Building the Foundations of Patient-Focused Outcomes

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Patient-Focused Outcomes

Honors Contract in Ethics and Diversity in Psychology

This paper was an honors contract I completed in my Ethics and Diversity in Psychology course during my sophomore year. In this paper, I explored how environmental factors shape cultural identity, health beliefs, and behavioral norms. This project required academic research, critical analysis, and application to real-world healthcare contexts.

This experience strengthened my cultural competence, and deepened my understanding of how social determinants and environments influence patient perspectives. This project marked an early step I took in developing a culture-informed approach to patient care, and has helped structure my identity as a future healthcare provider as I work towards patient-focused outcomes.

Application is no longer available.

Patient-Focused Outcomes

Work as a Clinical Coordinator in a Team-Based Care Clinic

As a clinical coordinator in a team-based care clinic, I have worked alongside chaplains, dentists, medical assistants, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, and physicians to support patient care and clinic operations. I have had opportunities to shadow providers across disciplines and observe how collaborative care models can function in a healthcare system as they work together to create patient-focused outcomes.

This experience has given me firsthand exposure to interprofessional teamwork and holistic practice. Observing how different professionals communicate, coordinate, and contribute to patient outcomes strengthened my understanding of comprehensive care. It reinforced the importance of collaboration, respect, and clear communication as a provider, and these skills are essential to my future role as a dentist working within the broader healthcare system with an emphasis on those patient-focused outcomes.

A picture of me with the IU Interprofessional Education Department at the May 2025 IPE Celebration

Patient-Focused Outcomes

Opioid Epidemic Policy Brief

This is a policy brief I wrote for my medical humanities class that examines the history and current state of the opioid epidemic in the United states. In this paper, I analyzed contributing factors, public health consequences, and evidence-based policy directions aimed at addressing the crisis.

Through this research, I gained a deeper understanding of the ethical and public health responsibilities associated with prescribing practices for better patient-focused outcomes. When choosing this topic, I considered the role dentistry has played in the epidemic, which has strengthened my commitment to evidence-based pain management and stigma-informed care. This experience has expanded my awareness of how clinical decisions extend beyond individual patients and impact communities system wide.

Application is no longer available.

Patient-Focused Outcomes

How These Experiences have Impacted my Emerging Expertise in Creating Patient-Focused Outcomes

A picture of me at a rural health wellness fair with the IU IPE

Through these experiences, I have grown in my cultural competence, interprofessional awareness, and understanding of healthcare systems. My honors contract deepened my ability to approach patient care through a culturally informed lens, recognizing how environment and lived experience shape health behaviors. Working as a clinical coordinator strengthened my appreciation for team-based care and the roles different professionals play in achieving patient-focused outcomes. Writing my opioid epidemic policy brief expanded my understanding of the ethical responsibilities providers carry, particularly in dentistry, where prescribing practices have significant public health implications. These experiences have strengthened my confidence in my ability to think critically about patient care beyond procedures and diagnoses.. This growth directly aligns with my goal of becoming a dentist who practices thoughtful, equitable, and evidence-based care.

Patient-Focused Outcomes

A picture of me at the 2025 IUI Student Employee Awards & Recognition Ceremony with my supervisor and fellow student employees

As I prepare to enter the field of dentistry, I recognize that effective dental care requires more than clinical skill; it demands cultural humility, interprofessional collaboration, and ethical accountability. Through academic research, clinical coordination in a team-based care setting, and policy analysis of the opioid epidemic and its connection to dental prescribing practices, I have developed a deeper understanding of the systemic and human factors that shape oral health outcomes. Together, these experiences reflect my emerging identity as a dentist committed to equitable, evidence-based, and patient-focused outcomes.