Week 6 of Volunteering for Molecular Biology

March 23


After a few weeks off of volunteering because I was in Italy, it was good to be back at Casa Juan Diego. When I first arrived, there was actually a bit of a confrontation. Another one of the volunteers and I arrived at the same time, and we walked into the clinic to set up, as the lady in charge began taking information from the people in line. One woman in the line started yelling at us very aggressively in Spanish--it was a little bit scary because I had no idea what she was saying. It turns out that she was telling us not to cut in line because she thought that we were at the clinic for treatment. At first I was kind of offended because she had been so rude, but then I realized that it was actually kind of sad because it demonstrated how truly desperate for healthcare she was. 


This ordeal also served as a reminder of the situations that people come from. I have always had access to healthcare and a way to pay for it, but when I am a doctor it will be important to remember how little some people have, but that they also need to be cared for. 


The rest of the morning was relatively uneventful. There was not too much for me to do, which always makes me feel kind of bad because I can't help more since I do not speak Spanish. 

Week Five of Volunteering for Molecular Biology

March 2


This week was very busy at Casa Juan Diego! In addition to the two doctors who always come, the endocrinologist who comes once every other month came to the clinic, which meant that we had almost twice the number of patients as we normally do, so things were very busy. 


There are many patients who come to Casa Juan Diego who have diabetes, so this doctor works closely with them to help improve their quality of life and help the  learn how to live with the disease, in addition to giving them general check ups. 


It is sometimes sad because we have to turn people away if more than 15 patients show up today, simply because of the time constraints. The doctor's nurse always accompanies the doctor because she is eager to work with the patients on answering questions, and helping them learn how to eat and care for their disease.


It really stood out to me that this doctor took the time to teach a class about living with Diabetes. Again, this reminds me of the type of doctor that I want to be one day. Not simply a healer, but someone who views her patients as people with real problems and whole lives that need to be cared for. 

Week Four of Volunteering for Molecular Biology

February 24

Once again, I woke myself up bright and early to go volunteer. This week was busy when I first arrived, trying to get all of the medical records ready for the doctors' arrival. After about 30 minutes of working very hard, there was nothing left for me to do. Sometimes one of the most discouraging parts of volunteering is when I am standing there with nothing left to do. I feel guilty at times because of my lack of ability to communicate with the patients, due to the language barrier.


The volunteers do sometimes tell me why the patients are visiting the clinic. The ailments range from very minor to extremely major, and sometimes the patients even have to be sent to the Emergency Room because their conditions are too extreme for the volunteer doctors to deal with. I am always so aware of the fact that these people must have very touching stories, but I am unable to talk to them and find out. 


This week pushed me more and more toward the inclination to take at least one semester of Spanish, even though language is no longer a requirement at UST. Even though I will be no where near fluent, I think increasing my communication abilities just a little bit would be very beneficial to my future career as a doctor in Texas. Also, if I knew a little bit of Spanish, I would have more to do when things get less busy at Casa Juan Diego!