Personal Statement: My Experience In Public Health

One year ago, I was given a life changing opportunity to intern at San Ignacio Community Hospital in San Ignacio, Belize. Each day brought something new: a man limping towards the emergency room with a deep shin laceration after a machete fight, mothers and their children waiting to be evaluated by a pediatrician for the first time, and numerous teen women who would soon be in delivery with no previous prenatal care. Patients traveled miles by foot, bike, or taxi to be seen at the hospital every day and we worked until all were cared for. Consequently, I witnessed how a public health system functions in a rural, considerably underserved community. Throughout my time in San Ignacio, I worked with a variety of health care professionals from different backgrounds while researching the country’s greatest health

As an undergraduate earning degrees in biological sciences and clinical laboratory science, I gained invaluable experience in both clinical and laboratory settings. One summer, I volunteered at The Sharing Clinic, one of the few student-staffed and managed clinics in the nation, and provided health care to underserved populations in south Omaha, Nebraska. Patients seen at The Sharing Clinic demonstrate financial need by meeting all of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. While there, I drew patients’ blood to screen for diabetes, high cholesterol, and other suspected conditions so patients could receive appropriate education and treatment. Additionally, I volunteered at their affiliate site, The Respect Clinic, and provided patients with confidential testing and treatment for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. I learned firsthand how social and economic factors contribute to the public health profile of a community and how they influence health inequity within the United