Andrea Grillini
Hometown: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Major: Doctor of Medicine
Expected date of graduation: 2020
Andrea was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society in 2018, and she was a participant in the Bioethics and Professionalism Honors Program and the Physician Vocation Program at the Stritch School of Medicine.
On campus and in the community, Andrea has contributed extensively in leadership, service and mentorship initiatives. As vice president of the Bioethics Interest Group, Andrea has worked closely with faculty in planning events and leading her team in cultivating connections in the community. As the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Chicagoland Fellowship liaison, she has communicated program opportunities, actively attended meetings and aided in fostering a valued network of peers and physicians. Andrea has also been involved with the Community Health Clinic, and programs such as Back on My Feet, Hope of the Day, and the Center for Courageous Kids.
Here, Andrea shares her most meaningful service work at Loyola and talks about the impact scholarships have had on her education.
What was the most meaningful volunteer, service, or student organization activity you’ve been involved in? How has it influenced you or shaped you as a person?
I served as a phlebotomy coordinator at Community Health Clinic, the largest volunteer-based, free clinic in the nation. CHC provides patient-centered care at no cost to low-income, uninsured adults. The clinic’s mission is to serve the vulnerable individuals who fall through the cracks of our health care system. I am deeply appreciative for having had the opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful mission. This experience has shaped the physician I hope to become by teaching me how to think outside the box in the setting of sometimes troubling medical/social situations.
Have you received any scholarship support? If so, how has it impacted your experience at Loyola?
I have received scholarship support during each of my four years attending Loyola, and this has made an enormous difference in my educational experience. I am a first-generation college graduate, and the first in my family to pursue a career in medicine. I have my parents and grandparents to thank for instilling such a fierce work ethic in me. That being said, the financial demand of a medical education can still be quite stressful. I am grateful for the opportunities Loyola and the University’s generous donors have provided for me.
What do you hope to achieve after college, and how has Loyola prepared you?
I hope to continue my medical training at an internal medicine program in the Chicagoland area. My education at Loyola and participation in the Physician Vocation Program have helped me to view medicine as a calling. To me, this vocation means accompanying patients through times of vulnerability and as such, practicing medicine is an immense privilege. It is my hope that incorporating this training into interactions with my patients will make a meaningful difference in their path towards healing.
