Service to me is a form of expression where the act of giving to others without return expectations speaks volumes over mere words. There are many reasons one engages with service- whether that is for building their volunteerism profile, giving back to the community that once raised them/had significant personal meaning, or simply out of the genuine gratitude received from helping others. For me, service has been deeply rooted in my lifestyle from a young age, however, my time here with the National Health Corps did not change my professional goals, but in fact, served as a reaffirmation of why I chose to pursue my intended career path.
One reason why I decided to join the NHC is to serve with communities in need. As a NHC Chicago AmeriCorps member and Diabetes Care Coordinator, I have the privilege to support individuals who seek to better themselves and help navigate through obstacles in their given circumstances. Due to the high prevalence of Type II Diabetes in Chicago’s Southside neighborhoods, it was important to focus on preventative measures by implementing a program to help those who are at risk for Type II Diabetes or are Prediabetic, many of which are unaware of their condition. Oftentimes it is difficult for some individuals to be able to get adequate exercise and access to affordable healthy foods, as they may work multiple jobs to provide for their families. Through this Diabetes Prevention Program, however, I am able to serve those who previously felt that they could not do much to improve their health and aim to help them achieve lifetime-lasting healthy habits.
As a future physician, I similarly want to provide care for under-resourced patient populations. I enjoy communicating with others and serving together to solve problems of varying levels of complexity. I view this as a team effort and find gratitude in providing reassurance to individuals so they do not feel alone when overcoming obstacles. My initial interest was only further enhanced through participation in service with NHC, and I hope to take my experiences and lessons learned with me to provide that much better patient care in the future.
