Prevounce Health, a leading provider of remote care management software, devices, and services, congratulates Sydney Vaughn, recipient of the fourth annual Prevounce Preventive Health Undergraduate Scholarship.
The Prevounce Preventative Health Undergraduate Scholarship was open to students entering or already established in an accredited, U.S.-based undergraduate program who are pursuing a career in healthcare. Vaughn is originally from San Antonio, Texas, and now attends Brown University where she is pursuing a career as a pediatric surgeon and/or obstetric surgeon.
Sydney Vaughn: My childhood consisted of doctor appointments, therapy sessions, and witnessing my family prepare and recover from 20-plus surgeries as my brother, who is 18 months younger than me, is a uniquely abled individual with many physical challenges. While my childhood experiences may seem burdensome, the impact on my life was quite the opposite. Growing up surrounded by medical professionals taught me the power of empathetic healthcare. I hope to deliver this same positive impact my family received from the surgeons, clinicians, nurses, and therapists to my patients when I serve as a physician/surgeon in the future.
SV: Serving as one of the first interns for the Prevention Health Clinic at the Veteran Affairs Hospital in Palo Alto, California, bolstered my passion for medical service as it truly reinforced the importance of humanistic medicine. Not only did I write the script that countless interns now use when contacting veterans to educate them about the importance of colonoscopies, colon cancer prevention, and blood pressure tracking for cardiovascular health, but my efforts also contributed to bringing the clinic from failing certain metrics in general medicine and preventive health to now being nationally recognized as a top performer.
The most valuable lesson I learned from this internship was the true power of compassionate medical care. I never had the opportunity to meet the veterans with whom I was speaking in person because our conversations were over the phone. This caused me to be creative in my approach to demonstrating empathy. Through this experience, I now have a greater understanding of how to demonstrate compassion for my patients, with the goal of ultimately demonstrating that their health and wellbeing are my priority, regardless of the platform or modality the care is delivered.
SV: My passion for medicine continues to grow. My lifelong dream of becoming a physician was made attainable through my acceptance into medical school in high school via Brown University's Program in Liberal Medical Education at the Warren Alpert Medical School, which has a 1.8% acceptance rate. This program has removed barriers to accessing a medical education and has provided me with the opportunity to be intentional about choosing a specialty because I can focus on skills that translate into direct patient care.
This semester, through the program, I visited an operating room (OR) twice for two different surgeries performed by two different surgeons. Prior to this experience, the thought of becoming a surgeon seemed extremely daunting, and I could never envision myself as a surgeon in the OR. However, I now have a strong desire to pursue a career in surgery to meticulously eliminate ailments from my patients that actively contribute to enhancing their daily lives. I am currently exploring surgical specialties but have a particular interest in obstetric surgery and pediatric surgery.
SV: The Prevounce Preventive Health Scholarship will greatly help me achieve my academic and professional goals. The cost of higher education far exceeds any bill that I could ever imagine affording. I work as a resident assistant, peer advisor, and tutor during the academic year and then work a paid internship during the summer. Every dollar earned and granted helps pay the tuition due. The Prevounce Preventive Health Scholarship helps reduce some of the stress associated with affording school.