November has been a personally challenging month for me, but
it has also reminded me how blessed I am to be a part of a program where I feel
so supported by not only the faculty but also my fellow students. This month,
we had exams for the renal pulmonary and
GI/neoplasia modules. I found the renal pulmonary module every
interesting and loved learning about the physiology. The GI/neoplasia module
was a little more difficult for me as I was overwhelmed by the number of
different drugs we had to learn for cancer, but I learned that flashcards were
the most efficient method for me to master them.
On the list of service opportunities provided by our
program, Second Harvest Food Bank was at the top and stood out to me. Back
home, I had done volunteering at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, and the
opportunity to be involved at another food bank seemed familiar and welcoming
to me. When I saw that the Second Harvest Food Bank was less than a mile away
from where I currently live in New Orleans, it seemed like a sign that it was
meant to be. I can honestly say that my time there has changed my experience in
New Orleans so far. My first time volunteering there, I assisted with the
community kitchen which consisted of helping to assemble hundreds of home
cooked meals that would be distributed throughout New Orleans and Lafayette. I
thoroughly enjoyed the experience and loved getting to know the people volunteering
there with me who all came from different walks of life. It really warmed my
heart to be a part of something that would have such a profound and great
immediate impact on numerous communities within our state. I was not only
impressed with the sheer amount of meals that were produced but also with the
genuine kindness and friendliness of everyone I met while there. This is the main reason why community kitchen has been my favorite and I find myself continuing to come back there.
I also did some administrative volunteer work with Second
Harvest Food Bank. I was able to call applicants and request information that
was missing from their application. There was one particular interaction that
stood out to me where I spoke with a man who did not speak English. Upon seeing
his surname and recognizing it was Vietnamese, I was able to communicate with
the man in Vietnamese and get the information needed from him which was a
previous hurdle that Second Harvest had been facing. This interaction stood out
to me as I am well aware of how crippling the language barrier can be for
minorities in America. In my previous experience working as an EKG technician
in the ER, I had oftentimes helped translate for patients and seen firsthand
the immense amount of relief and immediate trust that came with being able to
communicate with someone in their native tongue. This is something that I grew
up not realizing the value of until I began to work at the hospital. Although
it is a mark of pride for my heritage and culture, it is also a skill that I
can use to help people to a greater capacity and can help me in the future to
be a culturally competent physician.
Overall, I am grateful that I found Second Harvest Food Bank. I really feel at ease and at home there. The community of people I have met there have been so welcoming and profoundly kindhearted, and my connection with them has made New Orleans feel more like a home to me. I can honestly say that I am looking forward to continuing to volunteer there as often as I can over the next month off, and I am blessed to have been guided there.
Service Hours: 13.5
