My Clinical Experience Essay

I have experienced and observed depths of poverty that have made me sensitive to the less-privileged. Due to poor health education and understaffing at our ill-equipped clinic, I lost my mother to an asthmatic attack. Additionally, I assisted in caring for two asthmatic siblings and a hypertensive father. During an episode, I felt helpless and assisted in paper bag breathing or scrambling to find medications. Rushing a loved one to the hospital was fruitless as we were mostly sent back home either due to financial reasons or shortage of clinicians. My experiences shaped my consciousness of health and loss. It has taught me to empathise and identify with a family?s struggles with health care and the stress of supporting a sick loved one. My

She also discussed her struggles of being a single mother, unemployed and a high school dropout. I deduced from the conversations that she lacked the resources to afford her medications. The clinic took steps to provide prescription assistance. This experience emphasised the importance of communicating, listening to patients, working in a team and how poverty and education critically impact healthcare. Consequently, as a nursing school instructor, I have used my clinical observations to explain scientific concepts better. Physicians' roles transcend beyond just treating or managing diseases. They are also leaders, teachers, researchers, innovators and mediators. In America, I became aware of the lack of minority professionals to serve as positive role-models. Thus, as the only Black graduate student in my department and a New York Cares volunteer, I used the opportunity to mentor and motivate younger at-risk minorities to seek to be useful contributors to society and to embrace the work needed to achieve those goals. For instance, I mentored Delois, an inner city kid who through our interactions expressed uncertainty about pursuing a college