Exit Interview with:
Jason Jansen
Position/Capacity: Pharmacy Student
Student Learner
I: What did you know about safety net clinics prior to coming to Duchesne?
I knew very little. I never even heard the name “safety net clinic” before, so didn’t know quite what to expect.
I: What has been most rewarding for you? What has been most challenging?
The most rewarding thing is the gratitude that the patients display for helping them. They are just so grateful people are here to help. I got a chance to shadow Jana, and a couple times she had me consult with the patient first about medications before coming in to do the exam.
I find that the most challenging aspect was the cultural/ethnic differences between the Hispanic population; not speaking the language. Learning ways to connect with the patients while using an interpreter—being sure to talk in English directly to them, even though the interpreter is translating. Maintaining that eye contact.
I: How do you feel you have you changed?
The biggest change I’ve experienced is my perspective on the poor. Previously I wasn’t sure how I felt about free health care; someone’s got to pay for it. I was thinking they were ungrateful…. Who are these people? Why aren’t they working? Why should I pay for their health care when I’m breaking my back in student loans to support myself?
So easy to judge people from the outside.
Meeting them and hearing their stories completely changed my outlook. These are people trying very hard to get by, to meet their obligations, to put food on the table for their families. I’ve come away with a profound respect for them, for safety net clinics who care for them.