Volunteer spotlight: The University Retirees Volunteer Center recruited 55 mentors for the 2019–20 1Health Community Teacher Program, including UMRA member Jeanne Markell, who describes the experience as both satisfying and inspiring.— Randi Lundell, volunteer officer manager, URVC

For the past five years I’ve had the rewarding experience of volunteering as a community teacher through the U of M’s 1Health Community Teacher Program. This educational program pairs medical, pharmacy, occupational therapy, social work, and nursing students with volunteers who share stories of their personal health challenges. Teams of three to four students and volunteers meet three times during the academic year. 

Fortunately, my health issue, primary biliary cholangitis or PBC, is managed with meds and I continue to be asymptomatic and healthy. But it’s my decade-long experience of accessing medical and pharmaceutical care that makes me a good participant in this program.  

Health professional students and their community teachers get to know each other by engaging in meaningful conversations. Together they explore ways interprofessional teams can collaborate to better understand a client’s strengths, needs, and opportunities for well-being. Students experience the value of looking across the silos of their majors for more holistic care. For community teachers, it's the satisfaction of contributing a real-life story to augment what’s happening in the classroom. 

This is not a burdensome volunteer commitment. Time invested is minimal, involving online communication with the student team for scheduling meetings plus three 90-minute meetings. It’s been so inspiring every year to meet a new team of bright, dedicated, diverse students and help them understand their future challenges from beyond an academic or clinical setting. I applaud this program, support its objectives, and plan to continue for as long as I can. 

If you’re someone with an acute or chronic health condition, I urge you to consider becoming a volunteer, too. I’m open to your conversations and questions.

—Jeanne Markell, [email protected]