As a student who wants to attend medical school and is passionate about social determinants of health, being a Volunteer Intern for Crossroads Health Center is the perfect opportunity. Thankfully, this is not the first time I have worked directly with patients. I work as a Certified Research Assistant in the Emergency Department at UCMC and have been helping patients for three years now. So, starting at Crossroads sounded like it was going to be a pretty similar experience and something that would be easy to navigate. However, when I started as an intern, I had to work remotely and it was a pretty difficult experience. In general, I love talking with people and I especially love sitting and chatting with patients because they always have interesting stories to share. When I learned that I would not be able to be in person for my first rotation, I was a bit upset, but quickly adjusted to working from home. Now, I am grateful to be doing my second rotation in person at the OTR location, working with other interns who are also passionate about being a big resource to patients.
My interest in the public health field is one that has been around since before I started college, but my work with Crossroads has only strengthened my passion to explore the field further. Between Crossroads and my job, I get to work with patients who are actively facing barriers to healthcare, something that I hope to improve both now and in the future. When I am able to work with a patient to resolve these barriers, the outcome is very rewarding. Not only does it put a smile on their face, but it makes me happy knowing that I truly made a difference in someone else's life.
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