Community Neutrality Case Study

I have always had a high admiration for the impact that physicians have on families. At an early age, my younger sister had major heart surgery. Being four, I was too young to fully grasp what this meant for my family, but I quickly learned the grief my parents endured thinking their only daughter would not live past two. Dr. Jane Doe saved my sister, giving me a friend for life. I have set my goal to be like countless doctors who save lives daily and improve the quality

Unlike a school guidance counselor, the relationship built with a primary care doctor starts at a young age in-part due to school mandated annual physicals. There are many people in the city that share my background, but do not have the same support system. This is especially important in single parent households where resources and social capital are limited. Those precious moments are times to show that you care and are invested in their future. Health care is a lifelong necessity and right for all communities. I want young people to be there for themselves and ultimately for their future families.

Although I enjoy all facets of nursing, I truly believe that it is in the field of family practice that the foundation of the nursing process begins. I have seen many patients over the course of my career without a stable, primary care healthcare provider. Health and wellness begins with day-to-day habits, and a nurse in family care is uniquely poised to give wellness advice and guidance. Family nurse practitioners often perform similar functions to physicians: making diagnoses; prescribing tests and medications; and helping patients over the course of their life trajectories lead more fulfilling lives. Primary caregiving is truly wellness promotion. It involves not simply healing the sick, but also reducing the likelihood that patients will become ill. I have seen so many patients with preventable illnesses that could have

I first realized my passion for health promotion and disease prevention the summer following my first year of college. I had the privilege of attending the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), which introduced me to numerous healthcare professionals. During the program, many of the professionals shared their stories about why they choose the profession, and with each story, I began to reflect deeply on my own background and what drew me to medicine. It was not until an emergency medicine physician spoke about his experiences, that allowed me to fully understand connecting my background to my future. The physician mentioned growing up in D.C., which brought to mind my family in D.C. It had been almost a year since my grandmother

My decision to pursue a career as a physician was not a blinding revelation, being the daughter of two immigrant parents the thought of becoming a physician seemed distant. In high school I pursued to obtain what for me was then the highest education I perceived I would be able to achieve which was going to college and obtaining a bachelor’s degree. As the quote by Ralph Ellison highlights, “When I discover who I am, I’ll be free”. This quote resonates with the start of my second year in college, as I have been able to find my passion for medicine. More specifically, I explored my values and how I wanted to shape my future. I reflected upon the encounters and dramatic effects that physicians have had with my own family. The most impactful

Fadiman confronts another interviewing barrier when she works with the medical staff of Merced County Medical Center, the hospital where Lia Lee was taken and treated many times. Fadiman constantly reviewed Lia’s medical records, as well as consulted and interviewed many of the physicians and nurses who worked with Lia and her family. Fadiman had to alter her interviewing style and the way in which she planned the interviews while interviewing the staff of Merced County Medical Center. These individuals did not require an interpreter because they were native English speakers. Because of this, Fadiman had an easier time communicating with the interviewees, but had to remember the culture they were used to. The resident doctors and nurses Fadiman was discussing Lia’s case with worked at the Family Practice Residency, which receives most of its payment through government programs like Medi-Cal or Medicare (Fadiman 1997:24). Because of this, most patients this staff was used to seeing were low-income, and

Family medicine is a specialty that provides healthcare for both families and individuals. Physicians in family medicine provide medical diagnosis, treatment, and care to people of all ages, both sexes, every organ system, and all diseases. The patient-doctor relationship is generally in the framework of the family. Family medicine practitioners promote good health, stress disease prevention, and coordinate referrals when necessary. Graduates in family medicine have completed a broad range of study, which includes:

Rural health professionals represent a diverse set of individuals seeking to meet the main goals of public health. Their desire to promote health and prevent disease is blocked by many barriers, due to the geographical position of their target population; yet they still persevere to serve their specified communities. Approximately twenty percent of America is rural, and rural counties are more likely to report fair to poor health. This particular population cannot be compared to its urban counterparts due the sheer amount of obstacles health care providers and patients face. Rural Americans are shaped by geography and tradition which creates a combination of factors that create disparities.

From the beginning of my decision to pursue medicine, I knew I wanted to practice primary care in rural Kansas. Growing up in the small town of Sterling, I was exposed to the role of a small town doctor along with its rewards and struggles. This understanding was further heightened during my experience in the Scholars in Rural Health program which immersed me in rural medicine in my hometown. All of these experiences confirmed my desire to pursue rural medicine and attend the Salina campus.

