The line of patients stretched endlessly under Nigeria’s hot sun, many having waited hours for a brief consultation. I greeted an older man with a smile and explained the intake process to him. As he shared his concerns, I sensed more than just physical discomfort. There was hesitation in his voice, an unspoken weight of mistrust. Though he had seen doctors before, something deeper lingered: the feeling of not being fully seen or heard. His doubt reflected a broader reality. Many communities carry long-standing mistrust toward healthcare systems due to historical neglect, cultural misunderstanding, and systemic inequities. That moment left an imprint on me and has shaped my commitment to public service. It echoed throughout my research on medical mistrust in African American men and prostate cancer, and it resurfaced during my time at Pfizer, where I worked on cancer therapies that may never reach the communities most in need due to persistent barriers. These experiences made it clear that true healing is impossible without trust, access to healthcare, and culturally competent care. They inspired me to pursue osteopathic medicine and public health, two fields that align with my desire to build patient-centered, holistic, and equitable healthcare systems. Public service, to me, means restoring trust, especially in communities that have been historically underserved by medicine. Through my research on how discrimination contributes to medical mistrust, I have learned to center my therapeutic approach on individuals’ lived experiences and approach healthcare with empathy, cultural humility, and community partnership. I want to not only provide care but also work actively to dismantle the barriers that make healthcare inaccessible or ineffective. My passion for public service also includes a focus on improving mental health outcomes in low-income and minority communities. I plan to integrate nutritional psychiatry and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) into primary care to address chronic pain and nutritional deficiencies that often go untreated in these populations. The gut-brain connection, still underemphasized in traditional practice, offers promising avenues for healing. Addressing deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids can reduce depression and anxiety symptoms without immediately relying on medication. This is a particularly empowering option for patients who are wary of pharmacological interventions. In the long term, I aim to open a primary care facility near Morehouse College, my alma mater. This neighborhood, like many low-income Black communities across America, has endured decades of disinvestment through redlining, segregation, and exclusion from quality care and housing. The consequences of high rates of chronic illness, food insecurity, and medical mistrust are not just statistics to me. They are lived realities I have witnessed and am determined to address. Through my clinic, I aim to provide affordable care, collaborate with local organizations to enhance access to nutritious foods and advocate for public health policies that genuinely benefit these communities. A career in medicine is not just about diagnosing and treating illness but also about healing systems and rebuilding trust. With the skills I gain through my medical and public health education, I plan to serve as both a physician and an advocate, committed to addressing the conditions that contribute to health disparities.