Summer 2013 COM Outlook | NSU College of Osteopathic Medicine

36 COM Outlook . Summer 2013 By Debra R. Gibbs, B.A., Medical Communications Coordinator background had given her an advantage her students did not have. Consequently, while pursuing her Master of Arts degree in Teaching at American University in Washington, D.C., she spent two years with Teach For America—a ser- vice corps that offered the opportunity to work and teach in underserved neighborhoods. Two weeks into her first year with Teach For America, one of Dr. Young’s female high school students was killed by gang violence. That tragedy helped forge her commit- ment to help adolescents overcome poverty, hunger, un- planned pregnancy, illness, and violence. In her first year with the organization, only a handful of the more than 160 students graduated from high school, while some dropped out due to unplanned teenage pregnancy. As a result, Dr. Young committed herself to becoming a leader of social change to improve adolescent and women’s health. At Teach For America, her interest in osteopathic medi- cine was sparked by a discussion with her University of Pennsylvania premed adviser, who suggested that allopath- ic medical schools may not offer the best means to achieve her goals of practicing equitable and holistic primary care. The adviser explained that students who have diverse any view commencement as an ending, but it actu- ally is much more of a beginning. As some gradu- ates revel in the relief of finishing their medical degrees, many others are already moving toward promising futures. Emily Young, D.O., M.A., M.P.H., is one of those successful graduates poised to bring health care to those in need. Her desire for a career dedicated to healing others began while growing up in St. Petersburg, Florida, where she lived at the Ronald McDonald House—the nonprofit organization that offers families a place to call home while their children receive care in a nearby hospital—and where her mother has been the onsite director for over 30 years. Seeing her mother comfort low-income families from around the world that had children in the nearby hospital offered invaluable insight, Dr. Young said. Her concern for others grew as her life progressed. At- tending the University of Pennsylvania for undergraduate studies in biology cultivated a deep commitment to social justice. As an assistant in a program for West Philadelphia secondary school science classes, Dr. Young learned that the students there were just as bright, if not smarter, than she was. She also realized that her supportive middle-class CLASS OF 2013 SPOTLIGHT Crusader for Care: Dr. Emily Young M Wedding day at Clearwater Beach, Florida, on November 21, 2012.