David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Class of 2021
Fellow, 2017
My summer as the Jim Slotnick Fellow at Saban Community Clinic was a dream come true. As a Fellow, I joined the medical team as a student doctor to care for patients. I have worked toward this moment for many years, and it was rewarding to contribute to patient care and learn from attending physicians. One of my most rewarding moments was when a patient attentively listened as I gave her instructions for her care. She called me “doctor,” even though I had introduced myself as a medical student. At that moment I was reminded of the privilege it is to be on the journey to becoming a physician, and to notice how much trust patients place in their doctors. At the same time, I was reminded that as a medical student I have to earn that trust, learn the science, and cultivate the art of medicine. It is these opportunities to work directly with patients, even after having only completed one year of medical school, that made the Slotnick Fellowship a rewarding experience. And most importantly, as I contributed to patient care, I learned from the clinic physicians who approached patient care with the conviction that every person deserves the best medical care from their health care providers, no exceptions.