My experience at Crossroad has
allowed me to see healthcare in a new light. My experience, as with most
undergraduate students interested in healthcare, has centered around shadowing
physicians in medical offices and hospitals located in suburban settings. While
there is a lot to learn from these experiences, these experiences alone can
distort the reality of healthcare. Future healthcare providers should be open
to treating and managing the health of patients of all backgrounds, especially
including all socioeconomic backgrounds. I would argue that restricting our
shadowing and healthcare experience to areas where a majority of patients are
middle to upper class creates an unrealistic expectation for us as future healthcare
professionals.
Without experiencing the health
issues of areas where patients don’t always have easy access to emergency rooms
or preventative health care, we create an expectation that patients always have
the ability to seek help when they need it. The patients at Crossroad have
opened my eyes to the need for better healthcare options that exists in
underserved areas such as OTR. The
obstacles that clinics have to overcome has not only shocked me but amazed me
as well. But it’s worth it because the effort we put forward as volunteers,
nurses, MAs, and providers is reciprocated by the gratitude of our patients.
For me, this has been the first
healthcare experience where I am actively making a difference in the lives of
our patients. Crossroad has given me the opportunity to be part of team who is
working to slowly change the overall of health of our community. Even though I
have a lot more to learn about patient care, and health management, I have been
able to get my feet wet. I have been able to regularly practice my
communication skills with patients, which is an opportunity that is not readily
available as an undergraduate student. I have learned about the documentation
process, helped patients in the clinic, and shadowed physicians.
The amount of caring individuals
that work at Crossroad is hard to find anywhere, let alone in a healthcare
setting. I am grateful for my experience at Crossroad, and hope to learn more
as I finish my second rotation and move into my third. I would recommend anyone
to become a volunteer at Crossroad but I would especially encourage any
students who are interested in the medical field. I think you should expand
beyond just shadowing and immerse yourself in the clinical experience. I
challenge my fellow students to find opportunities like Crossroad (though they
are pretty rare) where you can work with others to create a difference in the
health of your community. Because ultimately, being a VIP at Crossroad is not
just about shadowing or scheduling referrals. It is about accepting our
responsibility to create opportunities for people to manage and improve their
health.
-- Akhil Kavuri
No comments:
Post a Comment