My Leadership Philosophy

Hello, All,

I would like to share an assignment that I had in my leadership class during spring semester. It shows the development of how I created my leadership philosophy. This was of my favorite assignments because I definitely learned more about my views of leadership and its aspects. There's so much more to leadership than holding a position. I hope you learn something from this. 

My Three Important Values

Stay you

Being open and your true self leads to honesty, high moral standards, and integrity. Authenticity leads to connecting with others, which can encourage diversity because of the accepting the idea of inclusiveness. I started living this value in high school when I became more true to myself. It was hard because I lost some friends. I learned that being truly who I am is important because only a few will stay true to me. Therefore, I stopped caring about people's thoughts and focused on myself and the people that care about me unconditionally. Authenticity will help me act upon my values and morals. It will play a role when I am figuring out the purpose of my actions towards a cause that I have a passion for. It will be the backbone of the "WHY". I believe that the "WHY” is suppose to be personal. When I am expressing my personal thoughts/feelings, I hope to be genuine.

If that person can do it, then I can do it too

Inspiration helps me guide to become the woman that I aspire to be and leads to new possibilities. It expands my horizons to see that I am capable of doing a lot more than just observing and jotting down ideas. It gives me the push to do something. I have role models that inspires me to be at my highest potential, chase my dreams, work hard, and stay humble. Be a good person. They have helped me and made a strong impact in my life. Inspiration will help me pay it forward. I aspire to inspire. By being guided by my role models, I want to follow their footsteps, but add a little twist of my own  (can't forget about authenticity) to inspire someone.

Stretch the circle wider

Inclusiveness brings people together to share ideas. No one should feel left out because of their background. It is important to be open-minded, recognize and understand other cultures and customs. The moment I joined PeaceJam was the moment I truly started living this value. This is an international organization collaborating with Nobel Peace Laureates from different backgrounds and all striving for the same purpose, which is creating young leaders of this generation to make a positive difference. Diversity will help me develop an appreciation for multiculturalism to build inclusiveness, collaboration, and a common purpose. I will have a deeper understanding of empathy and compassion. This will help me gain strength in cultural competence.

My Leadership Experience

Negative

During my senior year of high school, I held the position of Co-Historian for Latin Club. I was an awful Historian. I didn't for-fill my duties. I literally did nothing. The other Co-Historian ended up creating the annual scrapbook with the help of her friends. I didn't have the passion. The "WHY" was unethical.. It was random of me to run for this position in the first place. It was actually never the plan, but still what I did wasn't okay and bit humiliating. Because of my pathetic action, an amendment was added in the constitution, stating if one doesn't for fill their duty, he/she must step down from the position. This was a learning experience. I got so caught up on being involved with organizations because a leader position will look great on college applications and resume.

Positive

During my high school summers, I used to volunteer at Camp All That, an Arts and Science Camp for students below 9th grade. It was by hosted by the former Mary Brogan Museum. My role was Teacher's Assistant. I helped pass out materials to students and guided them to complete their weekly themed art/science projects. I was also with other assistants that were around my age. When it was lunch or snack time, we handed the children the daily snacks and their lunches. We also had the chance to play outside, eat snow cones, and go on mini adventures (walking around downtown area). This was a positive experience because I learned to interact with children from all ages, 4-14 years old. I also learned about children's safety, liability issues, and how you would have to fill out a form if a camper needed a Band-Aid. I was also in charge of making the name tags, since I was always the first assistant to arrive in the mornings.

My Definition of Leadership

An inclusive group of inspired and passionate people, who have a purpose to come together to serve others to create a positive change through an ethical and authentic process.

I first came to know my leadership definition through my values, the understanding of the relational leadership model, and my involvement. My involvement in PeaceJam during high school gave me an opportunity to experience with leadership for the very first time.

Who Influenced my Leadership Definition?

Barack Obama's Farewell Speech

Obama's speech focused on being an active American Citizen:

“Change only happens when people get involved, and they get engaged, and come together to demand it.”

