Before attending Harvard Medical school, writing articles for Forbes, TODAY, CNN, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, even prior to being the name behind her upcoming book, The 5 Resets, Dr. Aditi Nerurkar was just a high school student roaming the halls of Lower Moreland High School. In the words of legendary Dr. Nerurkar, “Lower Moreland was and continues to be so instrumental in my life as it laid the groundwork and foundation for everything that followed.”
Nothing short of an incredible inspiration, Dr. Aditi Nerurkar is one of Lower Moreland’s finest. On December 23, 2023, I was granted the tremendous opportunity to interview her. I reached out to Dr. Aditi to ask her how Lower Moreland sculpted her impressive career and how it can inspire current students.
Starting our interview, I asked Dr. Aditi how Lower Moreland set her up for her career today:
“I think just being in that school district (Lower Moreland) academically, it really set the groundwork for me in college and beyond, but also in the social, emotional, developmental sphere. […] I have made some of my best friends for life from Lower Moreland. These friends have had a place in my heart since the age of six, and I have to thank Lower Moreland for all of it.” Dr. Aditi continued, “Lower Moreland also taught me how to think big. The environment is such an inclusive, open-minded community in terms of interests and fostering those interests, which is real life. It was just such a beautiful, magical experience, and I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience in Lower Moreland. It really has a sense of community and belonging.”
Continuing our conversation, I asked Dr. Aditi why she agreed to do this interview with me, and she replied:
“Because Lower Moreland has such an important and cherished place in my heart, a very sacred experience that I went through, and for a younger student, the next generation wanting to talk to me, it is a way for me to pay it forward by inspiring the next generation because the future belongs to them. It was simply a no-brainer for me because I love Lower Moreland and look for ways to give back, so this was just a small way to contribute to the greater good of what the community has done for me over the years, my childhood, and my upbringing.” Dr. Aditi added, “Lower Moreland is going to be the springboard for you to do all of the great things you are going to do in this world.”
My next question consisted of asking Dr. Aditi how each of her jobs shaped her career today, to which she answered:
“I am a doctor, and I am also someone who works in media for medical TV correspondent work, and I am also a health communicator. I am also a forthcoming author of my first book, which will be out this January called, The 5 Resets, which communicates the message of rewiring your brain for less stress and more resilience.” She continued, “I started off my career in clinical medicine, seeing patients, and now I mostly teach medical students. I do mostly speaking and health communication work through on-air-television work, writing, podcasting, etc. and I am so thankful that each one of my jobs consists of new learning experiences, helping me with each new step in my career.”
I was curious about Dr. Aditi’s new book, The 5 Resets and its origins: “My work, my expertise, is stress, burnout, mental-health, and resilience, and I am an internal medicine physician, so I have seen many patients with diverse mood disorders and mental health conditions. I also have a specialization in integrative medicine, which I have done research for through Harvard Medical School to study the mind and body connection; I strongly believe that mental health is health. Therefore, my work centers around this idea of decreasing the stigma and taboo surrounding mental health, while understanding that stress and burnout impact each one of us and no one is immune, and it is something that we all need to focus on, especially within a community. I really want to shine a light on mental health since it is an immense priority in my work, and this book, I hope, will help people have in their hands practical, actionable tools that they can bring into their life. I can only hope that anyone can bring the five resets, which are five simple mindset shifts, into their life, including fifteen science-backed strategies which are also offered in the book, to really transform their relationship with stress and burnout. The more light we shine, the smaller the shadow.”
My next question was how it felt to build this incredible career, alone, from scratch. Dr. Aditi quickly replied:
“It is interesting because I do not think that I have been alone. I think every single thing I have done, whether it be going to medical school, this book, or really anything, I do not believe that people can do big things alone, and it requires a group effort. Particularly with this book, The 5 Resets, I am the author of the book, and have written this book; however, my patients have played a HUGE role in helping me shape this book with their stories, my wonderful team that has helped to amplify the book, endorsements from my heroes including Katie Couric, Bobbi Brown, Ariana Huffington, so no one does it alone. I might be the face and the name, but there is an immense team of people who have helped bring The 5 Resets into the world, and I am so indebted to them for that.”
Before concluding the interview, I asked Dr. Aditi who her role model was:
“Great question. I would say off the cuff I think of my dad. I would not say I only have one role model because I continue to be a life-long learner as I try to learn from every single person that I meet because I believe that every single person has something teach you, whether it be on the professional or personal front. My dad is someone I really admire. He is approaching 80, and his zest for life and his youthfulness is just unbelievable. He is doing wonderful things in the world and giving back in ways that I hope that I can do at his age. I really admire how he enjoys life. He has such a big heart. He is also a Doctor and has accomplished so much in his life, yet he is able to connect with every person, making them feel so special. I just love that trait about him. He is just one person who I deeply, deeply admire. However, aside from my dad, I think that I have a lot of role models, so it is very tough for me just to pick one because I know that every person can teach someone something about life, self, the world, etc.” Dr. Aditi continued to explain, “I am always a sponge when it comes to other people as I am a lifelong learner and a forever student.”
To conclude our interview, I asked Dr. Aditi what advice she has to offer high school students today:
“Hold on to your childhood for as long as you can. I know that high school is a time of a lot of pressure and particularly with your generation with social media, a sense of F.O.M.O., and what everyone else is doing; however, as much as you can, hold on to your childhood, feel a sense of feeling centered in who you are. Be proud of who you are. You have the rest of your life to see what the world holds for you, and to grow up and be an adult, so for now, hold onto that sense of innocence, wonder, and play. Just explore. You do not need all the answers to life, nor the solutions to every problem. Time is precious, so cherish it.”
In conclusion, I would personally like to thank Dr. Aditi Nerurkar. Thank you for bringing so much light to our lives, and trying to reduce the darkness in this wild world. I am so proud of your immense accomplishments. I look forward to seeing your name on more books. We will always be cheering you on here in Lower Moreland. Thank you for everything.
Additionally, if you would like to check out Dr. Aditi’s up and coming book, The 5 Resets, please visit her website via the hyperlink. Enjoy!
