Hello Everyone!
It feels surreal to say that I have finished the last week of my Pinhead internship at the Rodham Institute. The past six weeks have been transformational and I have learned so much about medicine and public health, Washington D.C., who I am and what I want to pursue in the future. I have had lots of time to reflect and think about the current healthcare system in our country. Rodham has allowed me to understand health from the clinical and humanitarian sides. This has given me a holistic view of the healthcare system and has encouraged me to be more politically involved in regards to health policy. Seeing the health disparities that exist in our country in real-time has been extremely powerful and meaningful. Combining the service work with the academic study of health made me see that these patients or “subjects” of medicinal study have lives and social factors that impact their conditions in ways that they cannot control. I have had many takeaways from this experience, but the main idea that I bring with me is that health is a profoundly multi-dimensional issue that is impacted by social, environmental, political, and economic issues. As a student that is entering the workforce, it is critical that I reiterate these ideas to my peers to create a society that is understandable of these health determinants in order to encourage policymakers to change the systems in a way that supports individuals facing the brunt of these issues.
In my last week of the internship, I spent my time with my mentors, Dr. El Bayoumi, and Ms. Tracie Bass, reflecting on my experience. I also spent some of my time in Georgetown Ministry Center, a day shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. The combination of these two activities reiterated the aforementioned themes and allowed me to have closure with my teachers. Below is a picture of me with Ms. Tracie Bass. Both of my mentors are incredible women and I will remember their wisdom, compassion, and strength for the rest of my life.
In the remainder of my free time, I visited the Artechouse installation with my mother (who is visiting me for a few days) and showed her some of my favorite Smithsonian museums.
To conclude my reflection of my final week at the Rodham Institute, I wanted to acknowledge everyone that provided me this experience and supported me throughout the process. I am thankful for Pinhead, the Rodham Institute, and my family who gave me this incredible opportunity and allowed me to pursue my passion for public health and medicine. I had an incredible time in Washington D.C., and I look forward to studying health in the future!
-Laila Skramstad
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