“To believe you can make a difference, to hitch your wagon to do something bigger than yourselves.”

Michelle Obama

I admired how she used her “First Lady” position to stand up to what she thought was a problem, whether it was fighting for girls' education around the world or creating initiatives to strive children to eat healthier. Her true purpose was to create a positive change in United States of America. She also inspired people to come together to join her mission.

My experience through PeaceJam has made the biggest impact on my

 definition of leadership.

• Diversity
• Inspiration
• Authenticity
• Action
• Serve
• Collaboration
• Their motto: Change Starts Here

Leaders can be negative too: People, who have caused others harm can be leaders because they took action to use their influence and strengths to gather people for a common purpose. Their purpose to create change may have been negative, but they can be good at following their intentions and making it happen.

People with negative influence can be good leaders.

Leadership Qualities: Leaders don't always have certain qualities. One should use the quality or strength that they possess because it’s important to lead authentically than leading how society views a leader. It’s more open, honest, simple, and potentially powerful. However, to lead effectively, one should have purpose, passion, be open to learning/understanding, and appreciate diversity and the concept of followership.

Leaders should lead with qualities they have already and learn more qualities along their leadership journey.

Who Leads Who? If there are people who have shown interest to taking an action for a cause, then there should be an ethical group vote on who gets to lead the group. If a single person observes a problem and stands up to do something about it, then that person should take the lead.

The person who has the true passion towards the cause should lead.

Leader's Credibility: Leaders gain credibility through knowing, being, and doing. It express their view of leadership through their personality, service, and values/morals. It also shows the true purpose of leading.

Knowing: They share their wisdom about self-understanding, empathy, and their understanding of change.

Being: It’s important to be true to yourself and others. Open-mindedness and inclusiveness strongly connects with people. The concept of being shows your true colors.

Doing: Taking action and being consistent shows passion and commitment.

Leadership is good: Leadership is so broad and yet very empowering. I have learned that leadership is like a blank canvas because you get to create your idea of leadership. At the end, it’s about guiding and collaborating with all types of people to make a positive difference through authentic and ethical actions and inspiration from the people that also pursued the same mission before them.

Leadership is a good teacher that all must have in their lives.

The Purpose of Leadership: Leadership unites ALL types of ordinary people to come together to serve for a common purpose through inspiration and guidance.

Leadership behavior: Leadership Behavior is developed by personal experiences because it helps us learn and reflect from our mistakes and accomplishments. It guides us to become better leaders. It can also be developed through external power because inspiration is powerful thing. It can gives us that spark. Most of the time..“You can’t be what you can’t see.” Our leadership behavior teaches us all about who we are as a contributing citizen to society.

Disclaimer: Gifs and Images are from Google Images. 

20 Things I Have Learned in 20 Years

My freaking birthday is TOMORROW!! Can you believe that?! I'm still processing over the fact that I'm going to be an official legal adult. It can't get crazier than this. I still look like an 18/19 years old and I've been watching Good Luck, Charlie for the past few weeks now. I've always been the type of person who likes to reflect on life and myself. Today I'm going to reflect on what I have learned in the past twenty years.

ONE

I still live with my parents and this experience has made me appreciate them more than ever. It really does make up the time when I wasn't super close to them beginning of high school. I try to take in the moment because I know I'll be moving out pretty soon and won't be able to see them as frequent as right now. Since I'll be staying in town, I do plan on visiting on the weekends and of course calling and texting them at least once a day.

As for relatives.. There's going to be times where life gets busy and you won't see them as much as you used to and that's okay. I feel like I should make an effort to communicate with my cousins. There's also going to be times when they will push you to the side and "forget" about you. It will hurt, but you will move on.

Learn from your positive and negative family experiences to build on how you want to raise your family when the time comes.

TWO

You must learn how to live each day by yourself. This is a good thing because it's one of the best ways to learn about yourself. Being by yourself is a good thing. You can't always rely on others to have your version of fun. I'm so glad introvert time is becoming a popular concept, it's about time!! I started learning to be independent in the spring semester, but this past summer and fall semester has marked when I officially accepted that I like being independent. It will definitely help me prepare for next semester when I transfer to an university! Independence is key.

