b"each child through facilitating theseFor our well-being, students can find aand lower levels of IL-6, a key marker conversations with a family facing grief.new tangible metric to define successof chronic inflammation. (1)It would be Whether it was said or paraphrased,outside of grades through volunteering.encouraging to see continued growth helping others was a paramount ideaThe positive impact made on anotherin both this line of research and student in many of our personal statementsperson, whether seen through a smile,volunteer efforts. when we entered medical school andhug or explicit gratitude from someoneYour education is up to you. I often again as we apply to residency.who knew to call 911 and push hard andchallenge you to spend your However, I ask, why should thatfast in the center of their loved onespreclinical years beyond the library reignition of passion wait until wechest until help arrived, can help reduceand actively work to improve graduate? Emergency medicine is astress and strengthen perseveranceyour emotional intelligence, powerful yet gentle field where you trulythroughout medical school. Althoughcompassion and advocacy through meet your patients on their worst days.research on this topic is still emerging,volunteering. The communities we Our professors, mentors and preceptorsa 2023 multi-institutional studyhope to serve tomorrow are calling prepare us for this inevitable position.found a cross-sectional associationfor us today. You have value and As students can we help preparebetween support-giving, defined asskills right now that can already others for their worst day? Last year theself-reported hours giving emotionalmake a meaningful impact. PCOM Emergency Medicine Interestsupport or unpaid assistance to others, Group did just this by using the Texas Two Step CPR protocol. We brought (1) Inagaki TK, Alvarez GM, Orehek E, Ferrer RA, Manuck SB, Abaya NM, Muscatell KA. Support-Giving Is Associated our school's CPR mannequins and ourWith Lower Systemic Inflammation. Ann Behav Med. 2023 May 23;57(6):499-507. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaac059. PMID: preclinical knowledge that was freshly37036113; PMCID: PMC10413322.squeezed into our heads directly into our community. We attended block parties, local races and community wellness events to teach our neighbors the fundamentals of CPR and how to respond in crisis. Volunteering is often seen as a mandatory box to check, however it should be viewed more as an opportunity to empower others through education and shape our identities as compassionate advocates.PACEP News | Spring 2025 17"