First Day

Today was my first day of volunteering. Right after medical micro, I raced over to SJC. That proved to be unnecessary as I got there with 15 min to spare. Parking was not a problem at all, and most importantly, it was free! After entering the clinic through the back door, I started signing into the volunteer log. Then I realized that I should probably sign the log that actually had my name on it.

All of the directors were gone for the day, so Sam warned me that it was not going to be a very fun day for me. For the first hour, I copied and collated a handbook from Memorial Hermann. It actually took a bit of concentration to copy everything because I had to fit 2 pages of the handbook onto 1 sheet of paper and make sure everything was in the correct order. Afterwards, Sam asked me to make volunteer badges because apparently, people forget to take them off before they leave. It took me a good while to make them because their laptop was incredibly slow. I ended up staying 30 min past my shift to finish the badges because once I start something, I would rather finish it. I didn't mind, though, because my next class wasn't until 5.30p. I also met Texas, who took my picture to add to the volunteer wall.

As I was leaving, Sam told me that they would try to have me work in the medical department next week so I could get some experience. Overall, the day was pretty productive, and the time went by quickly because Sam kept me busy. I only saw 3 or 4 patients the entire time, and they were already on their way out. It was a bit lonely working by myself and not talking to anyone, so I'm hoping to find someone to volunteer with me. I'm also thinking about changing my shift to later in the afternoon so that I'll have time to eat lunch before I volunteer. Even though it was just busy work, I really enjoyed my first day, and I'm looking forward to next week.

San José Clinic

Last week, I contacted SJC to schedule my orientation. They responded the next day, and my orientation was set up for Friday, February 13 at 1p. That day, I left school with plenty of time to spare in case I got lost. Of course, that shouldn't happen since I work right next door, and I should know that area pretty well by now. I had no trouble finding the clinic, but parking was a bit of an issue. I wasn't sure where to park, but there were $0.50 and $1 parking lots adjacent to the clinic. I was a little scared because I have a bit of a history with parking tickets, but luckily, I've never been towed. I chose the $0.50 parking, and since I was still a little early, I took a nap. Later, I found out that the clinic has a free parking lot behind the building.

When I finally went into the clinic, I was hit by a peculiar smell, somewhat of a mixture of alcohol and cigarette smoke. The receptionist was on the phone, so I stood there for about 5 minutes until she was finished. She spoke to me in Spanish (I get that a lot, me being half-Filipino and all), and I told her I was supposed to meet Samantha Sherman. Samantha came out right away and gave me a tour of the place. Some of the exam rooms were being used as offices, and the whole place looked a bit dreary (maybe it was the lighting), but all the equipment was fully functional, which is the most important thing. I didn't expect to see so many tiny rooms in that small building. I was also surprised that they offer dental services as well as optometry and a pharmacy. Even though all that information is on their website, it clearly didn't register when I read it the first time.

After the tour, Samantha and I discussed my volunteer times. I was hoping to do 1 hour on Wednesdays, but they prefer shifts of at least 2 hours at a time, so she scheduled me from 12.30-2.30p starting February 25. Since most of the patients there are Spanish-speaking and my Spanish is pretty limited, I wasn't going to get much patient interaction, understandably. I was a bit disappointed that there weren't going to be many opportunities to shadow doctors because most of the doctors don't come in on Wednesdays. Most likely, I was going to be filing paperwork and playing with kids in the waiting area. However, Samantha was very nice and understanding and said they would try their best to vary my volunteering duties and set up at least one shadowing day for me to make my 10 hours as fulfilling as possible.

I'm also happy to report that SJC got a shout-out on Sunday. We watched a video in church regarding the Diocesan Services Fund, and the first thing they mentioned was how they fund SJC with our donations. I was proud to be associated with such a worthy cause.

First-Time Blogger

Disclaimer: This is my first blog ever, so don't be surprised if it's lacking in creativity or depth and you happen to fall asleep halfway through the first sentence.

When I first heard about this project, I was a tad bit stressed because I already volunteer 6 hours a week at both Texas Children's Hospital and at Ronald McDonald House inside TCH. I'm also taking 19 hours this semester, so it's going to take some mad skills to try to set this up. Then again, I always seem to figure things out, so it's not impossible. Either way, I know I'm going to end up volunteering more than 10 hours. I don't think I would have much of an impact if I showed up an hour a week and then packed up as soon as my quota was reached.

I haven't had a chance to contact any of the clinics yet because my schedule for the semester is still up in the air. If I start researching again with Dr. Palasota, that will be on Wednesday afternoons, which would only leave Tuesdays and Thursdays after 4p open. So much for me coming home somewhat early on those days...

Last week, I looked at the list of clinics we were given, and after researching them, I narrowed it down to San José Clinic. (Little did I know that everyone and their mothers picked that same clinic.) Anyway, I chose it because I pass by it all the time when I go to work (Minute Maid Park), and I know my way around there. Also, it is a ministry of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, which is a plus for me because I'm Catholic. Most importantly, they offer a range of services to their patients, unlike most of the other clinics, which concentrate on specific things, such as dentistry or counseling. Then there's that moral dilemma I have about sexual health clinics, so I had to stay away from those.

I hope to go to med school, and I think this would be a great opportunity for me to see different aspects of health care, which I would not otherwise have a chance to do. Despite my apparent negativity about this project, I actually enjoy volunteering, especially at RMH, where I get to bake cookies for the kids and their families in ICU. I've never volunteered in a clinic setting before, so I'm really excited to see how it'll turn out.

Wow, I wrote WAY more than I expected. I'll save some for next week.