The Joy of a Clinician

Today I got to go to the medical clinic. Every day we set up our dental and medical clinic in a new location. By doing this we hit different communities and assessed different needs. This was my only day to work the medical clinic so I was ready to dive in. I got to work with Lilian who is a Dr that speaks both Spanish and English. As she asked the patients questions, I began my physical exam. It was funny to think that this was my first real patient exposure and we were in a dirty building with a few benches and tables. Still, I was so excited to practice my skills. I looked in the ears and throat of every person and assessed their heart and lungs. If there was an abdominal complaint, I assessed that too. Lillian would recheck my work if she was ever concerned about anything, but overall we made a good team. The overwhelming majority of families were composed of a single mom with 6 or more kids. Clearly these families were living in poverty and a piece of me was angry at the mothers for having children they couldn’t support, but I had to put myself in their shoes and realize their resources (which was close to none). These women had no access to birth control and even if they stopped having sex completely, (which we know wouldn’t work in our own country), they still needed their children to survive. These kids worked just as hard as the adults to gather supplies, cut wood, sow clothes etc. The mother needed the children to help support her so of course she had multiple. The bottom line is that there are a million factors as to why the population is out of control, and all we could do was assess the children and spread smiles. I learned so many valuable skills while examining the children. I learned to tickle them to hear their breath sounds and pull on their tragus in a way that opens their ear canal. The amount of experience I received as a clinician was amazing. More importantly, I learned how to be a good clinician. I experienced patient compassion, consideration, and understanding. Throughout the day, I could envision the type of clinician I wanted to become. As I held the children and looked into their mouths, I saw myself doing this every day... and I loved every second. I have truly chosen the right career path. I am so passionate about this that I light up with every patient I see. I’m sure the excitement will eventually fade, but my passion and dedication won’t. I love this type of work and I don’t ever want to stop making a difference in this way. Even if I treated one patient effectively or touched one life today, it was all worth it.