Cameron Martin ’21 — I would like to thank the Global Health Initiative for giving me the opportunity to work at the Montgomery County Free Clinic. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work as a translator and scribe for the clinic. The Montgomery County Free Clinic helps people who are unable to obtain health insurance and provides free dental and healthcare to these people. A large portion of the population who come into the clinic speak little to no English. Therefore, they require someone who is able to communicate with them in Spanish. Translating for the patients allowed me to be right in the middle of the healthcare experience, where I worked directly alongside doctors, dentists, and nurse practitioners. Having translators or other people who are able to speak Spanish at the clinic helps both medical providers and patients. While working as a translator, I have greatly increased the fluidity and ease in which I am able to have conversations in Spanish. I have had to learn many medical terms and phrases on the job because I have never heard many of these words. Medical Spanish is very different from conversational Spanish and being thrown into the middle of it has made me learn it much faster than I would have any other way. Each day I work at the free clinic, I learn a new word or a new phrase that I did not know the day before. My favorite part about translating is being able to talk to the patients in another language and hear their stories and listen to where they came from. They are always grateful to have someone who will speak to them in Spanish, and they are always helpful when I do not know a word or when something is unclear. I also help do some scribing at the clinic. As a scribe, I worked with the doctor in recording everything that was done during each appointment. This helped the doctors with their charting and allowed them to fully focus on giving care to the patient while I recorded everything. Scribing has taught me to think on my feet and strengthened my listening skills. Things happen fast during an appointment, and I was responsible for making sure it all was written down, and nothing was missed. Overall, my experience at the Montgomery County Free Clinic has been unforgettable. Being able to work alongside health care professionals and help people who would not be able to receive care if the clinic was not there has changed my perspective and outlook on life.