Vision for Position

If elected as the new research and publication chair for the student-run free clinics, my vision is to help drive innovation and collaboration between clinics nationwide that will further improve the overall care and impact free clinics offer to their local communities. This would be achieved through several main objectives: continuing to support current efforts started by the SRRFC National Committee, offering resources and promoting awareness for publications and grants offered to free clinics, and improving communication between clinics regarding current research initiatives.

As the SRRFC National Committee has already accomplished many impactful initiatives regarding research and publications, I would like to begin my term with strengthening such initiatives such as the multi-institutional research projects and the database of current projects. I believe that continued efforts in improving current ongoing projects will allow for further growth in SRFCs overall. I plan to achieve this with the guidance of the current research chair and by continuing to work on outreach so that students are aware of such projects. In addition, through continuous collaboration with the Journal of Student-Run Free Clinics, I hope to raise awareness of publication possibilities and funds available to free clinics around the country. As many clinics are now working on very impactful projects for the communities they serve, I wish to promote their efforts wherever possible. I also want to assist in minimizing financial barriers from impeding students’ efforts to improve care. I intend to achieve this by compiling a resource database of all accessible opportunities that we are made aware of.

Lastly, I want to continue to strengthen relationships between clinics around the country. I believe that with multiple passionate and highly motivated students with diverse backgrounds coming together, we could make significant strides in improving patient care. I would hope to serve as a point person for allowing such connections to be made for research. This would be done through forms and meetings with the research chairs to help initiate collaboration where it is desired. SRFCs provide a unique avenue for research where students can see a tangible impact their projects have on their local communities. As the research and publication chair, I hope to highlight such efforts and continue to improve the quality of care we as a national organization provide.

Relevant Experience

I was initially exposed to SRFCs during my freshman year of college, and I credit my passion for medicine to my time here. I recall thinking how selfless the providers and students were to give so much time to the community, and how I aspired to model their efforts one day in medical school and beyond. Since then, I’ve continued to play a role at the free clinics in whatever capacity I was able. Now as an MS3 at UT Southwestern, I had the privilege of serving as one of the managers for our dermatology clinic during my first year, with my role being to help boost collaboration between our clinics. During my second year, I served as the lead clinic advisor overseeing all six of our clinics and have remained in this role since. In this role, I have been able to help build a stronger foundation for each of our clinics. I also have had the pleasure of being the point person for large-scale activities at our clinics in coordination with our program director, Dr. Gimpel. Here, I have helped organize multiple clinic-wide research projects, applied for grants to help support initiatives that our clinics needed, and mentored MS1s and MS2s who wanted to become more involved in our clinics. Because of these experiences, I have developed invaluable leadership skills in organizing projects with large community-based organizations as well as coordinating over 50 clinic student managers.

Throughout my time as a manager for our clinics, I have realized the impact that research can have on the quality of care our patients receive. I have since become more involved in publications and have served as one of the chief editors for the Free Clinic Research Collective, a similar journal to the Journal of Student Run Free Clinics. Through this, I have learned about the submission process on both ends and gained a better understanding of what must go into publishing articles.

SRFCs have remained a large part of my medical career, and I have not found another cause that I hold quite as dearly. Through the SRRFC National Committee, I hope to be able to share my enthusiasm for the free clinics beyond the Dallas metroplex and continue to work with like-minded and passionate students.