142 Research Reflection by Emily Singer

Faculty Mentor: Akiko Kamimura (Sociology, University of Utah)

Understanding the health of underserved populations is directly related to my future plans as it is my career goal to become a nurse. After earning my Honors Bachelor of Science in Family, Community, and Human Development at the University of Utah, I will attend nursing school to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After establishing my career, I hope to travel and provide care to underserved populations to help improve their health. In order to be a well rounded professional in the medical field, I need to learn about how the health of underserved and underrepresented populations is affected by events that affect all populations. Along with the knowledge I gained from the results of my studies, research plays an important role in my educational and career goals. I learned how conclusions are scientifically drawn, how to support my findings, and how to overcome obstacles as well as enhanced my ability to critically analyze data. Conducting research has prepared me well for the further schooling that lies ahead of me, including nursing school. This specific research project gave me first-hand experience with underserved populations, which will make me better able to serve this population in the future. Recognizing health discrepancies will make me better able to serve my community and ultimately a better nurse.