#theVIPExperience Post #32: Cornelius Kish

Being an intern at Crossroad Health Center has been an eye opening experience for me and has given me valuable insight into the healthcare system. As someone who grew up in an underserved environment and plans on working with the underserved, Crossroad provides a great opportunity to gain experience with this community. When I first applied for the internship at Crossroad I had no idea what to expect from the program, as I had no prior experience aside from shadowing, but every shift I am thankful for the opportunity to make a difference.

When I began working at Crossroad my view on the healthcare system was solely based off the physician-patient interaction that I had seen from shadowing. However, as the months have passed, I have realized how important following up and scheduling is to the maintenance of patient healthcare. Crossroad VIP’s play an important role in this process by helping to relieve some of the burden for patients through handling referrals.  Without the help of VIP’s following up, some patients would not be seen and get the help that they need. Along with making a positive impact on the community, Crossroad has allowed me to develop my patient communication skills and learn how to utilize programs like Athena and NextGen, which are experiences normally not seen during shadowing.

I am grateful for the experiences I have had during my time interning at Crossroad. Throughout my time I have learned a lot about the healthcare system and how much of a necessity healthcare is in underserved communities. I look forward to the new learning experiences in my following rotations and making an impact in the community that Crossroad serves as well as utilizing these lessons in my future with medicine.

    

                                                                                                                  -- CJ Kish