I've had some time to look back on my experience at Crossroad Health Center. The impact that I have made, the lives that I have touched, and the understanding I have gained regarding the gaps in healthcare. There is an aspect that rises above all and that is the people that I have met along this journey. From patients, to primary care providers, and the volunteers in the internship program all have made a significant impact on me personally and professionally.
The patients that I’ve interacted with taught me the importance of understanding and privilege. It has come to a point where patients have begun recognizing my voice and I’ve started building connections. It’s been a revelation how 10-20 minutes of my day could help improve someone else’s day by a tenfold. The patients you meet here at Crossroad Health Center show the most appreciation and gratification for the little things the volunteers complete. The primary providers have taught me to be selfless, passionate, and the fundamentals of advocating. They have begun to be a resource I can approach, whether it be advice, questions regarding a patient, or learning more about the health field. The volunteers have taught me how to be a leader, improving my communication skills, and team-working. These skills have helped me grow and change to be the person I am today; to become a leader in the health field. It has taught me my strengths and weaknesses and has helped me improve in ways I couldn’t have imagined. You find a group of people that share similar passion and goals here at CHC – people that help inspire and motivate you.
My experience at Crossroad Health Center has reassured me on my future goals. It has fortified my passion to pursue a career in the health field. It has guided me in learning about the reality of medicine and its gaps that I hope to bridge. I look forward to not only bridging this gap but also to inform others of the great opportunities Crossroad Health center has to offer.
For anyone who has searched for a way to make a direct impact, to help the community, or to learn more about a career in the health field I highly recommend Crossroad Health Center and the Volunteer Internship Program. It’s been the best decision of my college career and has helped me in ways I can’t fully express. YOU, the people reading this, are the reasons why the program continues to improve. New volunteers bring in ideas and have the power to make the change they wish to see – to put it into perspective the CVIP was created BY volunteers. The possibilities here at CHC are endless.
--Costina Luc
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