What motivated you as an undergraduate student to volunteer with us?
The wonderfully altruistic work being done at MyClinic is one of the reasons I was initially interested in volunteering, but it was not my primary reason. Admittedly, it was to bolster my medical school application by racking up shadowing hours with the possibility of becoming a scribe.
You are fluent in both English and Spanish. Did this help you in any way?
Being bilingual allowed me to also become an interpreter for patients and providers at the clinic. It was in this role that I discovered the true magic and beauty of not only MyClinic, but of the medical profession in general.
Why do you consider a scribe’s role of such great importance?
Scribes are basically note takers for the providers. One of the main hurdles to enrolling the expertise of providers is that many do not wish to and/or do not have the time to learn how to operate the computer programs of the clinic. Therefore, it is crucial to have multiple trained scribes to eliminate this hurdle. After expressing my scribing interest, I was even given the opportunity of creating a scribing program for MyClinic.
What is the most important thing you learned since volunteering here?
When I became responsible for interpreting provider’s thoughts, instructions, diagnosis, and explanations directly to the patient from English to Spanish, my perspective shifted.
I got something of even more value from the clinic. That something is passion.
It was no longer “I think this is what I would like to do,” it became “this is what I want to do.”
MyClinic did not only grant me an unparalleled opportunity to create something special of importance, it allowed me to discover what it truly means and feels like to be a part of a team that provides care for patients.