Making a Difference: The Free Clinic Extraordinary Volunteers

Free Clinic

“I love the collaboration and teaching that goes on in the clinic between students, staff and physicians at The Free Clinic. Volunteering at The Free Clinic allows me to make a positive impact on this community by serving the people who depend on the clinic as their primary source of health care. It’s a great feeling caring for the patients.

My most memorable experience at The Free Clinic was with a patient who came in with worsening symptoms of heart failure. He was taking the maximum medications, but his condition continued to worsen. We sat and talked for a while, and I listened to him share his worries about the future. Even though there wasn’t much we could do for his condition, he felt relieved to talk to someone, to lift some of the burden. This experience reminded me that sometimes the best medicine is compassion.”

Elizabeth Cook, a second-year medical student, is from Columbus, Ohio. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2009 from Texas Christian University. Before coming to medical school, she was an elementary school art teacher in the Dallas area for 5 years.

 

Related Stories

Willed Body Memorial Service Honors Those Who Donated

On Memorial Day each May, a service is conducted at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Institute of Anatomical Sciences to pay respect to the Willed Body Program donors and their families.

Molecular Pathology Preceptorship: Unmatched Value and Experience

Ericka Hendrix, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, Program Director and Associate Professor in the Master of Science in Molecular Pathology program in the School of Health Professions spoke about the program’s preceptorship.

Moseley Named Permian Basin Regional Dean of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing

Kelly Moseley, DHSc, R.N., has been named the TTUHSC School of Nursing regional dean in the Permian Basin.

Recent Stories

Research

TTUHSC Researchers to Study Gene’s Role in Prostate Cancer Metastasis

With support from a three-year, $1.85 million grant, Srinivas Nandana, Ph.D., and co-investigator Manisha Tripathi, Ph.D., from the Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry at the TTUHSC School of Medicine will investigate the role of TBX2.

Education

TTUHSC Professor and Surgeon Receives National Award

The American Burn Association (ABA) recently presented the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to TTUHSC professor and burn surgeon John A. Griswold, M.D.

Research

TTUHSC Researcher Receives National Award

The AACR presented its Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research Award to TTUHSC Associate Professor Duke Appiah, Ph.D., MPH, at the AACR 2025 Annual Meeting in Chicago recently.