Bridging the gap

I'm so excited to be blogging again for the first time in about 3 weeks! As most of you can relate, life got crazy. 


Working on med school applications on top of a full time job, networking with people through JVC, being part of a community (which entails about the same commitment as being married), and trying to find time for myself has made September feel like the blink of an eye. Some days I leave the house before 8 and don't get back until after 10. It's like college never ended. That being said, our main concern at this time is avoiding burnout. 

 As stressful as it can get, my job brings me so much joy. Working with my clients has caused me to become increasingly more frustrated with our economy, big business, and money in general (as if everyone isn't already). One of my clients is in the process of getting disability, but in the mean time can't pay rent or bills. Out of the 20+ resources I've looked up and called to see if any of them could provide rent or utility assistance, all have been short on funds. It saddens me greatly that these  organizations trying to provide services for those in dire need are shutting down programs because they're short on funding; all the while the NFL referees are going on strike because they want more money for watching a game. Anyway, this isn't a vent session, but I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say.

 Working as a medical assistant has opened so many opportunities to help people in the most unexpected ways. During basic check-ups, I've encountered a homeless patient who I was able to connect with our case management services; another patient at high risk of a stroke refused to go to the emergency room because she was behind on bills and couldn't afford to miss work. The doctor's response: "Well honey, you can miss work forever because you're dead, or you can miss work for a day." (and he said that in the most loving way, I promise). Fortunately, we could refer her to our case management services so she could get help with her bills. I am continually humbled that I am in a position to "bridge the gap" between the under served and those with the resources to help them. It has given me the capacity to love, understand, and care for others beyond my comprehension. It's something I will carry with me if I become a doctor, and help me to serve my patients with an understanding of their perspective, and with more tools to help them. 

This past week at the clinic has been one of the most interesting this month. For starters, I watched a pap smear...with no preparation for what I was walking into. One of the physician assistants peeked her head out of the exam room door, and since I was the lucky soul standing nearby: "Heidi- could you assist me really quick?" so I gave my usual response to any task asked of me at the clinic: "ABSOLUTELY!" This was not the kind of task that you give that kind of answer for, but I was blind-sighted. She just needed me to hold the light so she could see what she was doing- but that was a situation I was literally thrown into that I wasn't prepared for in any way. I was with a complete stranger who was in a vulnerable state, and I was expected to be professional, cool, calm, and collected, as if it were an every day occurrence. Believe it or not, I am grateful for that experience. I had no choice but to act as if I see this all the time (which someday if I become a doctor I probably will). It put me out of my comfort zone, but forced me to adapt immediately; and that, is what the medical field is all about...not to mention life in general. 

That's basically how it goes down at the clinic- you never know what to expect from one day to the next. Luckily I work with an amazing staff of people who already consider me "an old hat around the clinic." I feel as though I've been working there for years.

Other than work- community life has been wonderfully chaotic. We've been networking a lot. One night we had the Jesuit provincial over to our house for dinner, as well as a volunteer group called the Alumni Service Corps (which is similar to JVC).

We also had the chance to network with some teach for America Volunteers. TFA volunteers work in some of the most broken down public school systems throughout the country. While both of our causes are for social justice, it was interesting to see how our lifestyles are vastly different. Teach for America Volunteers, recieve a teacher's salary. In my opinion, for a single 20-something fresh out of college in our economy, that's gold. It was an odd feeling at first trying to socialize and relate to people out of the "JVC culture." I don't consider us to truly be categorized in the lower class, because we aren't living anywhere near poverty, and we're doing this by choice, but we're used to living and working in the same neighborhoods as our clients, not to mention the people we usually hang out with are Jesuits, nuns, and JVC support families (I fear I won't know how to act around people my age when I'm out of the JVC bubble). When I was standing in their modern, tastefully decorated apartment, I felt out of place. I forgot there was a such thing as matching furniture and stainless steel kitchens. I don't condemn having these things, but I feel like I got a taste of what the gap looks like from the other side. It was as if I were seeing through the eyes of someone else. Right now, with the view I have, I wouldn't mind living in the "swamp house" for the rest of my life; as long as I get to be involved in what God is doing. I feel like I'm living Paul's words in Philippians 4: "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

We also had dinner with the Sisters of Charity again. It has been such a blessing to share a meal with these ladies. They are always full of stories, pizazz, and love.They're a group of nuns who live in community, and they remind me a lot of the intentional community I lived in when I was in college. They have this ability to have fun at any moment and live each day like there's reason to celebrate. I aspire to always live my life with as much joy, celebration, and love as they do.

Looking back on all these experiences- I've noticed a recurring theme- I am bridging the gap between those who have and those who have not. This theme is imperative not only to what I'm doing right now, but what I'll eventually be doing if I become a doctor. In order to serve my patients I need to bridge the gap of trust and understanding that has been created in the medical field. And I know I don't stand alone as a bridge. I'm talking about the researchers studying pathways of illnesses to bridge the gap between science and healing. Case managers who bridge the gap between structural violence and hope. To the teachers who bridge the gap between students and their future. Sure bridges get walked on, but there is no comparison to how much more we gain being a bridge.

You've probably heard enough for now, and I have a date with my roommates and a chick flick.

Rejoice,
Heidi