Get to know Lauren Goldberg, a 3rd year medical student at University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando, FL

As a PHC member who is currently applying to medical school, I wanted to get feedback from a past member to see how her experience has shaped her perspective on health care and her medical career. I interviewed Lauren Goldberg, a 3rd year medical student at University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando, FL, who served at Penrose Elementary School from 2010-2011:

How did PHC influence your career choice?
I was applying to medical school during PHC so I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn't realize was how much PHC would determine what type of doctor I would be.  I have always been vaguely interested in public health and working with kids, but my experience with PHC definitely confirmed it. No matter how tired or busy I felt, I was always happy to see the Penrose kids first thing in the morning. Although I saw a lot of the hardships these children faced, like child abuse and neglect, being their support gave me purpose. I’m happy that I still keep in touch with several of the kids from Penrose, especially when they tell me they made honor roll or ran in the Philly marathon. 

What is the best thing you learned from your time in PHC?
Learning how difficult it was to navigate the welfare system gave me a tiny glimpse of how difficult it is to live below the poverty line and depend on government assistance. I also saw how difficult it was to access healthy food, and began to understand why people wanted the best deal for their dollar - which often lead them to get their meals at McDonalds and Wal-Mart. Experiencing these issues first-hand has helped me to understand the hardships that underserved communities experience, which will help me when I work with these populations again as a doctor.

What was your most memorable experiences with PHC?
My most memorable experiences were trying to navigate the city with my fellow PHC members and find all the free, fun things to do. 

What were some challenges you faced that you did not expect during your time with PHC?
Navigating the welfare system to get food stamps and experiencing the stress of relying on public transportation were challenges I did not expect.

Do you have any last comments you’d like to share?
I still keep in touch with Nurse Bob and other Corps Members. I also cannot wait to do my away rotation at CHOP and be back in Philly!

Each of our lives are shaped by our experiences. Seeing how Lauren’s experience with PHC has shaped her career in medicine has inspired me to look at my work in the same way. I, now, strive to see how each person I meet can teach me either how to become a better professional or how I can best help these populations once I become a physician. I hope that I, too, can look back on my experience and see how working at Health Center 6 has driven me to not only continue pursuing a future career in health, but also to become increasingly passionate about creating health futures for my patients.
 

This post was written by PHC member Shalini Allam.
Shalini serves at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health - Ambulatory Health Services as a Patient Assistance Program Advocate.