I had my first day at the clinic today. The woman (Pediatric RN) who is on the books as responsible for me didn't actually know that until Friday afternoon and did not write nor read my work plan, which basically lines out what I am allowed and not allowed to do and what is expected of me. So today it was hard not to feel like I was in her way in the morning. As things picked up she asked me to follow the MA around and learn some things from her. The MA was really nice and did show me quite a few things, but was confused when she heard I had no medical training or background (besides a year-ish of being a part time volunteer) and for most of the morning was the only MA on staff when usually there are at least three.

When things started getting really busy around 11:30 I was pulled away by the director (who interviewed me and wrote my work plan) and was put in a room by myself to answer calls coming into the medication line. It was mostly patients who needed refills called in or every so often a pharmacist with a question for the doctors. I got pretty good at this (taking down the message, finding the chart, giving the doc a heads-up and then leaving it on their desks which are piled with charts) and eventually was also asked to call some patients back about things. Soon they will entrust me with calling the refills in to the pharmacy.

In between calls I brainstormed some potential ideas for projects that came to me from what I saw in the morning with the MA. I feel like I came up with some good ones and am excited to spend more time there in hopes of actually coming up with something sustainable. I want my term of service be more than just a years worth of me tending to the phones and helping people fill out paperwork. We'll see, we'll see.

There was a Thanksgiving pitch in for lunch today (I didn't know and didn't bring anything to share, whoops!) so I got to talk with some of the other staff members. It's a pretty small place, so there weren't a lot of them, but everyone seems really nice. They told me about the Christmas party and let me participate in the Secret Santa drawing.

All in all, I am feeling quite hopeful about the potential of this position.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to get in line at the food stamps office before they open the doors at 7:30. I can't get turned away this time! Be thinking of me.