Shalini Allam

Educational Background: Graduated from Rollins College with a major in Chemistry/Pre-Med.

Philadelphia Health Corps Role: Patient Assistance Program Advocate at Philadelphia Department of Public Health – Health Center 6

Why did you join AmeriCorps/National Health Corps?  Being heavily involved with community engagement in college and feeling apprehensive about delving straight into the medical field, I found Americorps/NHC to be the perfect way to work in the medical field as a young professional while being a part of a team of peers who were equally motivated to help underserved communities.

Where do you want to be in five years? What do you want to be doing?  Hopefully I will be graduating from medical school and getting ready to transition into residency!

What is your favorite part of service?  Moving from Orlando to Philadelphia served as a defining moment of professional and personal transformation. Having never lived outside of Florida, I was hesitant about how I would withstand the cold weather as well as the rumored lack of “brotherly love” for which Philadelphia was known. After just a short time of working at Health Center 6 on Girard Avenue as a Patient Advocate, I surprised even myself as my experience in Philadelphia proved to be an overwhelmingly positive life-changing experience. Unlike other medical experiences, PHC has given me the opportunity to learn about medically-underserved communities and interact with patients as a young professional. With this experience, I have felt the most fulfilled when my patients come to our office seeking help and leave smiling because they know they will be able to afford their medication. Seeing how my work directly creates access to care has motivated to continue working with medically-underserved populations in the future.