The Haverford athletic community is doing its part to contribute to the battle against COVID-19. This summer, we are checking in with those who are making a difference on the frontlines. 

Allie Chen '13 (Women's Soccer) 
Internal Medicine Intern, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center (Sylmar, Calif.) 

 "As a newly minted physician, people often ask, 'So are you still in school?', and while we are still in training, we are truly on the frontlines. As an intern, we spend most of our year taking care of hospitalized patients and are their primary physician -- we are responsible for knowing their symptoms, labs and imaging results, making sure they are receiving the best treatment, and making sure they understand their own illnesses. 

 

My hospital is one of the main hospitals of Los Angeles County, and is considered a 'safety net hospital', which means the majority of our patients are underinsured or uninsured. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been proud of our institution, which provides care to a population that has been disproportionately affected by the virus; the death rate amongst minorities has proven to be higher than other ethnicities. 

 

Intern year has been mentally and physically exhausting and as I finish up my last few weeks of the year in the Intensive Care Unit, I'm still grateful. After this, I'll be moving across town to University of Southern California to finish my residency in Dermatology. Though my career won't be as on the frontlines, I'm still grateful for the unique position I have as a physician - one in which people let me into their lives in hopes of helping to make it a little bit better."