"Abre la boca y cepillarse los dientes!" I exclaimed while demonstrating tooth brushing motions on a giant plastic mouth. The crowd of twenty Ecuadorian children looked up at me in amazement, and, following my directions, put their new toothbrush with toothpaste into their mouth, and started scrubbing their teeth. The kids ranged from 4 to 16 years old and for many this was their first time brushing their teeth. Afterward, it was the kids turn to teach us something. We sat in a circle and played “Paso en avioneta”. I was so thrilled because this was identical to a hand game I played when I was a kid. Although these Ecuadorian kids and I looked different and came from different backgrounds, at that moment, we were one and the same: we were just
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There are serious health inequities right here in America; in fact, they are present right here in Chicago, just a couple blocks away from where I lived. I started volunteering at a Farmer’s Market in South Side Chicago, working with a population that was predominantly low-income middle-aged African Americans. I would take people’s blood pressure, weight, and height and in exchange, they would receive a $5 coupon to spend on healthy vegetables at the farmer’s market. I came back every weekend because I loved seeing the progress people were making and cultivating these long-term relationships. Dennis and Richard were brothers, roughly 60 years old, and would come every week, rain or shine. As they sat next to me and waited for the blood pressure cuff to tighten, they would tell me how their week was, healthy recipes they tried, and stories of their family members. Richard was overweight and closely monitored his weight. Every week, he would take out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, put on his reading glasses, and record his weight to check his progress. Whenever he lost a pound or two, he would get so excited. I was grateful to be there to witness his success and was energized to know that I helped even in such a small capacity. I also witnessed the challenges people face as they try to take …show more content…
A and Dr. L both are examples of doctors who fought for their patients and believed they deserved the best care despite their income level and background. They serve as role models for the type of doctor I strive to be one day. Like them, I am passionate in practicing medicine to help educate, treat, and advocate for the medically underserved communities. Additionally, I am fascinated by biomedical research that will ameliorate the burden of disease of this population. I am eager to pursue a career in medicine in order to learn the necessary tools to better the health and improve the quality of life of people neglected and marginalized from the
There are serious health inequities right here in America; in fact, they are present right here in Chicago, just a couple blocks away from where I lived. I started volunteering at a Farmer’s Market in South Side Chicago, working with a population that was predominantly low-income middle-aged African Americans. I would take people’s blood pressure, weight, and height and in exchange, they would receive a $5 coupon to spend on healthy vegetables at the farmer’s market. I came back every weekend because I loved seeing the progress people were making and cultivating these long-term relationships. Dennis and Richard were brothers, roughly 60 years old, and would come every week, rain or shine. As they sat next to me and waited for the blood pressure cuff to tighten, they would tell me how their week was, healthy recipes they tried, and stories of their family members. Richard was overweight and closely monitored his weight. Every week, he would take out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, put on his reading glasses, and record his weight to check his progress. Whenever he lost a pound or two, he would get so excited. I was grateful to be there to witness his success and was energized to know that I helped even in such a small capacity. I also witnessed the challenges people face as they try to take …show more content…
A and Dr. L both are examples of doctors who fought for their patients and believed they deserved the best care despite their income level and background. They serve as role models for the type of doctor I strive to be one day. Like them, I am passionate in practicing medicine to help educate, treat, and advocate for the medically underserved communities. Additionally, I am fascinated by biomedical research that will ameliorate the burden of disease of this population. I am eager to pursue a career in medicine in order to learn the necessary tools to better the health and improve the quality of life of people neglected and marginalized from the