2019 CIIP Program Book CIIP Booklet 2019 | Page 35

Community Partner:
MERIT Health Leadership Academy
Peer Mentor: Keone Aliphios
Site Supervisor: Erika Sulecki
What is MERIT?
MERIT aims to eliminate health care disparities
by transforming underrepresented high school
students into health care leaders.
• Facilitate MERIT’s pre-medi-
cal summer internship for 34
underrepresented, Baltimore
City high school students at
the Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Assist instructors with teach-
ing clinical curriculum and uti-
lizing grading tracker in cata-
loging students’ performance
in the program
• Advise MERIT scholars on
clinical shadowing, college
applications, and career
goals.
• Coordinate with multiple
organizations to ensure stu-
dents are paid and placed
with different medical precep-
tors each week
34
I have two red notebooks, each representing a summer spent doing CIIP. As I reflect on my intern-
ship, I can’t limit my experiences to just the past eight weeks. That would not do it justice, both to
you, the reader, and me. Instead, let’s review it for what it is: a year(ish)-long journey with CIIP and
MERIT.
Our story begins with my older notebook. Its red covers held by staples and sticky notes peeping
from its sides. Similar to a catalog or agenda, I wrote mostly tasks and appointments, many ranging
from materials I needed for my class to my surgical follow-ups. I wrote my students names to help
me memorize them and contact information from people I met along the way. During the school
year, I used it as my planner and brought it along with me to interviews/events. Based on my note-
book, the summer and school year seemed pretty bland, but I chose not to write behind a book.
Throughout all the beauty and struggle last year, I prioritized experience over reflection and left
writing about these memories to the weekly blogs.
In the spring, I shifted over to the newer notebook. Its bright red cover and intact spine drove me
to change its purpose. As a peer mentor and working with MERIT a second time, I wanted my note-
book to be my journal, capturing every significant moment and writing my takeaways. I wrote my
summer goals with my supervisor, quotes I heard from speakers and panelists, and reflections on
discussions I’ve had with my students and colleagues. Returning to MERIT, I’ve developed more in-
depth relationships, learned the basics of running a successful non-profit, and taught a new cohort
of Scholars. I even had the opportunity to apply what I learned during Orientation like establishing
community agreements and using non-binary language. Doing CIIP a second time allowed me to
be more perceptive and discover new insights in what I thought was a familiar environment.
It’s been a wild adventure. CIIP and working with MERIT has been one of the most defining experi-
ences in my Hopkins career and has shaped my perception of Baltimore. While the program is com-
ing to a close, the journey is still not over. There are still more pages to be filled in my notebook.