2019 CIIP Program Book CIIP Booklet 2019

Community Partner: STAR TRACK Intern: Chanel Lee Site Supervisor: Eva Fury What is STAR TRACK? We’re a community clinic supported by a team of health educators, peer naviga- tors, nurses, doctors, geeks, queens, weirdos, and cool kids. We provide health care, community leadership development, and kick-ass programming for youth and young adults 12 to 26 years old. Working at STAR TRACK has allowed me to engage in the Baltimore community in a unique health capacity that I have not experienced before. From speaking with community members about HIV/STD prevention and safer sex to assisting an emotional wellness presentation at a children’s guild, I have in- teracted with different communities and explored sides of healthcare that I am passionate about. One of the beauties of my placement was the constant opportunity to learn about and research pressing health- care issues. I had the chance to attend a workshop on HIV criminalization laws, observe an LGBTQ 101 training, and independently design an LGBTQ competency training for physicians-in-training. Through these health and social justice lenses, I learned just how exclusive and punitive the healthcare world is for the most disadvantaged people, a sad truth that has only served to motivate me more in pushing the fight for safer, more inclusive, and more affirming spaces and services for marginalized communities as a future physician. Another gem of my internship was the unconventional work culture and philosophy at STAR TRACK. STAR TRACK is best summed up as “an anti-establishment of professionalism”. People show up to work dressed however they feel the most comfortable: ripped shorts, snapbacks, glitzy dresses, tattoos, pierc- ings, dyed hair – you name it. The STAR TRACK team also represents a diverse spectrum of ages, gen- ders, sexualities, educational backgrounds, experiences, and personalities, directly reflecting the com- munities they serve. Having such a wide range of characters always makes for a lively and unpredictable office. With Beyoncé blasting in the background, expletives and cheeky laughs flooding the air, and the occasional horseplaying, you can never get bored. STAR TRACK unapologetically crushes the cis-hete- ro-patriarchal, white-supremacist, male-centered view of what it means to be correctly professional and successful, which is why I love it. Throughout my internship, I juggled with how I could make myself useful to STAR TRACK. What skills do I possess to help elevate the community I am trying to serve? Ultimately, what I could say with confi- dence was a love for healthcare, an openness to new experiences and honest mistakes, and a genuine willingness to serve—all of which have been strengthened through CIIP. In all, I am grateful to have had this phenomenally formative experience in community and to be walking away with tremendous knowl- edge gained. 44 • Tabled and assisted with outreach events, including the Baltimore Pride Youth Zone, community health re- source fairs, and STD testing events • Researched best practices for serving LGBTQ+ patients and created a clin- ical and cultural competency training presentation and trivia game for physi- cians-in-training • Distributed sexual health and disease prevention informational resources to community members • Designed an interactive mental health and wellness presentation for young boys and assisted an emotional well- ness presentation at a children’s guild • Performed administrative tasks - com- pleting EIS (Early Intervention Ser- vices) forms, answering all incoming calls and inquiries, and assembling and stocking sexual health education materials (e.g., safe sex kits, bro- chures, and pins)

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