Nicole Desai: See how PHC is impacting her future aspirations as well as how she is positively impacting her community

How has your experience with the Pittsburgh Health Corps (PHC) thus far helped you with your future aspirations?
I believe being a member of the Pittsburgh Health Corps has solidified my decision to enter the medical field. Additionally, spending my year as a PHC member in a free clinic (Birmingham Free Clinic) has encouraged me to continuously think outside of the box, in order to help our patients, who experience limited access to healthcare. It has always been a dream of mine to work with patients, who have lost and/or lack access to proper medical care.  This position has provided me with the knowledge on how to expand access to healthcare for those in need as well as offered me much experience to become an understanding physician in the future.
 

Is there a new project/endeavor you have partaken in recently at your site?
Currently at the Birmingham Clinic, we are piloting a health coaching program to target our most vulnerable populations.  I am currently focusing on patients with newly diagnosed diabetes.  Upon an initial diagnosis, I provide the patient with health education materials that include an explanation of what diabetes is and a list of common foods and their respective glycemic indices.  Thereafter at each visit, I continue to work with this subset of patients, creating a customized plan and setting personal goals for each patient, such as increasing physical activity by 15 minutes each week or replacing 1 sugary treat with a healthier option.  What is unique about this initiative is that I am empowering patients to make their OWN decisions about their health.  This coupled with personalized early intervention is key in ensuring that these patients will be able to have a healthy future.

What is your most memorable/fun PHC event you will remember for a long time, even when PHC is over?
The most memorable PHC event for me thus far was the member retreat.  Usually our time spent together as a group is for trainings and for other service endeavors, but the PHC retreat gave me the opportunity to learn more about my fellow PHC members in a more laid-back and fun environment.