It's World Prematurity Day!

Want to learn a little-known fact about Miss Westchester? I am extremely passionate about neonatology! I've spent my college years studying biology, sociology, and psychology in the hopes of getting an advanced degree in either public health, medicine or nursing. I once won an award for a public health project entitled 'Butts Out Before Birth" that focused on preventing smoking during pregnancy. I was also recognized by the AAMC's AspiringDocs website as a national video contest winner in promoting cultural diversity in medicine. My latest great opportunity? Being an intern at the March of Dimes this summer, which lead to me working there this fall. Today is World Prematurity Day, and I wanted to share the story of what lead me to pursue my interest in neonatology.

I always knew I wanted to enter the medical field, but I never really knew just what I wanted to do. In the summer of 2009, I was given an amazing opportunity: interning at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. There, I was able to shadow physicians, nurses, and other professionals in various departments of the hospital. We also took many trips to organizations throughout Metro NY, from the Bronx Department of Health to...you guessed it...the March of Dimes.

There, we watched a film titled "Unnatural Causes: When the Bough Breaks". I am not exaggerating at all when I say that it changed my life. It focused on prematurity, specifically premature births among African American women. I was floored to find out that African American women who had advanced degrees and access to great medical care were more likely to give birth to a premature baby than a Caucasian high school dropout who might not be as educated about a healthy pregnancy. Being African American, this broke my heart. I am automatically more likely to give birth to a premature baby in the future based solely on my race. But there is so much being done in the world of neonatology to change this statistic. And there is so much being done to save the lives of infants being born too soon. I wanted to be a part of the advances being made. I'm proud to say that in a small way, I already am.

My job at the March of Dimes may be that of an assistant, but it is important. Everyday, I get to work on projects that are being used in the fight against prematurity. I'm hoping that as I pursue a career, I will be able to make an even bigger impact in the world of neonatology and the lives of premature babies.

One of my last experiences as a Montefiore intern was a visit to the NICU. As I looked in on the machines, doctors, and medications being used to help the babies within, I was especially struck by the fighting power in each of their tiny babies. They are the smallest patients in the hospital, but they are resilient. I go through my classes in the hopes of one day helping them, but they've already helped me. They inspire me each and every day to fight with everything that I have. And if they can beat the odds when the odds are seemingly completely stacked against them, I can overcome the small obstacles in my life.