Danielle Carolan also explained that being by yourself is okay! 

THREE

 Change is good.

We evolve, it's who we are as humans. Do change when you want to improve yourself. It can be anything from becoming healthier to wanting to do better in school. However, it's never worth it to change yourself to gain approval from other people. Like, ew who cares what they think of you.. It's their problem and not yours. Walk away from those people and surround yourself with better people because they will truly love and accept (tolerate is okay) everything about you. Those are your people.

The way I have changed is through authenticity. Authenticity is the quality of being true or real. I strive to be like this everyday because there's no shame on being true to yourself. It can be hard and nerve-wrecking because being yourself doesn't always guarantee acceptance. Yeah.. I have no explanation for that except people can be mean and judgmental. That's just life and sadly normal. I find that being authentic has helped me grow as a person, make good friends, and connect with other people. I'm just so proud of myself for never changing who I am just so I can fit in with the crowd. Not to be dramatic or anything, but this was a learning experience for me. I never thought that I would lose friends over this, but it's okay. These weren't my true friends and better people will come along.

FOUR

People in your life are most likely temporary.

When graduating high school, you're going to realize that you were friends with certain people because you saw them five days a week and you won't know your true friends until start college. This concept still applies in college. If you want to maintain a friendship, then you must put in the effort. However, don't put in the effort if the other friend isn't doing anything. It's too much work and you're not going to be happy. You deserve better.

It's normal to drift apart from friends. Personally, I drifted apart from my friends because we are all super busy and I guess it's about priorities. It's a good thing that I live in the era, where social media exist, so I can still connect with the friends that I used to be close with in the past. The only reason I would stop being friends with someone is if they don't accept me for who I am or acted fake towards me. I'm not the type of person who would get into drama. I'm too busy to get involved in that situation. Helloo, I'm trying to get into an awesome Public Health Masters Program and a health profession school in the city of somewhere that's probably competitive.

FIVE 

It's okay to be undecided about your career.

I'm in my third year of college and I'm not too sure how I want to give quality care to patients someday. It's been kind of scary to not know because I'm halfway done with college. However, I have figured out my interests; public health, traveling, and patient advocacy. To be honest, there's one more interest, but I prefer not to share it right now. Thanks for understanding :). As I mentioned before, I want to get a Masters in Public Health because that's what I like now and hopefully it will help guide me to figure out what I want to do in the medical or healthcare field.

What I can advise you is, figure out what you like and dislike and let that create a path for you to know what you want to do in life. You're not alone. Make a visit to the career and advising center your college campus or the guidance counselor's office if you're in high school. They will help you. If you're not in school, I bet there are plenty of career resource websites and books at the local library and there are always career fairs held around town.

Remember what Obama said,"Worry less about what you want to be, and think more about what you want to do."

Read more:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/24/barack-obama-returns-fray-chicago-first-speech-since-stepping/

SIX

I'm terrible at this. I hope to say yes more because it will help me grow out of my comfort zone and hopefully have less regrets. I want to be more content my life. I need to put myself out there and be social. I shouldn't let the little things to hold me back. I deserve some fun! I've always noticed whenever I do say, I find myself feeling good and I need to like that more often.

WATCH FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

                                      

SEVEN

One of the coolest thing I did in the spring semester was re-establishing my favorite organization that I was apart of in high school, PeaceJam. It took time and dedication to get it running. I'm so glad I had people (my leadership professor and people from leadership and involvement center) to support me in this process. I'm not even for sure if it would even happen if wasn't for their help.  If you want to start something, then do it. Ask for help. I wish I had started PeaceJam way back when I started freshman year, but I was somewhat lost and too nervous/lazy.

EIGHT

Smart studying, asking for help when needed, effective productivity will lead you to become successful in school. It's okay to slack-off, but remind yourself WHY you want to aim high/achieve your goals. It's always lovely to have that satisfaction of achievement. Remember to give yourself a break every now and then because you deserve it.

