Science has always fascinated me and I have had a special
affinity to healthcare. I spent my weekends in high school volunteering at my
town’s First Aid Squad and at JFK Hospital. Reflecting back, my time at the
hospital taught me immensely about myself and was a preview for what I aspire to be today.
I had made all my choices to help out within the Pediatrics
department; I wanted to spend my hours fawning
over newborns and playing with children! Instead I got placed in the General/Hospice
floor. My instruction was to stealthily go in and out of rooms and take care of
their needs; as a timid 16 year old, I excelled at it.
Gradually I got to know the patients through conversations and
I was able to add an "emotional" value to their care that doctors or nurses otherwise did not
have time for. These instances helped me tap into my innate abilities in communication.
One of my favorite part was to help the nurses with a few elderly Indian patients
who did not speak English. They would call me in to translate and I would try
my best to first comprehend, and then explain the message in rudimentary terms.
Fast forward few years and instead of becoming a typical healthcare professional, I am
a healthcare...linguist? Among other things, I aspire to become a healthcare communicator and help the world understand the amazing strides happening in this sector!
