This month’s spotlight is on Dr. Rebecca Fitzpatrick! She is in her final year of residency at Rush Hospital. Originally from Texas, Dr. Fitzpatrick came to Chicago after graduating med school in order to “try something different.” In the future, she hopes to pursue a fellowship in Rheumatology. We love having Dr. Fitzpatrick in the clinic. Get to know her by checking out her answers below!
If you could have any superpower, which would you choose?
Flying – seems much easier to get places that way.
What does your ideal vacation look like?
I would like to go somewhere with a lot of sites and good food! I like to stay busy.
Why and how did you begin volunteering at CommunityHealth?
I began working at CommunityHealth in my second month of residency for my clinic. I asked to be placed at this clinic because I wanted to work with this patient population.
Do you remember your first day? What surprised you?
I do remember my first day a CommunityHealth and I remember that it was so well organized and that everyone who worked there was so happy and cared so much for the patients.
What has kept you volunteering all this time?
I really enjoy the patients. They makes me smile all the time and working there is the best part of my week. Everyone so grateful and kind. I love hearing their life stories.
What has been your biggest takeaway from your time with CommunityHealth, and how does this impact your other life or career goals?
I have really learned how rewarding it is to work with this patient population. I would like to continue to work with this patient population for the rest of my life.
How has working with CommunityHealth influenced your perception of healthcare?
I think working here has helped me understand just how hard it is for every single patient to navigate the healthcare system and how complicated and complex it is – especially if you are doing it in another language.