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Hobbies and interests
Tennis
Reading
Academic
Christianity
I read books daily
Lauren Collins
355
Bold Points1x
Finalist![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/1be689e8606d45009a6ad059964f4de6.webp)
Lauren Collins
355
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
My decision to become a physician assistant was solidified while working as a newborn hearing technician in a medically underserved area. My first patient that foggy autumn morning was a perfect baby girl with a healthy weight and satisfactory lab results. Why was this beautiful heathy baby in the NICU? I spoke with a nurse to determine her eligibility. I learned the small, perfect baby had methamphetamines and alcohol in her system after being delivered by a woman under the influence. What’s more, her mother told staff she did not want to see, hear, or be contacted about her. At that moment, it was easy to attack mom's decision. How could she care so little about her child to abandon her? However, I identified with this case because of the substance abuse in my own rural community. I performed a hearing screen on this baby and returned later to check on her status. I was informed that at one week old, she was already adopted by a family awaiting a child. Being part of a healthcare team within an underserved area afforded me the opportunity to serve disadvantaged populations and has inspired me to pursue a career as a physician assistant. My goals after graduation are to serve my hometown where so many lack access to medical care. I also plan to continue with my volunteer work and focus on educating women on the importance of prenatal care and mental health before during and after the birth of a child.
Education
Augusta University
Master's degree programMajors:
- Biology, General
Career
Dream career field:
Hospital & Health Care
Dream career goals:
Working in women's healthcare in an underserved community
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Just Some Podcast Media Scholarship
Working my way through college as a hearing screen technician in a medically underserved area, I visited the NICU often to screen babies in distress. However, on this early fall morning, my patient was a perfect baby girl with a healthy weight and satisfactory lab results. Naturally, I wondered why she was in the NICU. I learned the small, perfect baby had methamphetamines and alcohol in her system after being delivered by a woman under the
influence. I identified with this case because of the substance abuse in my own rural
community. Often times expectant mothers lack the resources and knowledge of prenatal care. Being part of a healthcare team within an underserved area afforded me the opportunity to serve disadvantaged populations and has inspired me to pursue a career in family medicine. While I cherished the opportunity to perform a hearing screen, I wanted to be more involved in this baby’s care and becoming a physician assistant (PA) would allow me to do so.
To combat substance abuse in rural communities, more providers are needed to support
and prevent patients from delaying care. Wanting to be part of this rural health initiative, I
shadowed PAs to increase my depth of knowledge of the profession. Shadowing Mr. Blair, an
orthopedic surgery PA, demonstrated how often rural patients’ chronic illnesses – such as
obesity and smoking – precluded them from receiving surgery they needed. The prevalence of
smoking has ties to certain demographic/psychosocial factors, such as experiencing higher
levels of unemployment and lower income. Many patients in rural communities have multiple
chronic diseases in addition to substance abuse, which is often compounded with a provider
shortage. Realizing all these issues converge to form a “care desert” in my community
cemented my decision to serve as a PA there.
I plan to return to my community to serve as their first PA. The hospital where I work is
in a medically underserved area, and the closest primary care clinic to my community only has
three providers and no PAs. The versatility of PAs, in that they can serve in different specialties throughout their career, will allow me to support my community. Many individuals here, would rather cut out a malignant spot with their pocketknife than see a dermatologist. This delayed care contributes to high rates of chronic illness and cancer deaths in these areas. Many people do not see the benefit of a specialist, likely due to a lack of health literacy. As an “insider” in my community, I will explain that the main goal of visiting your provider is not extortion but rather adaptations (medicine, physical therapy, etc.), that can improve quality of life. I feel my responsibility to my community will be fulfilled if I can help my patients realize that visiting their provider will improve their daily life.
To propel myself into this career, I began my PA degree at Augusta University in 2023. It
is humbling to think that in a matter of months I can leverage my understanding to reduce
delay of care in my rural community in Georgia. I plan to work in family medicine so I can
address health illiteracy and substance abuse issues head on, while caring for younger patients in poverty. While I have enjoyed serving my community in several different capacities over the years at my local food bank, as a blood donor ambassador for the Red Cross, and as an advocate with She’s My Daughter for women and children, I realize that I desire to impact
people’s lives more deeply.