The hospital has remained very intriguing to me when growing up, particularly during any of my visits there either on accompaniment or as the patient. I always found time to follow a nurse on any of their rounds and tried to assist in any way I could, something that I still enjoy doing. One night the nurse I was following asked me to spend some time with a young patient, while his sitter went for dinner. Thinking that we were of the same age, she assumed it might be easier for me to converse with him since we would share things in common. The nurse informed me that the patient was schizophrenic and was in the hospital for jumping out of a window from the second story of a building. This startled me and I did not know what to expect.
I had never before interacted with a mentally disabled patient and the stigma that exists in society about their conditions made me biased and further clouded my judgment. My previous encounters with patients as a Clinical Care Extender (CCE) were limited to taking their blood pressure or filling their cups with water. But this time it was different, and I knew I had to do more.
The room was dark and I was skeptical on whether to go in or not. I could not stop thinking about what I would say to him and how he would react. I carefully avoided talking about his illness and forced myself to imagine him as just another college student. I started to bring topics I would normally talk to my friends about and the first thing that came to mind was football since it was the middle of the National Football League (NFL) season.
But he did not seem much interested in that topic so I switched to my other favorite one, video games. We struck a conversation and I realized that this was something we had in common and enjoyed very much. For the next hour or so we talked about different games and which games we were waiting for in the market. Soon enough though, his sitter returned and so I had to leave.
As I left, I could not help but feel sorry for his condition. Living with an incurable disease and the societal pressures that come with it depressed me. For days I kept asking myself, what if that was me? How would people react to such an illness? My interaction with him allowed me to directly witness the stigma associated with people suffering from mental illnesses. This stigma that I dispelled after interacting and treating him like other normal individuals, generated in me a sense of awareness and compassion towards people completely dependent on their physicians in the hope that one day, they may be able to lead normal lives. With this new sense of understanding, I started to consider entering the field of medicine.
Volunteering as a Clinical Care Extender at Citrus Valley hospital helped foster the career I had been contemplating for some time now. Even as a child, I occasionally accompanied my grandparents to the hospital for their regular check-ups. There, I would act as their translator and even tended to them when they were ill. Early on I had witnessed doctors serving the community. Their ability to interact effectively and provide comprehensive care allowed my grandparents to trust their judgments and feel at ease. As a volunteer at the hospital, I assisted nurses in changing soiled bedsheets, feeding patients that we’re unable to eat, performing clerical duties, and even talking to them among other things.
Shadowing doctors and nurses allowed me to observe the routine of the hospital and witness numerous procedures. What had a significant impact on me as a CCE was being in the presence of doctors. Getting a chance to view how they conducted themselves was an invaluable experience. The confidence and grace they had when speaking to patients, always sensitive to nuances such as culture, allowed the patients to feel at ease. Being a part of this experience made me realize how holistic the field of medicine is in integrating effective communication as part of the treatment.
As a tutor at my community college, I had the opportunity to help students from diverse backgrounds learn English. These students wanted to improve their English for many reasons; some were trying to get a job, others wanted to excel in school, and even others wanted to communicate regularly with family members who spoke English. This job exposed me to many different individuals with interesting and unique life experiences.
Since they were mainly foreign students, they valued the advice and experience of the teachers, often disregarding the tutors. Having a good relationship with them and relating with them on a personal level was essential to communicate effectively since it allowed the students to be more comfortable with me and receptive to my advice regarding the use of the English language. This experience allowed for better communication with individuals from different backgrounds. It showed me the importance of developing personal relationships, which helped people feel comfortable and communicate their issues effectively. It gave me a profound sense of the skills a doctor needs to be able to connect with patients and the potential of that patient-doctor dynamic further motivated me to become a doctor.
Getting accepted into the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) was the next step in realizing my dream of becoming a doctor. I knew that becoming a practicing physician is a tough and arduous journey that requires mental toughness, but I got a taste of it at UCLA. My time there can be characterized as a trial since the major I selected, Physiological Sciences was one of the hardest majors and the course work paralleled some classes that are offered in medical school. The intensity of the coursework helped me to understand how difficult it is to pursue medicine and the amount of time and dedication it takes to become a doctor.
While at UCLA I was also volunteered for College Day, an event sponsored annually by the Muslim Student Association that allows students from community college and high school to understand the importance of higher education (Muslim Student Association of UCLA para. 1-5). The students attending the event were multi-cultural and multi-ethnic and at the same time, it included individuals who were financially challenged or well off.
The work of the mentor was magnified since they worked in groups and had to cater to the demands of the individuals within the group. The entire day was filled with seminars that showed the importance of obtaining a bachelor’s degree or beyond. My responsibility during this day was being a mentor, someone they could to talk about what was required for them to start college or what courses they would need to focus on during their year in community college to transfer in as a specific major. We also had to conduct the entire day of activities planned according to the program.
Being a doctor entails much more than being smart, for one to be successful one should be compassionate and employ a personal touch towards their work. They should also strive to give people their full attention and not just the patients, but also other co-workers since they require their invaluable assistance in giving the best care they can for the patient. Good communication and understanding of individual patients lead to earning trust both at a personal and professional level. This ultimately leads to a better diagnosis and as a result better service.
Volunteering as a CCE allowed me to view the routines of the medical professionals and their way of practicing medicine. I was fortunate enough to witness first-hand how doctors operate and what it takes to become a successful one. I also appreciate that those role models who I interacted with were very professional as to what I got exposed to at what age in some sense giving me appropriate development. My experience at UCLA gave me a better understanding of how much determination and effort are required to achieve goals that are most desired.
Finally, my encounter with the schizophrenic patient highlighted the importance of affording everyone a fair shot at a normal life and how a doctor can assist in achieving that goal. The attention given should mark as a fr1esh beginning not just on the patient’s health and wellbeing but also on their outlook on life in general. These experiences have molded a passionate and highly motivated individual who sees this opportunity as a chance to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Above all, they have helped me conclusively deduce that medicine is the only career worth pursuing me.
Works Cited
Muslim Student Association of UCLA. “College Day 2010.” 2010. Web.