A degree in Peace and Conflict Studies may not seem like the typical foundation for someone who is planning to go to medical school. But for UNCG graduate Elizabeth Page it was the ideal fit.

The Palmer, Ala., native came to UNC Greensboro in fall 2023 to complete her bachelor’s degree. She began at the University of Alaska Anchorage and thought she wanted to ultimately get a master’s degree in social work.

“I love people – talking to people and solving problems,” Page said. “I wanted to do family social work.”

Alaska didn’t offer her the degree she was interested in, however, so she looked at schools in North Carolina, touring N.C. State University and UNC. She also looked around UNCG with friends who were students, and said it was just what she was looking for.

Upon coming to UNCG, Page had an advising appointment to discuss majoring in social work. Advisors suggested Peace and Conflict Studies instead, saying it was more in line with what she described wanting to do with a career.

“It’s all very open-concept for advising: ‘What are your interests and goals, how can we direct and shape you to a degree that’s helpful?’ Peace and Conflict Studies gives you the chance to do what’s needed.” In addition to her studies, Page also served as the treasurer of the Peace Alliance, and got a job at Moses Cone Hospital, furthering her on her career path.

Page said she came to the hospital one day to shadow an employee in the emergency department.

Page earned her EMT license in May 2023, working 32 hours per week in addition to completing her B.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies.

“I saw I needed to show up and advocate. I found I love trauma and emergency medicine and fixing people’s bodies,” she said. “There’s a lot of conflict in health care. Medicine has been put under a question mark, for how to help patients while working with their views.”

While working with Cone, Page helped those impacted by Hurricane Helene in Asheville last fall. She was on a medical truck in the area on Oct. 25-26, providing aid for hospitals.

“I was called in to help, being in emergency medicine,” she said. “I saw a lot of people who were displaced. We did a lot of figuring out food, housing, and other needs.”

What Page saw in Asheville echoed what she was already aware of in Greensboro, but on a larger scale: the barriers and challenges in U.S. healthcare. “My senior capstone project was how to treat undocumented individuals in the ER with language barriers,” she said. “In the fall (2024), I did my practicum in the ER and partnered with a social worker. We talked about patient advocacy.”

Page said many people are unaware of the realities of an emergency room, and the challenges employees face. These include the ER being a dry place for homeless people to shelter in; some families dropping off relatives at the ER for days on end instead of finding a nursing home or rehab facility that would be more appropriate; and the drug issues that plague cities. Her degree in Peace and Conflict Studies helped her with conflict management and various situations presented in the medical field.

“It’s really hard to stop patient dumping and homelessness. It’s the reality of emergency medicine today,” Page said. “I would love to get people into a rehab facility in 24 to 48 hours. I would also love to have cheaper medicine, because for-profit medicine is not working.”

Page finished her PCS classes and took pre-med classes, as well, to help her with her next goal: taking the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) this summer, then earning a medical degree, hopefully from a school in North Carolina.

“I want to stay in emergency medicine,” she said. “I love it.”

By Sarah Newell