Taking Time to Combine Passions

In the year after graduation I chose a job at an anti-poverty agency in Minnesota as a family employment advocate, working with a diverse range of families at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Many of the families had multiple barriers to obtaining employment and lacked access to adequate health care. What attracted me to this postion was my experience with family and community members affected by public health concerns. One example of this is the diabetes epidemic in certain ethnic populations due to nutrition and lifestyle.

After applying to both allopathic and osteopathic programs and being accepted to both, I choose to attend an osteopathic medical school because of the emphasis I believe they place on "whole person" medical care.

I thought working as a family advocate would provide me with a greater insight about how to combine my passion for social justice with a medical education to strengthen my ability to push for health care advances in underserved populations. Half way through my first year in osteopathic medical school, I'm confident I made the right decision both in terms of my medical education and in terms of what I hope to accomplish in my professional life.