Student Perspective: Angelique Mole

Ms. Mole working triage in a mobile clinic in Thailand
as part of the 2015 Summer Medical Institute, led by
Medical Campus Outreach

Ms. Mole is a former South Carolina AHEC Summer Academy participant and mentor who is now enrolled at the MUSC College of Medicine. The following account is written by Ms. Mole.

When I think of the South Carolina AHEC, I think of an organization that afforded me significant opportunities that led me to where I am now. Their commitment to improving healthcare in rural and underserved areas by reaching out to future healthcare professionals has helped me greatly as I seek to serve in an area similar to that in which I grew up: a place where primary care physicians are greatly needed. During my undergraduate education, I was a participant in the Summer Careers Academy as a medicine fellow. In this program, I learned about the importance of interprofessional teams, as well as the rewards and challenges that medical school would entail. I gained a new appreciation for building relationships with not only my peers, but also with faculty and staff that have provided me with much support in my path to becoming a physician. I am so grateful that I was able to give back to this program by serving as a mentor this summer. I have personally enjoyed the benefits of this program and I benefitted once again from being able to walk alongside students who have a desire to positively impact medicine.

Now, as a medical student, the South Carolina AHEC continues to bless my life through its Institute for Primary Care (IPC). I like to also think of that acronym as, “Information that Promotes Compassion.” Being an Institute fellow has challenged me to practically examine my role as a future primary care physician. Will I dominate or motivate my patients through motivational interviewing? How are medical homes changing medicine for the better? These are just two of the numerous questions that were posed and addressed during the monthly IPC sessions I attended. The resources the Institute for Primary Care provides have encouraged me to never forget to suffer with my patients as I seek to not only treat a disease but care for a person.

The South Carolina AHEC makes a huge investment in the lives of future healthcare professionals, understanding that this investment will continue to promote better healthcare throughout our state.