[JSR] What I Have Learned While Working in Hospital Settings

Working with hospital staff and happy families [Source: Amber Jun]

As an avid fan of medical TV shows, I have seen that the hospital is a dramatic, drama-filled setting. As a patient, I have viewed it as an opportunity to miss out on school to get a wellness checkup. As a family member, I have experienced it as one of the most frightening experiences of my life. However, in the past 2 years, I have had the chance to get to know the hospital from ‘behind-the-scenes’
I had the wonderful, rewarding opportunity to intern at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon, under a highly respected glaucoma specialist, Dr. Beth Edmunds. A regular week consisted of observing surgeries, shadowing in the clinics, and assisting Dr. Edmunds in a research project that is currently under review for publication. Through this experience, where I dealt with direct patient contact daily, I learned the importance of the relationship between the doctor and the patient. The doctor and the staff must be able to create a supportive, safe environment in order to effectively treat the patient. I have seen first-hand patients, who were nervous and scared, reject the recommended treatment plan because of a lack of trust and an abundance of fear. I learned that the doctor’s job not only consists of physically treating the patient, but also being able to put the patient’s mind at ease, so that he or she can review all treatment plans with a logical approach.

Amber Jun

I also had the chance to take on a summer internship at Kaiser Permanente at the West Interstate location. In this internship, I was able to see the more clinical and administrative side to healthcare. I quickly learned that although we worked in offices and rarely saw patients, we all had a common goal: to be able to provide the best possible health care to patients. On the familiar direct-caregiving side we are used to seeing at the hospital, there are doctors, nurses, physicians, phlebotomists, technicians, pharmacists, etc. who all have distinct job descriptions, but have the common goal to provide the best healthcare. Similarly, on the administrative side of healthcare, there are people working on cataloging massive loads of patient files, tweaking insurance plans, running meetings with investors and contractors, etc. who have separate tasks that work towards the same aim. I realized that there are many people working behind the scenes to deliver the health care the patient receives.

For almost 2 years I have been volunteering at my local hospital, Tualatin Legacy Meridian Park. I am stationed in the surgery waiting room, where I function as a liaison between the surgical staff and the patient’s family. Every week that I volunteer here I am reminded of how sensitive the hospital environment is: there are people receiving the best news of their life, while there are those receiving the worst new, all under the same roof. I am constantly humbled to be able to momentarily meet people from all walks of life whom I am able to help, even if only for a short period of time.

Glaucoma specialist checking a patient.[Source: Amber Jun]

Although I have had very different experiences at hospitals, each time I take on a new challenge or position in the medical sciences I am constantly reassured that I want to pursue a path in medicine. My love for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) will ensure that science will always be a part of my life and who I am. I trust that continuously exploring the STEM field will allow me to find joy and pride in the work I accomplish, and I hope that in the future, my work will be able to positively affect and inspire the world I live in.