NINE

It times to find your person or people. 

When in college, you're not sure if you'll see the people that you once met ever again. It may seem hard to make friends, but it will happen because you will make an effort to get out there to meet people. It's okay if it takes a little longer you meet your gal pals. I'm going through the same thing. I have learned that you shouldn't rush in something like this,it takes time. I like to focus on myself and let the people come into my life, like a surprise gift from God, and then just go with the flow. Trust me, you want good quality friends. I think I'll be okay if I don't find my people until grad school. Look at Meredith Grey, for example, it seems like she didn't find her people until she start her internship/residency and way back when, she cutoff her friend from medical school. Be patient.

TEN

I don't mean like go on a search, but you could start by talking to your professors. Professors can do more than just helping you with a concept. If they feel comfortable enough, they can share their story of why they become a professor. You would be surprise at their journey. You want a mentor that can understand and connect with you, whether that's also wanting to be professor/educator or having the same interests as them. Your mentor doesn't have to be a professor. It can also be your old middle or high school teacher (don't forget about your favorites) or someone that you volunteer with from an organization. Sometimes a mentor can simply be a role model that you probably will never meet and that's okay. Reading their memoir or following them on social media can be enough

ELEVEN

The 2016 Presidential Election was my first time voting. It's something that I will never forget. It was an experience to witness a woman to be nominated to represent a major political party as the presidential candidate. History was made. I was part of history by casting my vote. It's important to exercise your rights. Speak out, get involved, be aware of what's going on. Keep in mind that some people from other countries are not able to this. The next election, the midterms, is on November 6, 2018. This is election is very important because it's our chance to end Trump's term through voting for the candidates that are against him. It's important to know your state legislatures, u.s. senators and u.s house of representatives.

TWELVE AND THIRTEEN

It's okay if your study methods changes almost every semester. What's really important is that you're doing what works best for you. Even medical students are realizing that the methods they used during college are no longer effective while studying for their exams.

Be productive during the summer by taking classes, volunteering, intern/working, or traveling. It's a great time to explore,catch up with course credits, gain experiences and community service hours, and possibly to make some money. Don't forget to take pictures, try to have fun, and rest. Summers are going to end before you know it.

FOURTEEN

Learn a skill. 

Last week or so I've been learning about photography! I've been wanting to do it for a long time and now's really the time to learn something new while the equipment is available to use. I got the chance to edit some of the pictures that I took on campus. Other than that, I also want to learn about video editing. Apparently it goes hand and hand with photography. As a health/science related major, it's nice to take a break and get into my creative side. I was told that it's important to have a hobby to cope with stress from classes.

FIFTEEN

Don't be afraid to ask questions. 

Repeat after me, "There is no such thing as dumb questions." Asking questions is a sign that you're curious about something. Your curiosity is what going to motivate you to read or study more. Expand your horizon, be open to ideas that you never heard of, challenge yourself. Being stuck sucks, trust me. I wish I have spoken more to my U.S History teacher from high school. He was always open to conversations with his student about literally anything. Stay hungry. Be the nerd of something.

SIXTEEN

I understand that the person who you look up to is perfect, but what about you? You deserve some credit. You don't want to rely on someone for your happiness or try to be like them. It always lead to disappointments. I got really annoyed when my favorite vlog/bloggers, who are always speaking up for equality, attended Coachella.. Anyways, surprise yourself.

SEVENTEEN

YOU have to make time for self-care.

No matter how many times I ask people for advice on working out or being healthy, it's pretty much useless until I start applying the advice I receive to myself. I'm currently taking a Nutrition class and yet I still haven't made much change to my diet and lifestyle..whoops. Honestly, my problem is not being consistent and making the time to plan meal preps. I really like my how professor even encourages us to eat healthier. If you're struggling like me, YOU GOT THIS. We should never give up. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle now will pay off when we are older, causing be less stress and more energy to live life to the fullest.

