For me, working at Crossroad Health Center has been a fantastic experience. Before coming to Crossroad, I volunteered at UC Medical Center on the University of Cincinnati Eats Campus. I volunteered at UCMC for two years and worked in the Patient Relations and Patient Transportation departments, so I had much experience with patient interaction. So, when I heard about the work VIPs do as a volunteer at Crossroad Health Center, I was excited to branch out and learn about referrals. At first, I was apprehensive about speaking with patients and doctors over the phone. However, following the shift supervisor and my fellow VIPs made learning how to answer queries, arrange appointments, and transport patients quick and straightforward.
As a VIP, I improved on various transferable skills, the most significant of which was communication and humility—working as a VIP teaches you something new every week. You can learn about the healthcare process and barriers by speaking with patients. Because I am so fortunate, I never realized how difficult it is to book an appointment for someone who does not speak English as a first language or does not have access to transportation. You also learn about opportunities in health care advice on MCAT and medical school application through your interactions with fellow VIPs and medical professionals at Crossroad Health Center. One thing in particular which attracted me to Crossroad was its patient population demographics. I have never worked with underserved populations before, and Crossroad Health Center does a fantastic job giving that firsthand experience. As the name suggests, it is an internship program. At the end of the third rotation, VIPs shadow an MD and pick a project where they engage directly with the community and make a positive impact.
I am looking forward to my third rotation project and helping the local Cincinnati community.
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