Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to work in the
medical field. My mom was a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) at a local
retirement home and I would always enjoy going to work with her and I enjoyed
watching her work and care for the patients. Throughout junior high and high
school, I volunteered at hospitals and retirement homes, and these volunteer
opportunities solidified my desire to work in the medical field.
At the University of Oregon, I am part of the Pre-Health
Service Club. This club gave me the opportunity to reach out to the community
by providing me with contacts of several hospitals and clinics where I could
volunteer. One of the clinics that really stuck out to me, and basically
slapped me in the face, was Volunteers in Medicine. Volunteers in Medicine is a
free clinic that provides a wide-range of medical services for those who are
unemployed and/or have low income. Before I even knew free clinics actually
existed and that there were quite a few out there, I wanted to open one up so that
no one would be left sick, so I knew this would be a perfect opportunity to be
a part of something great. I immediately called the volunteer coordinator and
we set up an interview, and I was set to start Winter Term 2012.
Though I’ve only been at the clinic for a few weeks, I know
it’s a place I want to be at for a while and I plan on continually volunteering
for as long as I’m in Oregon. At Volunteers in Medicine, I am a receptionist.
Those who have known me for a long time know that talking to people isn’t an
easy feat for me, because I am very shy. However, being in Alpha Chi Omega, I
have grown to be a more confident and outgoing person which has helped me
tremendously at VIM because part of my job description includes answering
phones and talking with patients. If it weren’t for my growth through being a
part of Alpha Chi Omega, I probably would have been stuck organizing medical
records, which isn’t as fun and exciting as engaging with patients.
Jenn clearly does amazing work for this community, and she is not only helping others, but she is taking steps to solidify her future with this work. She is gaining crucial knowledge in her preperation for her career, and I know that she will go on to great things in the medical field!
LITB,
Chrissy Hardesty
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