Presenter: Samuel Amoh-Martin, Information Science, Global Public Health Scholars
For my College Park Global Public Health Scholars practicum, I had the chance to work
at the Washington Adventist Family Clinic located right off the WAU campus. The doctor of this clinic is Dr. Richard Akoto who previously was located at 4 Corners Plaza in Silver Spring, Maryland. During my voluntary internship, I was able to take on plenty of roles. I worked at first as a front desk receptionist and liaison, taking care of patients' concerns and appointment scheduling over the phone and also filing and organizing insurance information and patient medical records. I was also able to conduct self-covid testing at the clinic once I gained more working experience and the trust of the staff. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, clinics have been overloaded with patients creating a more stressful experience for both parties. Having more people on the staff, in general, makes it possible to see more patients and have a smoother workflow in the clinic. This is great for the scope of public health because the more patients seen and getting tested the faster we can end the pandemic for good. I have learned that volunteering at your local clinic is not only ethically fulfilling but also very vital for the betterment of public and global health. Physicians and staff are able to get through their workdays quicker with more helping hands and patients are able to get back to peak health quicker. Helping at your local clinic has great implications for community health and should be done if ever possible.