University Of Alabama: From Small Town To Mayo Clinic, Graduate Driven To Boost Rural Health

Tuscaloosa AL

20 April, 2022

6:01 AM

Description

Press release from the University of Alabama: April 19, 2022 Growing up in Fayette, Alabama, Mason Aldridge witnessed the challenges to accessing health care that people living in rural communities face. He also experienced firsthand the difference one person can make. As a teenager sitting in a hospital room surrounded by his family, Aldridge watched the nurse caring for his grandfather during his final days. Aldridge was struck by the nurse's compassion and professionalism. He found his true calling. "Being by someone's side and knowing you've done everything you can do to make their day just a little better is something that I value and is what drew me to health care," Aldridge said. His passion to serve others in rural communities stemmed from his personal experiences, but his journey to the Capstone started with the University's Rural Health Scholars program. Aldridge attended the RHS program before the start of his senior year of high school in 2017. The hands-on program let Aldridge shadow health care workers, visit rural facilities and gain valuable knowledge about the state's health care system. After graduation, Aldridge will head to the nurse residency program at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he will work in the pediatric intensive care unit. But that is not the last stop for the Alabama native. "I would love to earn a Doctor of Nursing, have my own practice on the side and then pursue either a master's degree or a doctoral degree in public policy or in health policy," Aldridge said. "I want to be the person bridging the gap between what we are doing in practice and what we can do in policy. That way, we have better outcomes for not only the providers but also for the patients." This press release was produced by the University of Alabama. The views expressed here are the author's own.