Keven Cabrera is a 4th year medical resident at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. “I completed a month long elective with NYSCEHC and the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at Mount Sinai and it exceeded my expectations. Earlier in my schooling I had decided I wanted to combine my passion for environmental sciences with my passion for medicine and was able to find the amazing faculty at Mount Sinai to help me figure out how. Beyond learning about how intricately our environment, both built and natural, intertwines with children’s health, I learned about how to formulate healthcare messages in an effective way, how to work within government to enact change, and how to work alongside communities to protect children’s health. From local public health projects to providing expert recommendations to NYC Council and attending EPA meetings, everyone I met was excited to get me involved and, most importantly, to teach me applicable knowledge and skills for my future career. The elective was something I had planned on participating in prior to medical school, after I met a few of the physicians at a local meeting, and I am so glad I had the opportunity. I know that I will use everything I learned regardless of the path I take in medicine and that I have made life long connections to help me along the way.”