EIGHTEEN

Less screen time isn't boring. Try it. I haven't been on my phone or watching tv as much as I used to and I've been lovin' it. I've been able to get more stuff done. It's important to not to get suck up on social media because you just might miss out on something that's currently happening in your surroundings. As Taylor Swift once said, "I hope you witness something so amazing that you weren't able to take a picture of it." I can't find the exact quote, but I remember she said something along those lines.

NINETEEN 

Take your time when creating your own path. Don't quit unless you really have to. Life is short and too precious to just live with no purpose/impact. As always your impact does not have to be worldwide. Simply focus on how you can create a positive difference in your community. The day after my birthday, I start teaching elementary school students about leadership and service. I get to introduce them to the world and how it has improved by the actions of 13 heroes of peace (Noble Peace Laureates).

TWENTY

Live each day with giggles and awkwardness. Go through all types of emotions. That's how you live. Definitely a story I would want to know about. Write about it when you get the chance.

Fall 2017 Semester Academic Intentions

Hi there! I still like to share whatever is happening in my life. My classes started last week, which began with a Solar Eclipse. Pretty memorable, I would say. This semester is going to be a challenging one because I'll be taking all science-related courses for the first time. It's such a good timing for me to try something new because I know I am ready to conquer this. I'll be taking College Physics 1 (Trig-based) + Lab, Biology 1 for Science Majors + Lab, and the Science of Nutrition (I wish there was a lab for this class). I am so grateful to have wonderful professor with full passion. I look forward to getting to know and learn from them. 

Beginning of August, while I was fueled with excitement for my fall classes, I decided to create an intention list solely focusing on my academics. I thought it would help guide me to be successful in my classes, and to increase my productivity. I would also say that it's a generic to-do list. I really love how it turned out honestly. My overall goal is to get straight A's (93% average) with a full understanding of the material, since these are prerequisite courses that will help prepare me for my upper-level science classes. Also, there's that well-known motivational saying quoted by our inspirational friend, Mark Reid. 

If that doesn't make feel you any type of way to make you truly study, then I don't know what will besides a personal experience. 

Productivity

• Note: For every hour spent in class, spend at least 2 hours with the course material each week
• Deep study
• Completing assignments
• Reviewing notes
• Reading the chapters
• Watching videos related to the material for better understanding
• Hours
• 11 credit hours
• 15 productivity/study hours a week
• Spend at least 1 hour everyday for each course

(break up the hours)

• Study Schedule
• Be consistent
• Add breaks
• Be flexible
• Pomodoro method
• 3-4 minute breaks every 25 minutes
• 10-15 minute breaks every 3 blocks
• On campus
• Focus on harder classes in the Learning Commons
• Use my professors’ office hours
• Study with a group from class
• Biology and Physics Lab
• Begin rough draft of lab report after class
• Prepare and work on pre-lab questions few days before lab
• Take 10-15 minutes a day to read over (and understand) the weekly lab
• Be productive on time
• Finish the assignments 48 hours before the due date
• Read the chapter(s) before the lectures
• Review notes and chapters (new and old materials) before and after lectures
• Begin deep studying 1 week and a half before the test
• Create:
• a study set on Quizlet
• Condensed colorful notes  
  

I'm not too sure if this would be everything. I wouldn't be surprised if I learned a few new strategies throughout the semester. I hope you also find my list helpful. Feel free to let me know about your productive/study strategies. Good luck with your school year or fall semester. You all will do great. Stay focus, ask for help when needed, and think about why you need to get the grade that you need in your classes. 

You got this. 

One of my Summer Struggles

I always have so much going on in my mind, but this time I just had to type it all out.. THE FEELS.
Maybe this will help you too.

Lately (or should I say ALWAYS), I've been struggling about not living my life to the fullest. I wish I had the time and money to travel during the times when I don't have classes. For the second summer in the row, I've been taking classes. To put it this way, I kind of have to take summer classes in order to not to waste anymore time. I personally don't want to spend more than five years to graduate college. Taking classes during the summer is hard because it's easy to get unmotivated.. Oh my I love being stuck in the library studying for tests that are suddenly being thrown at me every two weeks, while other people are having their version of fun.

