NFHC Alumni Reflect on Their Choice to Serve A Year
Posted on: August 10, 2015Florida
There are a variety of reasons that individuals are drawn to apply to the North Florida Health Corps (NFHC) each year. The individuals that comprise this year’s NFHC come from a variety of academic and professional disciplines, and NFHC Alumni have continued on to pursue careers in a variety of fields.
NFHC member Viola Rose caught up with 2013-2014 NFHC Alumni Madeline Spahr and Michael Romaneli to discuss what led them to serve in the Health Corps, and how their experiences led them to pursue careers in medicine.
Why did you choose to serve in the Health Corps?
Madeline Spahr: I chose to serve in the North Florida Health Corps because I was interested in improving health care, health education, and access to health care in the United States. I also wanted to spend a year giving back to the community, and I am passionate about women’s health. I felt my service term with Healthy Start would provide valuable experience in that area.
What was the greatest challenge you encountered during your service term?
Michael Romanelli: The transition from student life to service life was a bit of a shock to the system for me. I feel
the NFHC provides a great opportunity to grow and develop as a person, but they definitely aren’t afraid to push you to perform at levels you didn’t know you could.
MS: It was challenging on a daily basis to remember the service I was doing was making a difference in the community. It was hard to see the short-term impact, making it easy to get discouraged.
What was your greatest triumph?
MS: The best part for me was connecting and forming relationships with patients over the course of their pregnancy and postpartum. I loved having the ability to discuss with patients their decisions in pregnancy and postpartum, advocate for them, and connect them to needed resources.
MR: The little things are what gave me the most pride and feeling of success, when the staff at UFCARES started seeing me as a peer and member of their team instead of “the AmeriCorps guy” was a triumph for me. Also, having the patients I was serving actually feel comfortable with me and open up to me was an incredible personal accomplishment and personal triumph.
In retrospect, what advice do you wish you would have received prior to or while serving in the NFHC?
MS: I would say to use your Corps members. There will be challenging parts of the year and they are a great support system to rely on!
What have you been up to since leaving the NFHC?
Why did you choose to serve in the Health Corps?
Madeline Spahr: I chose to serve in the North Florida Health Corps because I was interested in improving health care, health education, and access to health care in the United States. I also wanted to spend a year giving back to the community, and I am passionate about women’s health. I felt my service term with Healthy Start would provide valuable experience in that area.What was the greatest challenge you encountered during your service term?
Michael Romanelli: The transition from student life to service life was a bit of a shock to the system for me. I feel
the NFHC provides a great opportunity to grow and develop as a person, but they definitely aren’t afraid to push you to perform at levels you didn’t know you could.MS: It was challenging on a daily basis to remember the service I was doing was making a difference in the community. It was hard to see the short-term impact, making it easy to get discouraged.
What was your greatest triumph?
MS: The best part for me was connecting and forming relationships with patients over the course of their pregnancy and postpartum. I loved having the ability to discuss with patients their decisions in pregnancy and postpartum, advocate for them, and connect them to needed resources.
MR: The little things are what gave me the most pride and feeling of success, when the staff at UFCARES started seeing me as a peer and member of their team instead of “the AmeriCorps guy” was a triumph for me. Also, having the patients I was serving actually feel comfortable with me and open up to me was an incredible personal accomplishment and personal triumph.
In retrospect, what advice do you wish you would have received prior to or while serving in the NFHC?
MS: I would say to use your Corps members. There will be challenging parts of the year and they are a great support system to rely on!
What have you been up to since leaving the NFHC?
MS: I’m in nursing school studying to become a nurse midwife! Serving in the NFHC enabled me to gain more experience in the field of women’s health, and to further cement that I wanted to go to graduate school to be a midwife.
MR: I am currently studying medicine at the University of Kentucky. This experience was the last reassurance I needed that direct patient care was the path I wanted to take.
How have your experiences in the NFHC helped you serve, learn, or succeed in your other endeavors and personal life?
MS: It helped me gain experience interacting with, educating, and supporting patients. This has helped me, as a future healthcare provider, have a patient-centered focus.
MR: It was a humbling experience that opened my eyes to the needs of our community. Serving in an educational medical facility alongside doctors, social workers, pharmacists and nurses solidified my desire to become a part of a medical care team.
This blog post was written and edited by 2014-2015 member Viola Rose.
Viola served at UF Health- Healthy Start as the Women's Services Outreach Associate.