Dichotomy

I was sitting at a desk in the clinic, my mind on autopilot as I clicked through patient files on the computer. It was the kind of boring but necessary work that any well functioning medical practice is built on. This particular morning, I was updating primary care providers in a new patients' medical records.

I was so focused that when my fellow volunteer, Cameron, tapped me on the shoulder, I jumped about a foot in the air. "Someone is looking for you. There's a Spanish patient." Chagrinned about being interrupted and perplexed by the lack of detail (Who needed me? What was the nature of the visit? Was it a quick question or an entire visit?), I rose and followed him to the door of the small counseling office, which I had never entered.

The counselor introduced herself and quickly explained the situation as she turned the knob and ushered me in. Already in the room was a middle-aged, Hispanic woman who had an appointment with the counseling intern. I introduced myself as a student translator and began the awkward process of sorting out the session.

I worked out the details of the story: the woman was a patient of the clinic and had been referred by her primary care doctor. She filled in the rest of the story, which took 45 minutes to relay, between my mistranslations and her rapid cadence. Several months prior, she discovered her partner was abusing her granddaughter. She confronted him, at which point he threatened her with violence and fled the scene before he was apprehended, released, and finally skipped his arraignment. He is now at-large and authorities don't know if he has fled the country, a fact his family refuses to confirm or deny to our patient. She lives in constant fear he will return and guilt over what happened to her granddaughter. Additionally, her lack of closure over the whole situation leaves her wracked with confusion, self-blame, and depression.

As her words washed over me, I allowed myself a minute of reflection. How had I gotten here, walking the fine line facilitating a tearful discussion of very personal mental health issues, when minutes before I was just quietly completing my clerical tasks.

But this dichotomy is the essence of our program. It helps students understand both the practical and the human side of primary care in such a population. We're asked to contribute in the less glamorous but absolutely essential daily functions of the clinic but also given the privilege of working with patients and learning through our interactions with them. By learning through a variety of sustained experiences, the C-VIP program is preparing future physicians to be more informed, hard working, and compassionate professionals.

- Julia Tasset

March 2014 Report

Medicine and Faith

On our website, Crossroad’s mission reads: “Our mission is to give honor to Jesus Christ by providing accessible, comprehensive health care in partnership with our patients and community leading to healthy, changed lives.” Despite being raised in a Christian home and always wanting to be involved in medicine, it was not until becoming an intern at Crossroad Health Center that I saw the tangible effects of faith and medicine together.

While shadowing Dr. Roberts in the fall, I was able to meet a patient who had a terminally ill daughter at home. The family had decided to forego any other extreme measures and had been relying on prayer to heal their daughter. According to him, the prayer was working. It was extremely touching to hear this man talk about his child and the healing that the family was experiencing. He than began to talk about his love for Crossroad. He said, “without Crossroad, it would be disastrous.” The patient explained how much the health center means to the community and how without it, the community members would be entirely lost. He went on to mention the sense of peace he felt every time he walked through the doors on East Liberty Street.

This experience, in addition to every other interaction of which I have been a part or witnessed, has made me truly appreciate what Crossroad does—so much so that I even did a final project on the health center last fall. I was able to share all the inspiring aspects of Crossroad with a class full of students who hope to follow Crossroad’s example and become active citizens in the community.

When I joined the Volunteer Intern Program, I was a pre-medicine student hoping to become a surgeon or emergency physician. Now, after eight months of interning, I hope to be a physician assistant, possibly focused in family practice. Witnessing the relationships that the providers have built with their patients is something I hope to experience. Especially in this time of turbulence in the medical field, primary care is so important. If it was not for the opportunity I have had here at Crossroad, I do not know that I would have realized the importance of that primary care provider and patient relationship strengthened by faith and community in the healing process.

- Shannon Reilly

February 2014 Report

A Resident’s Perspective

This fall I was given the opportunity to work with residents from the Christ Hospital to start a Tobacco Treatment Group (TTG) here at Crossroad Health Center. I am having an amazing experience working with the TTG but I also have been able to shadow some of the residents. I spent a few of my shifts this fall shadowing Dr. Lauren Wang, a third year family medicine resident. She was always really excited to have students shadowing her and she truly enjoyed teaching us and showing us interesting cases. Shadowing her has definitely been one of my best learning experiences here at Crossroad.

I had never shadowed a resident before. It was interesting learning from someone who had just recently went through medical school and knew exactly what it was like to be in my shoes. She told me a bunch of funny and helpful stories about what it is like to go to medical school and become a resident. Since she was still learning as well, she would sometimes check in with the primary physician and ask him or her questions. She always included me in these informal meetings, which provided me with new insight into what it is really like to practice medicine as a resident.

I saw firsthand how she used her past experiences and knowledge to diagnose patients. When a patient arrived, we would look over the patient’s chart together and she would come up with questions she wanted to ask the patient. Next, we would go into the exam room to see the patient. Dr. Wang was always incredibly welcoming and kind to the patients. She would ask them questions, write down their responses, and always give the patient plenty of time to ask their questions and express their concerns. She never rushed through appointments and always made the time to hear how they were doing in other aspects of their life. After talking with the patient for a while and giving a physical exam, we would leave the room to discuss a potential diagnosis and treatment options. Dr. Wang would ask me questions as well and walk me through the entire diagnosis process. Once she decided on a diagnosis and treatment plan, we would talk it over with the primary physician then go back into the patient room. Dr. Wang would go through her diagnosis and treatment plan thoroughly with the patient, making sure they fully understood everything she was saying.

My experience shadowing a resident was slightly different than the experiences I have had shadowing physicians, but I really enjoyed it and feel that it better prepared me for what lies ahead in my career. I learned so much from Dr. Wang and hope that one day I can be as great of a doctor as she is.

- Rachel Mantyla

January 2014 Report

November and December Report