Finding New Expectations

I came into National Health Corps (NHC) a bit jaded by my undergrad experience as a pre-med, and wondering if I really wanted to pursue medicine and health care as a career. As I began my AmeriCorps year of service, I had three main goals in mind: work on my interpersonal and communication skills with patients, gain perspective and a better understanding of the health care system, and figure out if going into medicine was right for me.

When my fellow corps members and I convened for the first day of pre-service orientation (PSO), I expected to be greeted with your typical ice breakers and basic rundown of the AmeriCorps and National Health Corps program. I wasn’t disappointed when Caitlynn, our NHC Philly Program Coordinator, handed us a bag of Starburst and asked us to grab a handful to use in a fun and interactive activity! Fortunately, we quickly moved beyond these somewhat fun, somewhat awkward orientation games. 
Throughout the week of orientation, training sessions included presentations on privilege in volunteering, managing expectations, and self-awareness. We discussed ethics and boundaries as health care professionals interacting with patients. We analyzed our own backgrounds and biases in a conversation on cultural competency. We learned from individuals and organizations serving varying populations throughout the city and heard their perspectives on the state of public health care in Philadelphia and urban settings in general. These were topics that I had read into and thought about on my own, but never discussed so openly and honestly in a large group setting. Pre-service orientation was refreshingly mindful and thoroughly prepared. By the end of the week, I felt encouraged to approach my year of service with awareness and openness to all experiences and challenges.
When I woke up extra early the morning of my first day at my host site, I was nervous. But I also felt exceedingly more prepared than I had expected and was excited to immerse myself in my role as a Patient Advocate. When specific questions arose, I was grateful to find a guide detailing even the most minute details of being a Patient Advocate written by my predecessor from last year’s NHC cohort. This guide, as well as the camaraderie with current and past Patient Advocates and corps members, was invaluable to me in the first few weeks. By the end of my first month serving at the health center, I was surprised by how comfortable I felt approaching patients, making connections, and discussing sensitive, personal issues in a professional and compassionate manner. The continuing training sessions and discussions with patients, peers, and mentors, have added nuance and complexity to my understanding of public health in the city.

Though I’m still working toward those three original goals, I have space to expand my attention. Now I am able to dive deeper and work towards higher expectations. The strong foundation and support that NHC has already provided gives me the ability to continue improving the services I am providing to my patients. I can work on understanding all aspects of my health clinic and being able to better direct my patients to services they need. I have extra time to concentrate on health education materials to help patients in all aspects of their health. I am aiming to improve  efficiency in all my work so that I can better provide a space for patients to be helped and feel respected. Ultimately, I hope to make my patients’ lives easier.

This blog post was written by NHC Philadelphia member Florence Ma.
Flo serves as a Patient Advocate at Philadelphia Department of Public Health-Ambulatory Health Services Health Center 4.