Healthcare Advocacy

Going into a hospital due to an injury can be scary or uncomfortable, but the physical

damage is often not the most emotionally tasking experience. Going into the emergency room for

a broken foot where a primary physician misdiagnosed my injury, dismissed my concerns and

providing few aftercare instructions almost cost me my ability to walk unassisted. This

experienced fueled an undiscovered aspiration for better patient advocacy.

My experience is sad but not unique. I was suffering from a very uncommon break in my

right foot. Due to the injury's rarity, the attending physician misdiagnosed the damage based on

that logic alone. Intuition and experience made me skeptical of the diagnosis, consequently

leaving me very disconcerted. I continued to request more information and pushed for further

testing to confirm what I believed was the unlikely diagnosis. Standing up for my well-being did

not sit well with this physician, who refused even to consider and promptly excused himself for

his lunch. Feeling powerless and on the verge of tears, I limped back into the waiting room. After

about an hour of waiting, a nurse brought me out a piece of paper with an appointment for the

fracture clinic dated 6 weeks away. I needed more answers. I started asking the nurse how I

should be caring for this injury, and could I go back to work. I got the sobering instructions to

walk down to the medical supply, buy an air cast and go back to work if I felt like I could.

Feeling hopeless, I left the hospital and went directly to another where I believed if only one

person would listen to me, I could get the help I needed. Thankfully, I did get proper care at that

hospital, but it made me consider all the people who do not have a voice to question or the ability

to get a second opinion.

After reflecting on all the reasons, I had a poor experience in the first hospital, my passion for

proper advocation of health care was born. If I can save even one person from needless suffering

by being supportive, I would be fortunate for the opportunity.