Timmy Global Health is an international nonprofit organization devoted to expanding access to sustainable healthcare worldwide. I got involved with the IUPUI chapter of Timmy my freshman year, and in the summer of 2013, I began regularly volunteering with Timmy at the IU School of Medicine’s Student Outreach Clinic (IUSOC) as a front desk registration worker. The IUSOC provides free medical, dental, social work, physical therapy, and legal services to underserved populations here in Indianapolis. In May 2013 I was elected to IUPUI Timmy’s executive board as the IUSOC Director of Volunteers for 2014-15. As part of my position, I organize undergraduate student involvement with the program, train new volunteers, serve as the Registration Vice-Chair for IUSOC partners meetings, and volunteer myself as registration manager twice a month.

     I also had the amazing opportunity to participate in Timmy 's annual medical brigade to the Dominican Republic twice - in March 2014 and March 2015. Each year IUPUI sends 10-20 students and a group of medical professionals to the D.R. for the duration of spring break. We run five days of free clinics in different bateys – impoverished rural communities of banana plantation workers. In 2014, with twelve students, four healthcare providers, and one pharmacist, we were able to treat 390 patients over the course of the week. Please click here for a detailed report of the brigade. 

     This trip was my first time out of the country, and it was definitely an unforgettable experience. It opened a lot of doors to future volunteer endeavors in global health, which I intend to pursue. I recently returned from the 2015  Timmy brigade, this time to Las Canas, D.R., and I hope to participate in a Timmy alumni brigade at some point. Unfortunately IUPUI students are only eligible to attend two brigades as undergraduates, so I have also looked into programs like International Service Learning for 2016. Eventually I hope to participate in a more long-term program like Doctors Without Borders. I'm currently in the process of learning Spanish, and I hope that trips to Latin America will continue to improve my knowledge of the language and culture.