. Getting to see our idea take form and continue to grow has been incredibly rewarding, and it's so much fun to think of new directions to go. I love the diversity of the orchestra – our musicians come from so many different fields and levels of training, and I like that the orchestra setting removes any potential hierarchy and gives people a chance to just make music together. For me, music is one of the best ways to deal with stress – the two hours of orchestra rehearsal are a chance to forget about all of the other things I have to do and just focus on the music, so I always try to make time for it. 

Do you think music and healthcare can complement each other in anyway?

I definitely think that music and medicine complement each other – playing in an orchestra is very similar to working on a medical team. Both require teamwork – whether it's closed-loop communication in the hospital or breathing together and listening to each other in the orchestra – and individual commitment and practice.

How have you seen the PMSO change since it began in 2016?

PMSO has grown so much over the past 3 years, in terms of quality of playing, difficulty of music, and the number and diversity of musicians (we started with ~25 musicians and now are at over 60, from all across Penn/CHOP as well as Jefferson!). We've also started featuring soloists, established an advisory board to provide continuity and perspective, and have gotten the chance to work with musicians from other organizations like the Philadelphia Orchestra and Play On, Philly!.

What do you want the PMSO to look like in 5 years?

I hope that the PMSO continues to tackle more challenging repertoire, including newer pieces by contemporary composers and collaborating with a chorus or vocalists, and that we expand to include musicians from all of the medical institutions in Philadelphia. I would also love if PMSO could have more of a community and patient outreach component, by making our concerts more accessible to the general public (a different venue, live streaming to patient rooms, etc). 

Why should people come to the concert?

People should come to support our musicians who have worked so hard, juggling busy schedules, to create a night of beautiful music! What better way to celebrate the holidays than to listen to great music played by your colleagues, friends, and family?!

Interview with Gina Chang prior to the Fall 2019 concert. Published 12/07/2019