My STEP project consisted of volunteering at the Asian Free Clinic (AFC) which is located on North High Street and operates through the Rardin Family Clinic. The activities I engaged in were 5 parts: clinical/phlebotomy, completing a needs assessment, engaging in a quality improvement project, creating orientation materials, and meeting with my project advisor. The purpose of the meeting was to talk about objectives and be able to ask questions about performance within the clinic.
It was incredibly eye-opening to serve a specific community of Columbus and see the unique challenges that present. Serving as a volunteer, I saw the importance of informed consent and the power that having a translator holds during an appointment. I gained a great respect for the clinic and each volunteer who willingly gave their time to help these patients. There were times when supplies were running short and innovation had to prevail for the sake of the patients; this is an experience I would have never been able to have if not for my time at AFC.
On an identity level, I’ve never really had the opportunity or felt the desire to have a group of Asian friends or explore this part of my identity and how fulfilled I might feel doing so. A majority of the medical students and other volunteers at AFC are Asian, and some help to translate for our patients; seeing patients’ joy when seeing a volunteer or provider who can identify with them on this level was unique. It allowed me to explore my own identity in a manner and amount that I was receptive to.
While volunteering, I had the opportunity to befriend some of the undergraduate students who acted as translators. Additionally, if there were not patients that I needed to see at that time, I was welcome to converse with the providers or medical students who operated at a station outside of patient rooms. As I mentioned earlier, this enabled me to closely observe the role that the translators had and how necessary they are to provide care to patients. As the mediator, their comprehension in both the treatment plans from the provider and pharmacists, as well as from the conversation with the patient are vital. Their relationship and skill also had a direct impact on the clinical work that I did.
In consideration of the population that this free clinic serves, there was also a high chance that many patients I saw never had their blood drawn before. Ensuring I was providing quality care by informing the patient about the lab draw procedure and minimizing the discomfort was at the forefront of my mind during each interaction. One week the lab had a shortage of tourniquets; as the phlebotomist, this made my job much more difficult as patients can have dehydrated veins, sensitive skin, or rolling veins. With the already intense desire to do well, through this specific experience I learned a great deal about operating under pressure. I believe this will directly benefit me later while pursuing medical school.
Before my STEP project, I wouldn’t have been able to imagine some of the skills I learned, let alone guess that it would have allowed me to explore my own identity. Getting to a point in my life where I am now open to exploring the racial and ethnic component of who I am was achieved as a result of the project, and I fear wouldn’t have happened in any other manner. I gained a great respect for every member of the team, as the clinic only runs as a result of joint effort. Finally, I learned about my own creativity, limits, and determination to help patients within healthcare.