Clinic Day 3 (7/26) || Hallie Yong

Today was our third and final day of clinic, which I greeted with a sleepy start. After two rounds of snoozing, my last alarm blared at 5:45, forcing me out of bed. I stumbled out of bed on autopilot, quickly getting dressed and hurrying downstairs just in time for call-time. Luckily, it seemed like everyone else was on a similar delay for our last day so I was able to grab a quick bite before call-time.

Despite it being our last day, the crowd of waiting patients greeting us when we arrived made it clear that it was about to be the busiest yet. As soon as the bus came to a stop, students and providers alike tumbled out of the bus and hurried to their stations, eager to start seeing patients. I settled into my Crowd Control spot in the Consultation area, watching with anticipation as I saw Vitals get flooded the minute the doors opened. I knew we were next.

Whether it was the wear and tear of a grueling two days prior or the sweltering heat that only seemed to grow each day, I quickly worked up a sweat running back and forth guiding patients from Vitals to the Waiting Area to the next available Provider. I stumbled over the limited Viet terminology I picked up, asking patients if they were looking for “mắt” (eye) or “răng” (teeth) in broken tones and body language. Luckily, when that wasn’t enough, I knew I could always rely on Viet speakers nearby to translate. Although I felt bad each time I pulled someone away from the Provider they were assisting, I could not be more grateful for how patient, understanding, and happy to help everyone was each time!

After a quick recharge at lunch, we returned a well-oiled machine ready to take on our last battle. To keep our energy high for the last shift, Dr. Lu pumped us all up with a motivational speech and our classic MEMO chant: MEMO on me, MEMO on three! 1, 2, 3, MEMO!

Right as we opened the doors, patients flooded through to vitals, dental, and optometry, eager to be seen before the Clinic came to a close. My feet already felt like they would fall off after running around the past three days, but somehow I managed to pull through until the end of the main rush. As the clock ticked towards closing time, the influx tapered off slowly until finally the doors were shut and the last patient left with a smile. Even as we cleaned up the rest of the clinic, optometry continued for an extra hour beyond our set time to make sure every patient who had been waiting for very long was seen and received their glasses. Knowing how hectic and busy their station was from previous days’ experience, I felt especially sympathetic for today’s volunteers who had faced the largest crowd yet.

Before UMC left, we all gathered for a quick group photo to capture the MEMOries and achievements of our hard work over the past three days as one team. People took pictures and shook hands, smiling and laughing brightly with relief and accomplishment. As we celebrated with a round of applause, I couldn’t help but feel a little emotional at the bittersweet end of clinic days—and the soon to be conclusion of 16G.

Dr. Lu leading our pep talk and chant

Dr. Ninh having a patient consultation