To begin, the success with Arlene’s family doctor is built on a therapeutic relationship and rapport. By having this therapeutic relationship allows for effective communication to improve the quality of care of the individual (Stickley & Freshwater, 2006). By developing a therapeutic relationship with your physician an individual is trusting that they get the best possible care by them seeing the whole picture at the micro-level. Having effective communication results in a positive outcome for the patient (Travaline et al., 2005). In Arlene’s case a therapeutic relationship was fostered by the 4 phases developing a therapeutic relationship; pre-interaction, orientation, working and termination (Day & Levett-Jones, 2010). Being Arlene’s family

Gomez’s interactions with my family and his willingness to serve, has motivated me to pursue a career where I can work with and treat families. Through him, I learned that medicine is not only a science, but an art requiring careful communication and critical thinking. Dr. Gomez has inspired me to pursue a medical degree to become a physician that exemplifies the values he embodies, being patient, kind, and respectful while serving as a mentor, educator, and healer to

The philosophy of Family Medicine is what especially appeals to me; the idea of the continuity of care, being an active advocate, and providing competent and complete healthcare. As a family physician, I feel I have the best opportunity to impact a person’s overall well-being and at the same time further enrich my life. I wanted this opportunity to address my USMLE step-1 score (209), since then I have grown substantially clinically and academically. During my rotations I was hard-working, present and fully-engaged. This lead to recognition and positive evaluations from many preceptors.

Cultural influences have large-scale impacts on personal decisions. You may decide to go out to a social event that you are not particularly interested in just because you’re expected to. In the medical education setting, cultural influences play an active role in decision making. During a medical student’s primary education, they often are forced to rely on mentors and staff to guide them through the grueling process. Many decisions are made, what to specialize in? Do I go into private practice? With these important decisions at hand, the influence mentors have on students could not be more impactful. Individuals trust practitioners with their lives, but is community health the determining factor for medical students when deciding the field of medicine to practice? Should it be? I have decided to conduct my research on why primary care seems to be looked down upon in the medical school culture, and the impact declining numbers of primary care physicians has on the community. I’ve also researched the Affordable Care Act’s impact on public health, and how this may increase the demand for primary care doctors even more so. This act is notable due to its political nature, and educating oneself on the effects of policies could impact political and voting stances. It is interesting to investigate why primary care is discouraged in medical school even though the field plays a sizable role in public health. For this trend to change, it is necessary to examine the cultural forces

The role and definition of family can vary from one culture to another. Generally speaking, the culture in the United States places a lot of emphasis on individuality and personal freedom. In many cultures, the family unit has a very strict and defined hierarchy. Often the Father is seen as the head of the household and is responsible for much of the decision making. This can include decisions concerning the health care of a family member. It could also result in reluctance for the head of the family to place himself in a position of relying on others for care, a perceived position of weakness. In many cultures, the family goes beyond the nuclear family, and extends to the community, friends and neighbors. These are strongly held beliefs, and we must refrain from judging them as right or wrong based on our own culture. Rather, weneed to find ways to work within the framework of the family structure of the patient. ( Falvo, pp.186-187)

After completing high school in Nigeria, I immigrated with my siblings to the United States in the fall of 2003. While the opportunity to reunite with our mother was a momentous one, our joy will be muted a few weeks later when we realized the daunting task that laid ahead: a single parent taking care of five children alone would be no easy feat! Even as she picked up more shifts at the nursing home where she worked, the cost of college tuition and other essentials had us barely getting by. The next summer, we embarked on the lofty goal of opening a home healthcare business, one that would the sustain the family and still allow her spend time with my siblings and me. Barely 17, I found myself in charge of creating the business’ policies and procedures to meet established state and other health organizations standards. Each evening after completing my college work, I would draft the business guidelines, explore marketing options, and apply for various licenses and permits. 18 months later, it seemed that all the hard work and patience had paid off – our business had passed a rigorous state inspection. Running a healthcare business was challenging, but due to our hard work and ability to put the needs of our patients first, the business thrived. More importantly, this experience made me yearn for a more intimate relationship with medicine. Rather than experience healthcare via the lens of a business, I wanted to be the one caring for the patient. I completed a degree in