CINCINNATI — When Saie Joshi graduated from Mason High School, she knew she wanted to be a doctor. But she never gave up another passion: her love of singing.

“Being an emergency room doctor, treating patients and doing what I’m really passionate about gives me a sense of purpose,” Joshi said. “But doing it on the side and making it flourish also fulfills me creatively.”

And this side job is flourishing.

Before the Bengals took the field for their final preseason game Thursday night, Joshi took off her white coat and grabbed the microphone, hoping to show young women of color that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

The third-year emergency medicine resident at UC Medical Center said she got the job after sending the Bengals a video. Just like when she was preparing to be a doctor, Joshi has been preparing for this evening, practicing at least once a week.

“It’s wild,” she said. “It’s one thing to sing when the Bengals are there, but it’s a whole other thing to sing for the whole community that basically raised me. So this is just going to be… it’s going to be wild.”

For her, this moment is the fulfillment of a dream. And she knows that she is setting a new tone and projecting a positive image for people like her.

“I think for women, especially since I saw the Barbie movie, I’m the doctor/singer Barbie, and that’s the message I want to convey to young women and young girls, especially women of color, that you can achieve anything,” Joshi said. “You can follow your passion… you can also be a great doctor at the peak of your career, but you can also have a softer side. You can also pursue artistic pursuits.”

And she’s showing off her artistic side to strangers and loved ones alike, as a huge crowd of family and friends – some of whom flew in from as far as India – came to see her shine.