Children's Hospital Medical Center

Saige Miller, Summer 2018

Urban Health Project and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Division of Community Pediatrics was a great fit for the summer between my first and second year of medical school. Throughout my first year of medical school we learned about the impact of the social determinants of health on health outcomes and the importance of addressing these as a physician. Throughout my internship I saw how Cincinnati Children's Hospital is working to bring about change for their patients by addressing social determinants of health such as housing and safety. I also had the opportunity to learn about patient advocacy and the ways in which a physician can advocate for their patient inside and outside of the office.

My hope for this summer was to gain research and clinical experience as well as spend time working with underserved communities in Cincinnati. Throughout the summer I shadowed different specialties at Cincinnati Children's Hospital including at the Pediatric Primary Care Center. I worked on a research project assessing how neighborhood poverty effects morbidity in a cohort of children with medical complexities. I spent time in Avondale getting to know residents and learning about how they view their neighborhood and different resources throughout the community. Together with another intern we surveyed community members to gather information to develop a resource map for the residents of Avondale. This summer experience provided me with tools that I can use in my future role as a physician to impact the health of my patients and their families.