I attended clinic for the first time months ago in the summer but had been unable to attend for the rest of the year because of my new job. When signing up for the May clinic, I was both excited and nervous to be in Tijuana again. I didn’t know if going back would feel like a familiar experience, or if it would be a lot of me relearning things I had learned in the summer.
nn
I woke up at 5am the morning of, ready to pack a lunch. A mistake I had made last time was not packing any food at all and I wanted to make sure I could learn from my experiences every time. The weather in Tijuana was hot, but not as hot as the first time I went which was something I was grateful for. My first rotation was spent on relay, something I had never done before. I quickly learned what to look for in the patient charts and what information the physician needed in order to see their patient. It was an interesting experience and I was able to “speak” with one of the neighborhood kids named Jonathan. Although I speak almost no Spanish and he speaks almost on English, we were able to attempt to communicate through very basic levels of language and hand motions. Nothing makes me want to learn Spanish more than going to clinic.
nn
My second rotation was spent at Triage. I had done triage at my first clinic, but was not sure if I remembered how to take vitals so I was a little nervous. To my surprise, I remembered most of the skills from first clinic and was able to help the emts I was working with. Overall, my second clinic was a great experience and I am excited to keep going!
nn