The Reason Why

Well...I sure didn't utilize this during the summer... But here is one solid piece of writing from the summer:  My personal statement.
If I hadn't had a character limit, this could have been so much better, but here it is.


On May 8, 2010, my best friend passed away from a heart attack. To this day, I believe Bianca’s death could have been prevented on three accounts: an inviting relationship with her physician, education on side-effects and a culture of honesty. Having grown up with many elderly and ailing family members, I was familiar with feeling useless in health-related situations, but I was older now. I knew I could change the healthcare experience for thousands, if I worked hard and focused. Thus began my journey through the health field, at an urban health center, public health school, and a rural health department, to determine what role fit best. The conclusion I have reached is this: my mission in life is to bring people out of poverty by restoring the health of low-income, underserved communities as a primary care physician through prevention, healing and reconciliation.

I have always had a fascination for science and the human body, which only grew in college. Majoring in Chemistry satiated my need for details, and allowed collaboration with Biology classes to apply what I studied to health. During my tenure at North Park, I also learned how to better lead by working in teams, encouraging ideas and partnering with departments as Student Body President; how to press on when I received my lowest semester GPA; how to balance the stresses of family with academics; how to persevere while retaking two classes by learning more the second time; how to work with a diverse group of people, in ethnicity but also in interests and experience. Above all, I learned how to create and live in community. Bianca was vital to that community, and her passing further fueled medical pursuits. In her memory, I vowed to be a physician that women and girls could relate to and speak candidly with, to prevent deaths like hers.
Months after Bianca’s passing, I began an internship at Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC), engaging with the poor and sick through healthcare on the west side of Chicago. At LCHC, I met a 17-year old high schooler, with ambitions of studying creative writing, who was ready to yield her unborn baby. After hearing its’ heartbeat and seeing an ultrasound, she committed herself to giving her baby a chance at life. Journeying with her through her pregnancy was so exciting! Well into her second trimester, she came into LCHC weary one night; she had not felt the baby kick for 3 days. Remaining calm, Dr. Detmer and I watched the ultrasound for any movement – we saw none. I was horrified that we had to send her, on her own, to the hospital for more sophisticated technology to confirm what we believed to be true. My heart still aches for her and her need for healing. In that moment, I vowed to fight for my patients, and heal and support when I could. Experiencing medicine at LCHC opened my eyes to what healthcare can and should be. Their refuge of healing and wholeness addresses and integrates preventive care, nutrition, mental and spiritual healing, and fitness to bring wellness to Chicago. Still, I felt my internship at LCHC was merely scratching the surface of health and wellness, especially on the community level. I originally intended to apply to medical school for fall 2011, but God had bigger plans.

Fall 2011 found me pursuing my Masters in Public Health. Initially, I was overwhelmed by the possibilities of policy, Social Epidemiology, and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). A CBPR class taught me how to improve a community’s health through health education and collaborative research in partnership with NGO’s. It empowered me to seek a health education (HE) internship and take more HE classes this fall. I interned with District Health Department #10 (DHD) in rural, northwest Michigan, offering my expertise on data collection and analysis while learning the tenets of health education. Rural issues were unfamiliar to me, and although I had spent time in poor communities, I had never wrestled with the idea of poverty or what the mindset of someone in poverty was like. I saw the cycle aggravated by issues like health, employment, education, food, and housing. One client was in visibly good health, but could not find employment due to chronic pain and depression. Another, despite her need, explained what prevents her from seeking employment –lack of a GED and affordable childcare. Despite those barriers, she and a multitude of clients vocalized primary healthcare as their principal need. Many could not receive care because physicians did not accept their coverage, and far more could not because they lacked it. It pained me to not have the skills to provide care. Learning this solidified what I believe to be my role in the big picture of the healthcare system: a family practitioner for low-income communities.

My purpose is to prevent, heal and reconcile. Training to be a physician and learning how to deliver quality health care is my response to the injustice I see. I aspire to work at and open a FQHC, like LCHC, so I can meet the needs of the underserved, while working to break the cycle of poverty. My family, Bianca, LCHC, North Park, DHD and its clients, set me on this path; admission is not for my own success, but for the wellness of others

My summer residence...

God is sooo good!
I was blessed with the best of all internships and my #1 choice!
I'll be learning what my program doesn't cover -- real, community-level health department stuff.
Community-Needs Assessments...
Surveys...
Data analysis...
Summary reports.
I. am. stoked.

And where will this be taking place?

The beautiful beach town of Ludington, MI.

I'll be living with my grandmother - for many years of catch-up time.
And I'll have a beach in walking distance, hours to read, and great neighborhoods to go running through.

Repeat: I.am.stoked.

God heard my pleas and blessed me with this awesome future experience.