What the Corps Has Given Me

This post is written by Farhad Ghamsari.

Farhad is a Health Navigator at Smart Chicago Collaborative.

It is hard for me to quantify all of the good my year with the National Health Corps and Chicago Health Corps has done for me. As someone who had only experienced life thus far as an overachieving student, I arrived in Chicago with a clean slate, plenty of time, and the desire to start a new chapter I could be proud of.

With 20 other CHC members, I began service in places of need. I partook in improving care, creating health educational materials, and helping patients understand their healthcare systems; all the while gaining a whole new perspective on the health system at large. I have learned about the difficulties physicians and providers face in treating their patients and providing the best care. I have felt the confusion and exasperation of patients people who cannot tell heads nor tails of their forms, their results, and their medical documentation. And worse yet, I have seen the frustrations on both sides as they blame each other, their hospital or clinic, and the nationwide health system.

And yet, the learning experiences did not end when I walked out the clinic doors: my fellow CHC members had their own tales and challenges. They all came from different backgrounds - educational, cultural, and otherwise - but they had all felt the call or the urge to serve. They, too, have taught me what it means to serve - to fill in the gaps, lend a hand, and lighten someone's burden. Moments spent with them have been vital to my success this year

In addition to the amazing service experiences, this term has provided me the ability to relax, recharge, and recompose myself before I enter medical school this upcoming Fall. With the extra time to reflect, I discovered the Masters of Science in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety at Northwestern University (right here in Chicago): a program and field centered on the idea of creating efficiency and equity in the healthcare system. This Masters program immediately grabbed my attention, and I couldn't be more excited to start in just a few short weeks.

I have gained from, and owe so much to, NHC/CHC that it is hard trying to get it down on paper. However, that won't stop me from remembering this year and the mark it has left on my need for volunteerism, my perceptions of the healthcare environment, and my future goals as a health care provider and leader. Thank you, National and Chicago Health Corps.