This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter.
This week’s campus celeb is Courtney Fallon, the president of Health Professions for Quality Care. Courtney is a junior biology major from Saint Charles, MO. As well as being the President of HPQC, Courtney is also a member of Sigma Kappa and a few other campus organizations.
Her Campus Mizzou: What is Health Professions for Quality Care?
Courtney Fallon: The purpose of Health Professions for Quality Care is to provide a venue in which students from all of the pre-health professions can share topics and concepts important to their respective professions, enabling each member to better understand the perspectives of other professions. The focus of the organization is on working together to improve the quality of care we provide to our current and future patients.
HCM: What types of events do you participate in/plan as the president of HPQC?
CF: Every other Tuesday we have a guest speaker come in and talk about their profession, whether it be a physician, dentist, physical therapist, med student, nurse, etc… This gives students an inside look at the profession and see if it’s something they would like to learn more about. When we don’t have a meeting, we have a volunteer event that week. As president, I am the one who is in charge of contacting most of our guest speakers and different volunteer organizations.
HCM: Why did you get decide to get involved in this organization?
CF: When I first came to Mizzou I was set on becoming a physician. I have been a part of this club since I was a first semester freshman. When I was a sophomore we had a dentist come in to speak with us and that is the moment I decided I wanted to persue dentistry. Getting to speak with him one on one allowed me to really see how much he truly loved his job. I feel like exploring all the health professions is very important, especially while you’re an underclassman. You may think you know what you want to do, but maybe there’s a job out there that you never even considered. I am also very passionate about volunteering, and volunteering with the other members of HPQC makes it that much more fun! We always have a blast doing whatever volunteer opportunity we may be doing that week. I look forward to it every time.
HCM: What is your favorite memory from being in HPQC?
CF: My favorite memory from HPQC would be playing poker/bingo with the veterans at the VA hospital. We go there almost every week and every single time my abs end up hurting by the end of it because I had been laughing so hard! They also have so many great stories to share. You can tell that they look forward to it each and every week. A lot of the veterans don’t get many visitors, so they love having us come in to keep them company. It’s a truly indescribable feeling to see their faces light up when we walk in.
HCM: Are you involved in any other campus organizations? If so, what are they?
CF: I am also apart of Sigma Kappa sorority, Wishmakers on campus, and Mizzou Alternative Breaks. WIshmakers on campus is a great organization for anyone interested in the Make A Wish Foundation. I have been on two Mizzou Alternative Break trips (one of which I led) and they have been some of the best weeks of my life.
Next HPQC meeting will be September 25th, 6:30pm in 102 Arts & Sciences.