Brief Profile:
I'm a non-traditional student in that I have a BA degree in Communications from Gordon College in Wenham, MA. I also minored in Business Administration there and volunteered for many an organization, including ESL tutoring for disadvantaged children.
While in Massachusetts, I volunteered for Beverly Hospital, working in the Emergency Room, assisting patients, etc. I spent about five months with the hospital, around 4 hours per week. I also worked as a full-time employee with the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, a state-run agency tasked with the mission of helping to insure 100% of Massachusetts residents. I assisted the Communications Officer and launched a Public Information Unit to guide the public in understanding the complicated legal jargon of it all.
Additionally, I was a volunteer with the American Diabetes Association in Boston. I assisted a committee of volunteers with planning and carrying out three fundraising walks in the greater Massachusetts area.
After moving to Kansas, I began shadowing a general surgeon during his clinical office visits one a week. This happened for 10 months, averaging about 4.5 hours per week. I had solid patient contact, sitting in on about 13-15 consults a day.
I also spent a three month period working in one of the labs at the University of Kansas. I worked with a graduate research assistant with protein crystallography, conducting tray assays and analyzing results. This was a 6 to 7 hour commitment each week.
This past year, in addition to being a full-time student, I worked an average of 20 hours a week for a locum tenens physician staffing firm. I am a marketing officer and carry out various research projects for the company president.
