2018 Mississippi INBRE Service Scholar, Ian Taylor from Millsaps College finished his summer research experience with new perspectives and a renewed ambition to accomplish his goals. He originally applied for the Service Scholars program to explore the field of public health and to have a better overall view of how community-based programs address health concerns in the state.

“I think this internship helped me to reach my goals by providing me the experience of working at Open Arms Healthcare Center where the emphasis is on taking care of anyone and everyone. Seeing this model of healthcare and seeing how caring the staff was for patients opened my eyes to the type of role I could play in the future by being a physician that shows both empathy for others and understanding for the social norms and rules that influence our health,” said Ian.

During his internship, Ian was able to learn from the variety of experiences he was able to participate in. He was able to see first-hand the health disparities faced by various communities in Mississippi. He believes that this experience helped him by teaching him how to better interact with patients.

Ian’s goal is to obtain an M.D. and an M.P.H. with a focus on healthcare administration and policy. He plans to not only practice medicine, but he also wants to help better the state of the healthcare system by implementing policies that open doors for more access to healthcare and that address health disparities.

Congratulations, Ian on accomplishing great things during your summer experience. We look forward to seeing you accomplish all of your goals!