We would like to thank our 2016 Summer Interns, who have contributed a tremendous amount to AFC! We’ll miss you!
Here’s what some of them were busy with over the summer here:
This past year I started med school, and I wanted to try and come back to volunteer at AFC but couldn’t find the time. I figured maybe summertime would be the best time to come back and help out. Before med school, I had a background in finance and information systems, so because of that I was able to understand everything that was going on with the new volunteer scheduling system. Helping people work through the system and getting them established has been rewarding as well. Also, just getting to know the non-medical staff has been great. When I used to volunteer on the clinic side I didn’t really get a chance to interact with them, but now I’m able to interact with these wonderful people and see them more often. (Allen, GWU Medical Student and 2016 AFC Summer Intern)
I’m Coralie’s (AFC’s Director of Finances & Human Resources) intern, so I’m helping with that this summer. I manage the project collecting data on all of the donated medical services that we get from practices in the community. I track them down and ask them to provide information on the value of the donated services they gave to the Clinic over the past year. I enjoyed seeing how it all works; not just the medical part, but the whole financial aspect of it too, because it’s all holistic. I always dig knowing everything about how something works. (Sonika, Virginia Commonwealth University Psychology/Pre-med and 2016 AFC Summer Intern)
As part of my school requirements, I have to do a practicum in a public health setting. My wife works at Virginia Hospital Center as a social worker, so she introduced me to some of the community work that that hospital does. I met with them to find out if I could play a role in using my practicum to help them connect with the community and was directed towards Arlington Free Clinic. I work with Sheila Ryan, Director of Clinical Services, in helping the Clinic understand the volume of its patients that may be going to the ER for what could be a preventable visit. That’s an issue that a lot of communities and health systems are looking at. I’m helping us dig into the data and think through strategies to help connect our patients with care and resources so that they don’t feel like they have to go to the ER. (Matt, GWU Masters of Public Health Student and 2016 AFC Summer Intern)
One of the best things I’ve gained during my time here is a sense of certainty. When I went into medical school I had an idea that I wanted to go into a primary care field and work in a preventive medicine atmosphere. But it wasn’t really until I got to spend my time here that I became very certain that that is what I wanted to do. So the environment, the people that I work with, and the patients that show up at the clinic have really solidified my aspirations. (Alyssa, GWU Medical Student and 2016 AFC Summer Intern)
I work with Marlene Alvarez. She’s the clinic’s Eligibility Specialist. I help her with files, entering patient data onto the system, and soon, hopefully, I will also be conducting interviews with the patients for registration. I’ve always wanted to help people, so I went with health administration. (Gabi, George Mason University Health Administration and 2016 AFC Summer Intern)