My Experience With Underserved

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As the pickup truck drove down the dusty road through the dense thick scrubs, those of us sitting on the open back of the truck cautiously avoided the thorns from the bushes as we made it back to the local clinic. I was in my third year of medical school and had just embarked on a medical mission trip to Nigeria. We had merely arrived at the clinic when a young woman who had just trekked one mile from a nearby village came in with her 11-month old infant. She appeared severely dehydrated, and was barely producing sufficient breastmilk. Her daughter also appeared malnourished and lethargic. As I held the baby in my arms and administered some homemade oral rehydration solution, I was intrigued at the sense of connection I shared with this baby …show more content…

Every encounter reminded me of the challenges and rewards of a family doctor. Over the next few weeks, we treated people of all ages. One lady was diagnosed with PCOS and was started on hormonal therapy, while some group of young adults were gathered in a separated room receiving a health talk on STD prevention. Reminiscing on my experience, I developed a growing desire to care for the underserved population. My medical training and life experience growing up, both contributed to my decision. To achieve this, I intend to be their advocate, guiding them on the right path to making informed decisions, listening to them, communicating effectively and breaking down complex medical concepts into simpler terminologies that they could …show more content…

Living in different regions of the world such as west africa, the caribbean and now the united states, I have great appreciation for different cultures. I have learned that each culture has its own language and meaning, and that being culturally sensitive to various body languages, tone or gestures can define how we view health, communicate and make health decisions. In my role as the lead student in my family medicine rotation, I was constantly in communication with the attending physicians and students, preparing rotation schedules, and assigning presentation topics. As I worked with my peers, I not only gained leadership skills but also interpersonal skills. This role showed me the importance of teamwork in

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