Community Interview Reflection

Working at the University of California San Diego as a research associate in the Emergency Department gave me the opportunity to interact with underserved members in my community including the homeless and uninsured. In my role as a research associate part of my responsibilities included interviewing patients about their medical history. Many of the individuals I interviewed did not have access to primary care, and relied solely on the Emergency Department for their medical services. A number of the patients I interviewed could have had their quality of life improved simply by having access to primary or preventative care. Interviewing patients from various socio-economic backgrounds allowed me to grasp that each patient has a unique set