I must recall that post that I see on my Tumblrfeed every now and then..

Comparison is the thief of joy.

I must remember that I am not in the point of my life to travel around just yet because I am building up my career right now. By that I mean, taking classes for my major. I'm very grateful to choose a major that will guide me to choose the right career for me. I literally love everything about my major. Anyway, once I reach my career, I will be able to make an attempt to fit traveling into my life. All I know right now is that I want to pursue a career in the healthcare/medical/public health field (lots of words, but still deciding) that will provide me an opportunity to travel. Apparently it's possible, but yeah I still have to do more research on it. "If Youtubers, bloggers, and models are able to travel very often, why can't healthcare providers also travel as much as them??" Me when I suddenly realized few months ago how unhappy I was last summer. By now, you're probably getting an idea that I get insecure when I see other people traveling or doing or wearing something that I want that I can't afford. Y'all, I'm still trying to work on myself.. I'm open to suggestions. Help ya girl out.

I must remember to not to compare myself to others because I can create my own path. Um, hellooo I live in a well-privileged country where people from all parts the world move for bigger opportunities that will guide them to turn their dreams into a reality. Here I am always talking about wanting to be authentic and being true to yourself, while gawking at other people's lives on Instagram. Wow, I think it's time that I actually practice what I preach.. I wonder how many times I have said that before. I sound like a total hypocrite.. Ahh I need to do what will be the best for me and not what will look the coolest for the world to see. I live for myself and God. I should not be caring about what others are doing. It is none of my business. Depending who it is, that's only good for a five minute inspo session.

I feel like whatever I just typed below could be a whole another post, but read on.

I think my problem is that I am scared that I will not be able to do the things on my list, (I mean have you notice how short life is?!) which is true if I continue to think that way. Few hours ago, I saw this tweet, "The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts." For the millionth time, I need to make a effort to stay positive about where I am right now. Honestly, where I am right now, educational-wise, is pretty darn good. I should not let my success peak. I would like to maintain my good habits to keep my grades high, but I still feel the need to redefine my priorities and goals that will work for me. I have the resources (love you hercampus and tribetwentyone) and I should take advantage of that.. I can get through this. I will not ever let anything get in my way.

I should really plan my life around this saying.

 Moping around ain't gonna bring any good into my life, so I must do something about it.

That is all, friends.

Side note: Writing this post was so much fun. I feel a bit better now. I just had this urge to write because of the way I strongly felt. I think that is how it works for me when I really want to take the time to write, when I should be studying for my trig test that is on Thursday.. whoops. Honestly, I have no idea when will be the next time when I post again because school is my priority and sadly, I get lazy/tired very easily. However, I hope it will be soon! Meanwhile, go read the blogs that are under My Inspirations.

Maven: The First Digital Clinic for Women

Thought provoking questions:

Has it been more than a year since you saw your doctor or nurse practitioner?

Do you rely on google or kale for you health and wellness?

As a college student, do you have access to healthcare needs such as birth control prescriptions, mental health support, and primary care?

Are you worried about your health insurance or the current healthcare system?

Do you have healthcare in general?

If you answered no or yes to at least one of the questions above, then please continue reading to learn about Maven Clinic.

Maven is a digital clinic for women. With Maven, it’s easy to take control of your health, your way. You can have an appointment with a general practitioner, nutritionist, physical therapist, mental health practitioner and more, via video right from your phone. You can also post health questions anonymously and have them answered by practitioners and other women from the Maven community. As a Maven ambassador, I help people sign up and give them a code for a free first appointment. Even if you’re not sick, you can have an appointment to discuss things like how to safely gain or lose weight, how to make your hair skin clear up, or why your period is being so weird. You can even get a prescription for birth control sent right to the pharmacy closest to your campus, all from your phone wherever and whenever works for you. It takes less than two minutes to sign up either online or download the app. I’ll give you my VIP referral code, you pick a practitioner who stands out to you, and book your appointment to fit your schedule. It’s as easy as that!

