Underserved Community Reflection

Working with underserved communities may not be compelling for many people. It can be a challenge understanding how social and non-medical factors play a role in determining health outcomes. It can also be a challenge learning how to deal with patients’ needs when faced with limited resources. Yet, the very qualities which make working with underserved communities challenging are the very qualities which draw me to work with them. Growing up in a refugee family, I learned that disadvantages over time can drive certain groups to the margins of health care. As a physician, I want to work through these challenges and make a difference in the way health is understood and managed in underserved communities.

Going with my father to see his physicians over the years has helped me gain insight on how barriers, such as language and

On the other hand, their stories proved to me just how enterprising and resilient people can be in the face of extreme adversity. My experience being in Zaatari also helped me realize that preventing patients from falling through the cracks of the health care system cannot be accomplished without equitable access to health care and other services. Just as I was able to recognize through my own family experiences that achieving greater representation in medicine and bridging the gap between patients and physicians go hand in hand—I recognized through my time at Zaatari that an integral part of being a physician is being the ultimate patient advocate. When a patient was experiencing a health problem of some sort, it was up to their physician to coordinate with other camp resources the sort of care and additional services the patient would need. It was clear to me that when patients were looked at as more than their disease or group of symptoms, physicians became more keen at working towards their patients’ best