University of Michigan: Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

University of Michigan: Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

As the guitar strummed melody of Here Comes the Sun begins, so does my commute to St. Francis Medical Center. My Sunday mornings are spent within the six story medical center distributing flowers and newspapers, and doing tasks for the laboratory. However, the most paramount responsibility is the discharge of patients. My initial patient discharges were rife with errors that I had made as I attempted to project a false sense of confidence. Nevertheless, as I continued to discharge, I began to naturally learn to converse with the patients - no longer needing to concoct confidence. I appreciate the inclusive, supportive and open atmosphere of St. Francis Medical Center, as it has allowed me to improve my social skills and create enduring relationships with those around me. My connections with other volunteers are a mere part of my St. Francis community. It also includes the nurses who assist me in patient discharges, doctors I greet in the hallways, patients I interact with and the local community there to visit their loved ones. As a volunteer at St. Francis, the amicable relationships created with the other medical staff and the cohesive environment of the medical center have also increased my desire to work in the medical field. As a student at the University of Michigan, I intend to work within the school-affiliated University of Michigan Hospital to continue gaining experience in a clinical setting and exposure to the inner-working of the medical field. As of now, my thirty minute commute to St. Francis continues to be accompanied by the Beatles, elation of working with medical staff and interacting with new patients during my shift.