This summer, I had the privilege of working at Arlington Free Clinic as a medical scribe for my Leadership In Action Project. 

Arlington Free Clinic is a non-profit organization providing free, high-quality comprehensive healthcare to low-income, uninsured residents of Arlington – the majority of whom are immigrants to the United States. There are 11,000 low-income, uninsured Arlington adults who are not eligible for insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Arlington Free Clinic is the medical home for 1,600 of these underserved members of the community, suggesting that the need for AFC’s services continues to greatly exceed their capacity. All Arlington Free Clinic patients live in Arlington County and have incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (for a family of 4, this is $48,500). 

As a medical scribe, I was able to advance health equity for these Arlington Free Clinic patients that are all an integral part of their family and community by helping patients receive comprehensive, whole-person healthcare. I was responsible for creating SOAP–or subjective, objective, assessment, and plan– notes to document encounters between clinicians and patients in a structured way. Additionally, I was responsible for placing orders for prescriptions, lab work, and imaging studies. 

I learnt a lot about leadership through my Laidlaw class lessons throughout the academic year. I implemented these Laidlaw class lessons and strengthened several professional skills as I journeyed to learn more about Arlington Free Clinic’s history, community, and practices. The responsibility of documenting patient encounters taught me the importance of attention to detail. Every word I wrote was significant for medical records, billing, and patient care, thus, writing precisely and clearly was of the utmost importance. I hope to carry this attention to detail to my academic pursuits, club pursuits, and personal organization. 

I was also able to hone my interpersonal skills as I interacted with patients from diverse backgrounds and with unique stories. It was important for me to show cultural competency and empathy in all situations. Learning to communicate effectively, show empathy, and maintain professionalism in sensitive situations is an invaluable skill that I was able to develop that I will surely carry with me throughout my life. Furthermore, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills while working as part of a team with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff was essential to providing the best patient care. 

I was also able to witness exemplary leadership through the dedication and compassion of the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers I observed in action. They managed complex cases with ethical dilemmas, communicated with patients, and made critical decisions under pressure. Similar to our Laidlaw class lessons throughout the academic year, this highlighted the need for ethical discussions within the medical community and within all leadership divisions. Witnessing this expanded my knowledge of medicine and deepened my respect for the healthcare profession.

Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, and violence, or differences in opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged population groups and communities. Health equity is the principle underlying a commitment to eliminate health disparities and is achieved when all people and communities can attain their highest level of health. Hopefully, fighting for health equity as part of the wonderful team at Arlington Free Clinic will have positive effects that cascade beyond the patients and into their homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and children’s schools.