During my freshman year of college, I joined the pre-med student association, and at one of our first meetings, I learned about the different opportunities in Cincinnati that I could participate in as a student interested in a career in a healthcare related field. I learned about the Crossroad Volunteer Internship program, and I thought it would be a great program, as someone interested in but not familiar with healthcare, for me to join.
During one of my shifts at Crossroad, one of the physicians asked me to help schedule multiple referrals for a patient, referrals that had been made a couple months prior during a time the interns had been out of the clinic for an extended period of time due to break. I stepped into the patient’s room, and it was clear to me the patient was upset. I assured the patient I would do the best I could to get the referrals scheduled after our time meeting. It can, at times, be daunting to see the large amount of referrals that are made. This interaction, however, instilled in me the impact this program has in helping patients get access to adequate care. This program has taught me about the barriers to healthcare, including insurance, access to transportation, or communication, as interns must take into account all of these points in reaching out to patients and scheduling appointments. Being a year long, this program has also enabled me to establish relationships at Crossroad and meet other students in similar aspirations.
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