This past summer, I had the opportunity to shadow under Dr. Mope Akintorin at the John Stroger Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL., where I was able to witness the effect of health care disparities firsthand. Dr. Akintorin is a Pediatrician with a specialty in Neonatology. I was able to observe her research clinical that follows babies that were born preterm after they have been cleared from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and monitors the progress of their health. Coming in contact with the mothers of the NICU children and their stories allowed me to learn the truth about healthcare in America: Blacks and other minorities, particularly women, are often discounted by their doctors and do not receive the quality health care that Whites are provided. The women complained of expressing concerns to doctors only to have these concerns disregarded, of being denied pain killers or treatments, and even of being questioned of their ability to pay for treatment. Dr. Akintorin is among the many physicians in Cook County, a community that faces poverty rates higher than the national average, that are working to bridge this gap through medical research. Medical research that is used to eliminate health and healthcare disparities is important to society because racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive quality medical care, and in turn, face higher morbidity and mortality rates. Medical research can provide important information about disease trends, risk factors, and outcomes of treatment for the primary groups of people that are affected by health care disparities, such as Blacks and Latinos. Medical research concerning these groups may also work to raise public awareness of health care disparities. More importantly, I believe the awareness of these disparities in health will rise in physicians, forcing them to be more cognizant of their actions as well as the actions of their counterparts.

In February of 2020, I chaired an educational Black history program on the Black Arts Movement through my sorority. This Program paid tribute to African-American poets and artists during the era, and provided am overview of the political climate during The Black Arts movement. The program featured a presentation by Dr. LaTashia Reedus, an adjunct faculty member of Sociology at Columbus State Community College and Franklin University. Dr. Reedus earned her Bachelor’s in Sociology and African-American Studies from the University of Cincinnati. She also holds a Master’s and Doctorate in Sociology, both from The Ohio State University. About 40 people attended this event and the opportunity to learn more about Black History. 

Last year, I had the opportunity to serve on the planning committee for the 2019 Alpha Kappa Alpha Great Lakes Region Undergraduate Roundup Conference hosted in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference was compromised of about 97 undergraduate chapters across the region. This annual conference serves as an opportunity for opportunity for members to be in fellowship, learn more about membership and programs, and receive the tools to ensure the success of the targets of our Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service Program. As an undergraduate representative on the planning committee, I was able to develop my professional and communication skills. At this conference, I was rewarded for showing Academic Excellence for the 2018-2019, having had above a 3.5 GPA for both the Fall and Spring Semester.

In my second year at OSU, I was elected Service Chair of the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, or M.A.P.S. This organization aims to better prepare minority students for the competitive process of applying to medical school. We accomplish this by providing opportunities for leadership, professional development, networking, service, as well as MCAT test preparation. This organization is important to the OSU community because it helps increase the amount of minority students pursing medicine. Minorities in the medical field are a necessity in addressing factors such as disparities in health.

As the Service Chair, it is my responsibility to get the general body more involved in the service opportunities MAPS offers so that they may make themselves more competitive among other pre-medical students. In the spring 2020, M.A.P.S. initiated a service partnership with the Columbus Free Clinic in which, as the Service Chair, I was the first M.A.P.S. member to participate in. As a volunteer for the Columbus Free Clinic, I provide Columbus community members who do not have access to or cannot afford healthcare. This partnership will in the futures help M.A.P.S. members in gaining healthcare related volunteer hours, potential shadowing hours, and connections with healthcare professionals. With my experience in the clinic, I have become an advocate for more M.A.P.S. members to get involved especially because representation within the clinic matters, as many of its patients are minorities. 

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, is historically the first black sorority. It was founded on January 15th, 1908 on the campus of Howard University. Since then, Alpha Kappa Alpha has chartered 1,024 chapters across the world. Theta Chapter, chartered on February 2nd, 1921 on the campus of The Ohio State University, was the 8th chapter of this organization.

AKA is a service-oriented organization and has allowed me to give back to the greater Columbus community. Being a member of Theta Chapter has encouraged to think more about well-being of my community. Throughout the school year, Theta Chapter primarily serves the Columbus community through drives, such as clothing drives, shoe drives or school supply drives. However, we do also programming for specific causes. This year, we raised money for the Flint Water Crisis, the AKA Historically Black Colleges and universities fund, as well as the Columbus Refugee Relief Fund.

However, what I value the most of my experiences from AKA is the incredible sisterhood that I have found. Not only did I enter the organization with an inspiration group of young women who motivate me to become a better version of myself, but I also get to network with the women who have come before me in the organization. This allows for opportunities for mentorship and professional development.