Day 05: Pretend Doctor as a Sales Girl?

Heading to Volunteer Services, right next to us is the Doctors' Lounge over looking the river.

   Today was my first day with the evil ‘candy’ cart, I’ve known since starting my volunteer job that I would be doing this and I’ve been dreading it. I always feel so awkward trying to sell people things; what if they don’t have the money, or are sleeping, or feeding, or whatever.  So I’ve been trying to avoid it, and I had been rather successful up until today. Sadly Mrs. HVS wasn’t all that busy when I walked in so she escorted me to the gift shop and got the cart for me and sent me on my way. Once up at 4-North I was actually told not to start doing rounds with the cart until 1030, a full two hours after I arrived (hallelujah).




    For the first four hours of my shift I did my usual: fridge stocking, charts, answering phones and doors, escorting patients around and general do-gooder stuff. To shake up my routine there was an actual code red, and not just an alarm; holy sea biscuits there is some action around here. Only sadly it was at the de Paul building next to us and was a water leak. Turns out that if one area has the code all floors and both buildings get it. Sad, right? I did get to guard the doors to make sure no one tried to steal a baby or two, SCORE! It didn’t actually last too long, only long enough to annoy everyone and have me running around like a chicken with my head cut off. The nurse on 4-North was kind of rude though. L&D sent me to watch 4-North’s door because there were about 3 of us watch L&D’s and they figured they’d be nice and send the volunteer to 4N to watch there. Once I briskly walk the (what seems like) 5 miles to the other end the nurse gives me a slight attitude about how it would have been nice if I would have been there all along so she wouldn’t of had to do it. I’m sure all of you in med school, or doing your pre-med stuff know that volunteering at a hospital you just do what you’re told to do, you don’t go off of the plan. Well I was told to go watch L&D’s doors, sorry 4N just be glad they sent me at all. Once that nurse gave me a bit of attitude I just turned around and went back to my tiny little area (it’s an abandoned nurse’s station) and went back to making L&D packets up, obviously 4N didn’t need me to watch their doors, sorry ladies.



    As for the cart I sold a grand total of, wait for it, wait for it, ZERO dollars worth of stuff. I’m a horrible sales person, sorry Mrs. HVS.





   I did get to see Dr. V today, I seriously love that man, he’s SO nice. My first day at the nursery he spent a few minutes talking to me, and giving me a pep talk about my pre-med years, and med school.  He’s seriously just one really nice guy, I enjoy working around him. Sadly I didn’t see Dr. C, and I haven’t in about two weeks, he’s really nice as well (and good-looking!). Although I’ve yet to meet a mean doctor in maternity, odd…





   All in all today was a decent day on maternity, but I’m still not sold on it. I’ll give it until the end of April to finally decide what I want to do, who knows maybe I’ll actually become the super volunteer that I’m trying to become and they’ll give me more stuff to do there, and I’ll like it more. All I can really do is wait and see right?





   Until next time.

Volunteer Day 04: Transfer? (And a ghetto hospital)

Sadly I missed what would have officially been my fourth day at my hospital, I was bummed out by the turn of events, but found it to be unavoidable (read: extreme migraine headache with nausea and light sensitivity), and I opted to stay home in bed and sleep almost all day (bummer).


Anyways, this past Monday when I showed up to do my weekly shift I was fresh off of one of my overnight shifts at Shitty LLC., maternity was absolutely dead; I only saw three babies, two had come in right after I arrived, the third showing up a few hours later. Needless to say I was bored out of my skull, I always find maternity to be a little dull and lacking in the energy department, but this was insane. I cannot begin to express how bad it was after being up all night, I almost fell asleep several times, and stared at the walls for what seemed like forever. Finally, at about 1130, I got up and went to go assemble chart packets for L&D, I only got about eight done, but had about half of another thirty-two done before I left at 1330.



This was honestly probably my worst day in maternity, it really made me realize that I don't really enjoy being up there at all. I want to feel like I'm actually doing something other than staring at a wall for probably thirty minutes straight; so on Monday morning when I go back in I think I'm going to speak to Mrs. HVS about maybe transferring to the ED, maybe it will be a little bit more lively for us volunteers and I wont be tempted to fall asleep during my shift. Oh, and I'll probably need to drag along a big can of sugar free Redbull, you know, just in case.




As for the ghetto hospital I mentioned, Wednesday I had a volunteer interview at the local teaching hospital. First let me start off by saying that a few summers ago I spent a great deal of time at their Gainesville branch. It's one of the things that helped me realize I really, really, really wanted to be a doctor; it made me feel safe, content, and at peace whilst in its walls. Sadly this branch made me feel the exact opposite; I felt lost, discombobulated, and extremely unsafe. This is the first hospital I have EVER been in that had metal detecters at the entry points for the ED, and several other wings. While the main lobby is an impressive area the further you go into the actual hospital the more run down it gets. I should state that I'm not really surprised that the hospital isn't in the best of conditions; it's extremely old, and not in the best of locations (actually I think I saw a hooker at the gas station across the street, I'm really not joking), but I figured where it was affiliated with a large state university they'd attempt to at least keep it up if for no other reason than the reputation of the school. I was wrong. The HVS did a quick interview and handed me a stack of forms to return, and explained the 'perks' of volunteering there; free parking and a voucher for a free meal. After thinking about it on the drive home I don't think I'll be returning the forms. No matter how badly I need the hours, and enjoy helping people; it just wasn't the facility for me when all is said and done.


Although it did make me realize how much I love the hospital I volunteer at, and actually enjoy being there, and let's not forget the confidence it gives me. I think I'm one pretty lucky volunteer all in all (even if I don't get a free lunch, oh well).


*No pictures today, I was lame and forgot my cell phone Monday. :(