This summer I was blessed with returning to the same internship I did last summer. I retained my position as an intern/scribe at Will Grundy Medical Clinic and had another summer of great practice and experience. However, this summer was unlike last summer. This summer we were back into their main facilities which meant more patients and more responsibilities. I again was tasked to be able to perform multiple tasks while keeping up with the pace of a medical facility. This was extremely fun as I was able to be in the room with the doctor for almost every patient taking his notes, and even going over the evaluations with each other. I specifically got to work with two doctors named Dr.Lipinsky and Dr.Cerniak, these doctors were extremely supportive and would give me a run down of everything they were doing and why they were doing it. Essentially feeding into my role as an intern and giving me valuable knowledge. My role as a bilingual intern also was very helpful because I was often translating and was used as a bridge from the doctor to the patient. Being able to use my language and culture to help others is a blessing that I cannot put into words. It has helped so many people have easier visits in the clinic, due to feeling more comfort when in the visit and being able to ask questions they otherwise would shy away from. However, when you’re seeing every patient, you also get put into difficult situations. I was in the room during a normal checkup when a patient had an abnormally high blood pressure and complained of a tightness in her chest. I immediately got struck with fear and panic, but once I seen the doctors face, I realized that I would have to suppress these emotions and comfort the patient so that symptoms do not worsen, and the situation remains in control. This was very difficult as I was never put into a similar situation before. This experience will be very beneficial for me as I get to learn from that situation and understand that sometimes I need to suppress my emotions for the patient.
My second internship was WLAIP. This was an awesome experience as I got to be a part of the welcoming of 31 of the next incoming class of Wabash. I was blessed with the opportunity to be a mentor for this year’s class of WLAIP. This was very fun because we were essentially an older brother to 31 of the students. As someone who’s never had a close younger male sibling this was touching because I was able to put myself in their shoes and provide comfort and lessons for them. I was able to reflect on my 2 years at Wabash and give advice from my experiences that they can use in their path through this institution. I remain in touch with many of the students and appreciate this relationship we have built during their WLAIP. I remember how those relationships impacted me during my WLAIP and wanted to offer a similar feeling to those going through it now. I was also able to talk to the parents that dropped their kids off and reassure them that this step they’re taking is a good one. There was a specific Hispanic couple who were very anxious with their son leaving them, and they reminded me of my mom and siblings when I got dropped off. I reassured them that I will take great care of their son, and he is passing through a valuable step in life where there is much needed growth. Their son is now a freshman at my fraternity and his parents were ecstatic that I would be living with him. This type of situation was very heartwarming for me as I felt that as an older individual who has walked through his steps before was able to make an impact and help when its needed. These two experiences offered me a lot of growth and learning and I am so happy I got to experience them.
