Honors Experiences

Women in Science and Engineering REWU Program

I have been able to learn so much as a 2021 WISE fellow. I interned in the department of Chemical/Biomedical Engineering and investigated the effect of lactic acid on the dehydration of the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of our skin). This experience served as my first exposure to wet lab research, and I was able to make connections to the material I read in books and how it translated to scientific research. Furthermore, being involved in a lab that encouraged interdisciplinary learning allowed me to make connections between medicine and engineering.

Apart from the lab research I participated in, I attended weekly workshops to learn more about interdisciplinary topics that affect research. One of the most impactful workshops I attended was the "gender bias in STEM". I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation regarding the role of identity and how that contributes to disparities found in STEM fields. This workshop made me more appreciative to be surrounded by women that have a common interest and grateful that I had a community to learn from!

My experience was wrapped up with a final presentation. This was a rewarding day because I was able to see myself and others in my cohort grow from the beginning of the internship. Though being involved in research is not my ultimate career goal, this internship provided me space to learn more about it as it is a vital aspect of science!

View my research report here!

Crossroad Health Center

I finished my final rotation as an intern at Crossroad Health Center located at Over the Rhine in Spring 2022. This has been an eye-opening experience as it enabled me to understand how community health centers are working towards addressing social determinants of health disparities. My first two rotations consisted of getting trained to schedule patient referrals and my third rotation allowed me the opportunity to pursue my own independent project.

In my second rotation, I was able to complete a blog post that summarized my experience in patient care:

When I first came into Crossroad, I had a vague understanding of what the term “community health” truly meant. By definition, it is the field of medical and clinical sciences that focuses on the maintenance, protection, and improvement of the health status among population groups and communities. With such a dense term and accounting for the various disparities patients face, (highlighted by the social determinants of health) I was unsure of how community health looks like in the scope of patient care.

As a second rotation VIP, I have been able to gain a better understanding of the work Crossroad Health Center does through my experience with obtaining patient availability in person and over the phone, sending reminder calls, learning about special cases through health providers, etc. All of these experiences have provided me with various opportunities to reflect on the role I want to play as an aspiring healthcare provider as well as create my own working definition of what community health means to me.

I have had a unique experience with every referral I have scheduled so far. Each referral has allowed me to contact different professionals within healthcare, learn about new diseases/tests/medical terminology, and take into account different circumstances the patient may face. These all have made it apparent that healthcare is not one-size-fits-all, in fact, it should not be.

To me, community health is taking into account that each community is different as well as the fact that each patient may belong in many different communities. Understanding the nuances between people and populations will help increase trust among people and the healthcare system, which in return improves the health status across various communities. Being able to create my own working definition of community health has been one of my most valuable takeaways from being a VIP at Crossroad Health Center.

My third rotation at Crossroad was special because I was able to get creative and pursue an independent project with my partner who was a fellow intern/friend. Our project involved creating dental hygiene coloring books for pediatric patients and organizing a dental drive. This experience was very valuable because it allowed me to reflect on social justice principles, understand dental hygiene issues in Cincinnati, and learn more about the work of Crossroad Health Center. Through this project, we were able to fundraise to create ~200 bags for Crossroad Health Center and their affiliated School-Based Health Centers!

Social Justice Awareness and Global Health Experiences Seminar

I knew that this was a course I wanted to enroll in because I have not come across many classes that allowed me to learn about social justice in healthcare in a classroom setting. I am glad I enrolled in this course because it ended up being my favorite course I have taken so far!

Highlights:

Learned about the work of distinguished public health professionals in our community
Understanding the role of local and global health
Explored global health ethics topics and being able to reflect on the work that I wish to do with the GlobeMed GROW internship as well as in my career
Our class worked with a community-based organization called Closing The Health Gap. The goal was to create a community project driven by the social justice principles we learned/reflected upon throughout the semester
Relating course topics with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
Taking an IDI assessment and debriefing
Starpower

My favorite part of the class was coming in every day excited to hear from my peers and learn from them! This class was very discussion and project-based which helped me expand my knowledge of social justice. Oftentimes, global health spaces tend to highlight global north voices, but it was interesting to be able to hear from a variety of perspectives through the assigned class reading.

Questions from this class I continue to reflect on in the spaces I am in:

- Which perspectives are in the conversation?

- Which perspectives are missing in the conversation? Why are they missing?

- Am I actively educating myself in the community I am working in through appropriate cultural immersion?

- How does the role of a healthcare professional influence community trust?

- What is my role in the depolarization of politics? The pandemic became political so it is important to engage in conversations with people from different perspectives. Being in an echo chamber is very counterproductive.

Most importantly, I feel empowered to be able to make a difference on a personal, local, and global level from this course.

BREAKTHROUGH CINCINNATI

As a teaching fellow, I received training and led classrooms for the subjects of Biology and Health Pathways. I enjoyed this experience because it allowed me to be creative, get involved in a cause that I am passionate about, and get experience working in education. I learned a lot about myself as I worked to become a positive role model for my students and advocated for them throughout the summer.

Though this experience is not directly related to patient care, my time at Crossroad Health Center taught me the importance of bringing healthcare to schools to increase preventative health measures. During my training, I learned about ACEs, DEI practices in the classroom, and ways to empower students to make a sustainable change. These are all values I plan to integrate into my patient relationships.

As I look toward the future, I plan to continue my passion for education. I am not sure what this entails (running community-based health education programs, teaching at a university, etc.), but I am blessed to experience something that has significantly shaped my leadership style and passions.

GlobeMed GrOW

The Grassroots Onsite Work internship is GlobeMed’s way of providing technical assistance and growing our relationship with our nonprofit Social Action for Children and Women. I co-led the internship project of collecting stories from migrant workers in the Phop Phra community. I have learned how disparities the migrant communities have faced affect the interviewees personally. This is through learning about their stories in refugee camps, navigating the healthcare system, employee relationships, etc. My favorite interview question was asking people what keeps them motivated. I was able to learn about what even drew them to their work in the first place and their hopes for the future.

Something I will remember from the experience was forging bonds and learning about the experiences of people from various backgrounds. Prior to the GROW trip, most of the non-profit contact was with a person named ATL, but during the experience I was able to build deeper relationships with the kids at SAW and the other staff. It is these types of connections that allow me to passionately do the work that I do!