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Use my code: SAMEERAVIP to receive your first appointment for free!

FAQ

Why Maven, and not health services?

Maven care is convenient, confidential and compassionate. Maven is available when and where you need it. On campus health service can be crowded, open during inconvenient or class times, and you may not be able to secure an appointment for days or even weeks. With Maven, you can set an appointment for as early as a half hour out, and meet with the practitioner in your dorm while wearing pj’s.

With Maven, you can also see practitioner’s specialities and pick one who is right for you. For example, a weight management or injury recovery question would might be better answered by a nutritionist or physical therapist, as where a sexual health or hormonal question is best left to a nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health. On campus health centers often offer one or very few practitioners, and students have little say in who they visit with.

But I’m not sick! Why should I use Maven today?

Maven is a great tool in getting to your body and your needs. Meet with a nutritionist to discuss how to safely gain or lose weight, clear up your skin, or make your hair and nails grow faster. Check in with a physical therapist for modifications on your favorite exercises, and advice on the best ways to tone up specific areas. Meet with a nurse practitioner to figure out why your period is being so weird, learn how to do a self-breast exam, and understand why alcohol affects you differently on different days. Getting to know yourself is the first step in taking charge of your health and staying well!

Are these practitioners the real-deal?

All of our providers on Maven are licensed healthcare providers dedicated to quality and compassionate women’s healthcare. Each provider undergoes a rigorous application process including all of the following components: a quiz and case study to simulate a Maven appointment care request, an interview with a member of our trusted Practitioner Advisory Committee, and a license and quality assurance third party rating certification. The providers whose applications are exemplary to this point are then reviewed by our Care Coordination Team, and receive final approval by our Founder and CEO, Kate Ryder. You can read all of our providers qualifications and specialties in the app before booking with them!

Can I get a prescription for antibiotics? Birth control?

Yes! A large percentage of Maven appointments, particularly those for college women, are for birth control prescriptions. Write a pre-session note once you’ve booked an appointment to let your practitioner know you are interested in talking about your options, any concerns you may have, and any previous birth control methods you have/are currently using. For less common prescriptions, our practitioners use their clinical judgement to determine whether or not telemedicine is the appropriate setting to prescribe medication. One of the benefits of speaking with Maven Practitioners is that they can help you determine whether you should see a provider in person or if you don’t need to. Many times they will save a trip and other times they will help you understand when it’s important to visit in person.  

How much does Maven cost?

Visits with nurse practitioners are 10 minutes long and $18.

Nutritionists and physical therapists hold 20 minute appointments for $25.

Mental health practitioners offer 40 minute appointments at $70.

A campus ambassador’s referral code is valued at $25, which can be used for a free appointment of lesser value or as a discount towards a mental health visit. It can also be used for a $25 discount towards a subscription purchase.

The Maven forum is always free! It is a space for you to ask questions anonymously and have them answered (quickly, at that!) by our providers. Other members of the Maven Community can also respond if they’ve had similar experiences, and you can follow along on questions and discussions that perk your interest.

What's up with this subscription?

With the Maven Campus subscription, you have unlimited access to all of our practitioners.  You can have video appointments & private messaging with medical experts, get instant prescriptions from our nurse practitioners, meet with a mental health provider as frequently as you want, and get wellness support from our nutritionist and physical therapists. The subscription is $45 per month for our annual subscription ($540 annually, this will cover you during summers, internships, even study abroad programs!) or $60 a month on our flexible month-to-month plan.

Insurance?

Maven appointments are not covered by insurance. After someone’s first free appointment, they pay for each appointment by entering a credit or debit card number into the app. Those who purchase a Maven Campus Subscription have unlimited access to all of our practitioners, whenever they need a visit.

