Summer 2024

HungerCorps, Gym, Shadowing

Artifacts

HungerCorps

One of my evolving thought processes has been about what level of policy most tangibly affects change. I joined the HungerCorps because it seemed like an interesting way to do things in a hyper-local setting. One time, we had our boss come over to hang out in the park. She asked us to draw some things from the summer and think carefully about our current path and future. While I was explaining what I wanted to do (talking about policy and medicine stuff), she interjected with a bit of surprise. She mentioned that a lot of the stuff I was talking about when it comes to values sounded like I valued doing things and working on implementation on a grassroots level, which led to more introspection about what I value. These scribbles here are a big part of realizing what I actually value when it comes to a career. Overall, the HungerCorps experience was a great way to affect change by feeding and playing with kids while having a lot of time to think about future directions.

After HungerCorps, I went back home to Pullman for a month. A couple weeks were spent blissfully doing nothing, but I was very lucky to have the chance to shadow one of Pullman's only general internal medicine doctors. It was eye-opening to learn about the shortage of care providers in rural areas and get to listen in to the common cases. Dr. Fosback, Danielle, Morgan, and Julian were always willing to listen to questions about the drugs or certain conditions, but they all emphasized the importance of learning how outpatient treatment works. Seeing the flow of a doctor's office and the ability for a doctor to listen and give advice to people who are being vulnerable with health concerns was really powerful for me and confirmed my interest in medicine. I wasn't allowed to take many pictures, but here's a view from the table I would eat lunch at while thinking about the day.