National Health Corps Philadelphia Blog

One of the pivotal moments for me during these interviews was speaking with the mother of a son we helped a few months earlier. He had recently moved to Philadelphia due to a fatal health concern and was having trouble getting health coverage. One of my colleagues was able to get him Medicaid in a matter of days which allowed him to get a surgery that saved his life.

Cultural humility, as opposed to cultural competency, does not require the acquisition of total knowledge of all cultures, but rather an understanding of the ways that cultural upbringings influence our interactions and perceptions of the world. Through practicing cultural humility, cultural difference can become less of a barrier to relationships or service provision, and instead creates space for self-reflection and a continual, reciprocal learning process.

I stated that my biggest fear was not being prepared for a year in public health...

There is something so powerful and unique about taking our shared experience and sociocultural education in Philly which bonds us so tightly out into the world for the next phase of our lives.