***Picture that was taken at the West End used in my photovoice assignment , where I discussed the vast discrepancies in healthcare access and poverty within the different neighborhoods of Cincinnati.
WHAT
In this honors seminar, the main topic of conversation surrounded the current state of our healthcare system and the different areas of improvement. Through weekly readings, mini-lectures, and movies we learn about how health disparities and inequities manifest in the United States and the initiatives professionals are taking to solve these issues that affect a large portion of our population. Various guest speakers who hold different positions in the healthcare field such as speech pathologists, research scientists, physicians, and more have discussed with us their experiences navigating the pitfalls of our healthcare system and the projects they are working on to improve said imperfections. This class culminates in a study tour to Germany where we will immerse ourselves in the culture of the country to understand how their healthcare is impacted by their way of life by visiting museums, healthcare centers, and universities.
SO WHAT
As a student pursuing a future in healthcare, I must be not only knowledgeable in the technical sciences of medicine but also how the application of it and the politics that surround it. To me, the first step towards being a positive force in medicine is to understand my privileges and how to curb my biases to serve others equitably and respectfully. These came to light through my experience volunteering and working in healthcare, although it helps to understand how topics like insurance and social determinants of health are studied in the literature and their applications in countries outside of the United States. Knowing how healthcare is approached globally, has given me the perspective to begin to formulate how we could change what we are doing in our own country to better serve the currently disadvantaged.
NOW WHAT
This course gave me the resources and the space to dig deep into the uncomfortable questions that are often swept under the rug in the pursuit of becoming a healthcare professional. I have often worried that I will simply be part of a broken system as I continue down my path in healthcare, but I understand that completely pursuing a different profession is not going to solve the larger issues at hand. I will continue to improve my understanding of the healthcare system as I make advances toward my future career and hope that I can offer the perspective that I cultivate through learning from my future patients and working with others in the medical field to improve the systems we have set in place in the United States.
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