Awarded to only 30 medical and graduate students each year, the $4,000 grant provided financial support for Polhill to complete a preceptorship in rheumatology. Preceptorships encourage students to learn more about rheumatology and pursue careers in the field by supporting a one-on-one, real-world learning experience.
A native of Birmingham, Polhill worked with pediatric rheumatologist Melissa Mannion, M.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During her preceptorship, she studied qualitative analysis and coding of interviews for pediatric rheumatology groups. The goal of her research was to understand the differences in institutional context that may influence the quality of care delivered to children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
This past summer, Polhill shadowed Mannion at Camp MASH, or Make Arthritis Stop Hurting, a camp for children ages 7 to 17 with a form of juvenile arthritis or a related auto-immune disease. Mannion encouraged Polhill to apply for the preceptorship award through the Rheumatology Research Foundation.
A graduate of Brigham Young University, Polhill said she is grateful for the experience and knowledge she gained through the preceptorship.