A Maven practitioner licensed to prescribe in your state can also send a prescription to the pharmacy that is most convenient to you. When you pick up your prescription, your insurance co-pay will be as it usually is. For example, if you have a $10 co-pay for prescription pills, Maven’s job is done when you reach the counter and your medication will be $10 as usual. No insurance, not-so-great insurance? Check out https://www.goodrx.com/ for coupons and discounts on prescriptions, or reach out to support@mavenclinic.com for more help!

What if I need to cancel my appointment?

Plans change, we get it. If you cancel or reschedule your appointment at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time, there is absolutely no charge. After 24 hours, we encourage you to keep your appointment and check-in with your practitioner (even if it’s brief)! If you cancel within 24 hours of the scheduled start or don’t launch your appointment, you’ll be charged a market-rate per-appointment cancellation fee so that your practitioner is paid for the time she has set aside in her day.

"Google the weather, not your symptoms."  - Maven Clinic

Disclaimer: Maven Campus Ambassador Program has provided me tools to help spread the word about Maven's Clinic.

First photo courtesy of  New York Daily News, Second photo courtesy of art director and designer, Krishna Fitzpatrick

Stay you

These girls are not really my friends. Whenever I pass them in public, they pretend not to know me. A friendly smile is not even given. Ouch. I will never understand why because I have done no harm. I am starting to think that I may not be good enough to be seen with them in public. They're probably embarrassed of me for some reason. I have no idea. This has been bothering me since January. I don't understand why people would do this to me. What did I ever do to deserve this? I just wish that they would tell me in person that they no longer wish to be friends with me. It's a lot better than pretending to not to know me because I don't mind if they don't want to be friends with me. It's whatever. It's life. It's something I can't control. There's no way am I ever going to change myself just so I can receive their approval to friends with them.

When I told my situation to my friend, she reminded me that what they think of me has nothing to do with my value. She's right.  This reminded me that I should really focus on people that truly cares and supports me. They love and accept me for who I am. People who don't like for any reason should be ignored. I should never stop being myself.

There you go another lesson about friendship. This is kind of annoying because I went through something similar in the past. Haven't I went through and learned enough? This hurts. @ LIFE. At least this situation has help me grow to become a better authentic woman that I've been aspiring to become. My focus is clearer now.

And the end of the day:

Disclaimer: Gifs and Images are from Google Images

"Stay true to yourself because there are very few people who will stay true to you."

My 2017.

It's the second week of the new year and I feel better than I felt during the week before! Hey guys, happy freaking new year!! Yay! This week I started my 4th semester of college wow.. Time is really flying! What's kind of special about this semester is that for the first time, I'm taking a full load (12 credits a.k.a 4 classes). The classes I'm currently taking is nice and will be useful, so yay money well spent! What's also exciting is that I FINALLY decided to ACTUALLY do something that will hopefully make me happy and feel satisfied with my life. I decided to live with purpose. Live with purpose will be my mantra for the year and gradually I will stick with it. I want try to make each day good and productive. My first week didn't go so well and that's okay. I tried again. Well today is the end of the week and I would think that this week was good and awkward. Good and awkward because my college routine was a bit new, but eventually I will get used to it and it will be great and awkward. Awkward will never go away because my life is nothing, but filled with positive awkward moments that not only have I accepted it, but have fallen in love with it. Every time I think my past awkward moments, I just laugh about it and feel grateful that my life is slightly different than other people's lives in a good way.

To make 2017 more fun, I decided to have a monthly word!! January's word is perseverance, which means continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition (thanks Merriam-Webster dictionary). Awesome word, right? Another awesome thing is my camera phone. I started this video project in which I will document few seconds of my life everyday of this year. I'm very excited about this videography thing. I've always been inspired to vlog because of Monica Church. I think this 2017 video project is a good start and will do good for me. And most importantly, I am going to spend less time on my phone and start journaling more. I've been doing this for the past 4 days and wowowow this is amazing. I love it. Hey, maybe this will be the year that I finish my second journal!! And of course I want to share more of my thoughts on here! I hope you too make an effort to make 2017 good to you. xoxo