“比兄弟更近，我的耶稣就是我”我们坐在奇怪的时候，因为我们将乡村公交车送到我们的第一个诊所。美国七名大学生不知道要期待什么。当我们到达时，在教堂外面等待的人数压倒了。这些人依赖于每年喜欢我们的学生注意;我变得沮丧。Vere的社区，牙买加在每年三月一周内都知道，我们的小组将与他们一起诊断，治疗和咨询患者的医生在没有创新技术的情况下诊断，治疗和律师的医疗问题。全天，当孩子从学校解雇时，我们也看到了超过100名患者。我们从真菌感染到高血糖感染的一系列医学问题，甚至一些我们知道我们没有资源治疗的患者。我决定在高中服用我的第一个解剖学课后进入医学。我绝对被人体兴起，我知道因为我喜欢医学，我会努力在我的工作中陪伴自己。 My junior year of college was when my elective biology classes became more relevant to medicine I took a range of classes from immunology to genetics and as many anatomy classes as I could find, including human, comparative, and vertebrate. While these are considered some of the toughest undergraduate classes, I was able to take multiple at a time and indulge in the way in which the sciences come together. I also decided to pursue a second bachelor's degree in psychology to learn more about mental health issues. Leading up to the trip, I knew without doubt that I was intelligent enough to handle the workload of a medical professional. It was not until seeing patients in Jamaica that I understood what it meant to emotionally care for patients that are in poor health. What struck me most about our patients was the stability of their mental health and overall well-being. While all of these people were financially in poverty, they were wealthy in spirit and faith. While we were gaining so much clinical knowledge, our emotions revolved around those of our patients. I was blessed to have the opportunity to travel to rural Jamaica to set up medical clinics for the underserved populations. That week in March of 2014 was the most enriching and humbling week, and the best way I could have spent my Spring Break as a senior in college. I returned home with a broader perspective and understanding as to how I will one day need to treat my patients. I cannot wait to integrate such service into my career. Before this week, I had only shadowed a physician a handful of times and certainly did not understand the mechanics of even the most common diseases. I initially applied to be a part of CAMEO because I knew that this would be a great clinical experience prior to studying medicine, little did I know that the I would gain so much more than just textbook knowledge. One of the most fundamental parts of this trip for me as a future PA was learning how to make a differential diagnosis without lab work or radiology. After working countless hours as a scribe in the emergency department, I am able to again understand the clinical indications for particular testing, and then follow through with the patient to learn the diagnosis and the proper form of treatment for the patient. That week, I learned two essential components for successfully practicing medicine: patient care and clinical diagnosis. It is important to assume that a patient does not understand the dynamics of their condition, and rather than belittling them, effective treatment is reinforced when the provider takes the time to counsel and support the patient. Diabetes is a major disease in Jamaica as well as the United States and is linked with many other diseases that are becoming more and more common. A holistic approach to medicine is best when treating a patient who may not be able to afford health insurance or medications and is the only way to prevent medication dependency or advancing of disease. I was able to teach the signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia, as well as podiatric and dental maintenance, to a group at a homeless shelter through Volunteers In Medicine. For this group, seeing a family care physician regularly is not an option, and often meals are not of their own choice. In these two scenarios, prevention of further complications is the goal. Every now and then I catch myself chanting the gospel songs I learned in Jamaica, and I am once again reminded that these two humbling experiences, and my wealth of knowledge I have gained from working in the emergency department, have fortified my career choice and given me confidence as a future practitioner; I am thrilled to integrate my passions for both the material facts of anatomy and physiology with mortal facts of psychology and spirituality for a career in medicine.