I was 15 years old and It was the summer before I would start highschool. I was filled with excitement—which didn’t last long—as it would soon be replaced with fear. This transformation happened on August 3rd—the day I learned that I had cancer. At this moment, I learned the value of a caring team of physicians as my fear was replaced with hope and trust. At my most vulnerable state, physicians helped lift me up both physically and emotionally. The outcome of my experience is one thing I am most grateful for in my life. Because of this, I wish to eventually help others through similar situations.
As I continue to learn and grow throughout my college career, I reflect on my experience in both a deeper level and in new ways. Recently, I recognized that preventive care is a privilege I was lucky to possess. Minorities experience many health disparities, one of which is less access to preventive care. When I reflected on this, I realized I was lucky to have caught the cancer early so it was easy to treat. This created a desire within me to work with underserved communities. I did not know about Crossroad Health Center until I heard a peer involved in the program mention it in passing. At that point I knew I wanted to become a part of the program and help to fulfill the mission.
During my first day shadowing at Crossroad, I watched as Dr. Roberts demonstrated to a patient how to use each one of her 4 inhalers. I have shadowed numerous family practices and never witnessed a physician go into as much detail and depth to ensure that a patient truly understood how to utilize their medication. This was the moment I realized how deeply Crossroad staff care about their patients. I look up to the staff and hope to possess the same traits as a physician one day. I am tremendously grateful to be a part of the volunteer internship program as It has been and continues to be one of my most transformative college experiences.
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