June: Changed for the Better

As the year comes to and end, I’m starting to process what I will take away from this experience. One of the most valuable parts of this program is my team. Partly because we support each other as we learn and grow and struggle; trying to understand the role of a community health center, how to provide quality care, and define what “quality care” really means. But also for the amazing experiences and interests we are able to share with each other as our relationships have developed, as well as learning from each other in the more formal setting of member lead trainings and individual service projects.

I thought this year would simply be a continuation of what I had done previously – working in community health serving the Latino population. But this year I have developed a much greater understanding of the bigger issues, how those are manifested on an individual scale, and I have grown in compassion towards populations I had previously harbored prejudice towards or simply did not recognize, and can now validate the struggles different populations endure.

Member lead trainings on LGBT health disparities made me realize how uncomfortable and unwelcoming something as seemingly small as the way bathrooms are set up in clinics can be, and how simple changes can break down this barrier. It also made me think hard about the needs of this community as it ages and finding safe and appropriate facilities to care for their health. The mental health training made me recognize my own misunderstandings around mental health issues , and tendency to see the disease, and not the person. Another member’s discussion of her time with the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance and the challenges and condescension IV drug users encounter in the medical system made me want my practice to be a safe place for people to receive the medical attention they need and be treated with dignity and respect.

This experience has not just been my own. My time in clinic has helped me value one-on-one interactions and the importance of listening, and my outreach work has awoken my passion for teaching, but the stories of my teammates have made this year that much richer and that much deeper than I ever could have anticipated. I have allowed myself to be challenged and to grow with the support of those around me and I am coming out a more aware and compassionate person on the other end. I am immensely grateful for the people who chose to challenge themselves this year, and walk with me through our struggles to not just serve those in need, but to make greater changes so that those services aren't a necessary fabric of society.