#theVIPexperience Post #195: Sofia Stitz

 

    "When I first heard about the Crossroad Volunteer Internship Program, I knew right away that it was something I wanted to make a part of my undergraduate experience as a pre-medical student at the University of Cincinnati. I am an out of state student, so was eagerly looking for a way to get involved and give back to the Cincinnati community. I knew the Crossroad Volunteer Internship program would be a way for me to both give back to the Cincinnati community along with gain experience within in a clinical setting. As aspect of medicine which you are not frequently exposed to as a pre-medical student is what happens in the follow up after the patient's initial appointment. In general when shadowing a physician, you frequently are only exposed to the patient and their diagnosis in the room at the moment. Prior to volunteering at Crossroad Health Center, I never understood exactly what happened after the patient left the room regarding insurance and referral appointments, especially with patients of which are either uninsured or from low-income households. With that being said, being a Volunteer Intern at Crossroad Health Center taught me how to scheduled referral appointments, deal with insurance, and help make healthcare as accessible as possible to all patients who need care.

    The population at Crossroad Health Center makes volunteering an extremely heart warming and special experience. I am grateful to have the ability to help those from low-income populations have the most accessibility to healthcare. As a VIP, I have had opportunities to scheduled referral appointments for patients, schedule transportation to appointments for patients, and assist patients with finding alternative offices which accept their insurance plans. Not only have I learned the 'behind the scenes' of healthcare, but I have also learned many new medical terminology and conditions from patient charts and files. Overall, my time as a VIP at Crossroad Health Center has been extremely fulfilling, and I am looking forward to my future semesters!"