Mikki's Story

Class of 2011 medical student Mikki Kollisch wants to be a surgeon. "I love the hands-on work, and I love anatomy," she said.

But Kollisch also loves the very personal side of medicine, which she experienced as a summer volunteer at SUNY Upstate's clinics for migrant workers in Central New York.

"It's real, and it reminds you why you're going through all this," she said of the rigors of Medical School. "It's a touching, unique experience."

Kollisch was among a group of College of Medicine students and faculty who spent last summer visiting Central New York farms to examine migrant workers from Mexico, Guatemala and Jamaica. Such a global focus is natural to Kollisch, who spent part of her youth living in Germany and Austria before settling in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Under the direction of Peter Cronkright, MD, who has led the migrant clinic program for the past seven summers, SUNY Upstate students see workers with a variety of ailments – allergies, rashes, eye problems, athlete's foot, even acid reflux.

Many of the workers speak only Spanish, so Kollisch and other students used what they learned in SUNY Upstate's "Medical Spanish" elective, or relied on fellow students who are more fluent in the language.

With some of the migrant workers it took time to build their trust, but once that was established, "the smiles on their faces were beautiful," Kollisch said.