A Private Burden for Public Health For pre-med student Mohit Gupta, passion for medicine deepened through a hands-on internship and research in a diverse urban environment. Mo worked at the Mt. Sinai Hospital in a southwest section of Chicago—a community with a high minority population. The junior zoology major spent much of his 12-hour days working with doctors, medical students, and research graduates. "I got so much advice from the med students," he said. In addition to his work in the emergency room, Mo conducted research with a medical student to assess health literacy in adults. He surveyed individuals at the nearby Mt. Sinai Clinic to find out if certain populations understand medical information differently. Mo said the most challenging aspect of his work was communicating with the high quantity of Spanish-speaking patients at the hospital. Working in an urban, inner-city environment made Mo even more passionate about his career path. "In this type of community, these people truly want your help and really need your help. I get to witness that. I get to see the reasons why people become doctors and why it's such an important thing to help these people out." The Cincinnati native chose Chicago as his first choice for the Urban Leadership Internship Program. "I love it," he said. "I love the interaction when you're riding on the train or on the bus. It's such a diverse community in Chicago."

• Cultivating Leadership • Culture Study by Design • The Importance of Ground Work • Inside Washington • Job Searching of a Different Kind • On Her Way to the Top • One of the Crew • A Private Burden for Public Health • Reading Matters • Researching History Where It was Made • Shaping Policy through Medical Research • The Thrill of Discovery • The Truth About AIDS • Working for a Green Space "The internship made me realize that I'd love to do something like this when I graduate. It's definitely a life-changing experience." —Lauren Wilcher Read more >>