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Position Title: Patient Support Specialist – Mobile Medical Unit 

Why did you join NHC Pittsburgh? 

I joined NHC Pittsburgh because I have worked the past 2 summers in healthcare, especially with Latino patients in immigrant health, and I was seeking a similar opportunity during my gap year. I also thought a year of service would be personally and professionally rewarding. My goal is to go to medical school and become a physician who serves those most in need, and I thought the NHC would be a good chance to explore that desire further by becoming part of an organization like NHC that places service at the center of members' experiences.  

What do you hope to gain or learn during your service term? 

I am excited to interact with both the patients and the healthcare providers at Squirrel Hill as well as at their mobile clinics. My goal is to learn more about the complexities of the healthcare system and to gain some insights into what policies or changes are most effective at improving access to healthcare for immigrants and refugees. I am also looking forward to being able to ask the physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals questions about their careers and observe them working in action. 

What are you most looking forward to during your service term? 

Meeting the other NHC volunteers and the staff at my host site! 

What is something you appreciate about serving in Pittsburgh/at your Host Site? 

I have been so impressed by the astonishing diversity of the patients at Squirrel Hill both by language and country of origin. It is truly a global hub of patients coming from all across the world - the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia, Nepal and Tibet, Central and South America, and many different parts of Africa. Being able to interact with patients from so many different cultures and help them receive care at the clinic has been a rewarding and enriching experience.  

What are your plans after your service as an AmeriCorps member? 

I am in the process of applying to medical school, and I hope to begin in the fall of 2025. My past experiences in healthcare clinics have given me a strong desire to be a primary care physician at a place like Squirrel Hill that serves a unique and global network of patients in need. I would like to work in a similar clinic one day, perhaps after stints with Doctors Without Borders (potentially) or in public service.