Meet our Team: Bina Patel
When I was sixteen, I obtained my license to be an emergency medical technician. Becoming an EMT has allowed me to offer my services at the local rescue squad and free clinic in my hometown of Martinsville, Va. Volunteering at these places is not only beneficial to the people I help, but also beneficial to me. Through volunteering at the rescue squad and clinic, I have gained a great deal of experience in the medical field. It has given me a chance to look at medicine in many different viewpoints and has helped me decide that my future belongs in the medical field as a physician. On a deeper level, I think volunteering has given me perspective by allowing me to see the important aspects of life. From seeing children battling for their lives and people dying from cancer, I realized that life is full of happiness and disappointment. Furthermore, I discovered that life is short; therefore, hard work is necessary to utilize time wisely. My favorite quote, by Anne of Green Gables, embodies my philosophy on life. This quote states: �Life is not what the world holds for you, it�s what you bring to it.� I sincerely believe that volunteering has helped me find what I want to �bring� to the world. Contributing to other people�s lives bestows a sense of achievement and joy that can only be found by helping others. Therefore, my volunteer experiences have not only helped me to discover my love for the medical field, but also my passion for helping people.
Going to Kolkata will be an incredible learning experience. Hopefully, I will be able to use my past experiences and help the community. Overall, working with the people, the physicians, and my fellow team members in a very different country, culture, and health care system will allow me to grow and become a more well-rounded person.