The Expense of Health by Jasmine

The Expense of Health by Jasmine - April 2023 Scholarship Essay

It is a double edged sword being a nursing major with outstanding medical debt. I am devoted and immersed in the field of medicine, through helping patients and allowing them to hopefully recover and bounce back to their post-illness selves. However, as I take on the role of a student nurse in college, I first hand see patients having to decline medical treatment due to the costs, whether they are medically insured or not. I also notice patients having to ask family for assistance, work multiple jobs, apply for aid but get denied and so forth, all just to receive the crucial help they need.

I show empathy to these patients because I am resonating with them deeply. I too, have my own medical debt and while it has slowly gone done, another procedure comes along to skyrocket it up again. It is a never ending cycle, especially when you need treatments consistently to keep your body functioning as optimally as possible. With the knowledge I have of being a student nurse but also a patient directly affected by medical costs, I would use the money and knowledge given, to cut the costs of medical equipment, medications and the overall expense of visiting the doctor.

It is inhumane for someone to not be treated with dignity due to their financial hardships. I would teach people the importance of medicine and why it is so important for it to be available to all, regardless of income. I would use the unlimited funds to cancel out all medical debt and take time visiting people who are directly affected by their medical costs. The expense of health should not be extortionate but rather equally accessible across the board.