From Life Steps to Healthy Habits

This summer for the Whitman College Internship Grant, I interned at a non-profit clinic, SOS Clinic Health Services, working on a program that I founded and received support of the clinic and the county BMAC program. This public health program aims to empower individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to prevent and manage conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. By addressing the risks of neglecting these diseases and promoting healthier habits, repetitive In-body examinations and A1C tests, the “Life Steps to Healthy Habits” program seeks to improve long-term well-being and reduce preventable health complications at no cost to the patient. 

A day at life during my internship would consist of preparing for days when patients would visit the clinic. It was my responsibility to create a patient list as participants from the BMAC program were separated into two groups. I would coordinate with the volunteer nurses when they would be available to help with A1C exams and I would call patients to schedule appointments that date. During these routine calls I explain what they must do in preparation of their appointment. I would explain in Spanish or English the requirements of the In-Body examination which includes no exercise or eating three hours prior, no metal, and must remain standing ten minutes prior. I would then update my online file of the patients and their appointments that way all clinic staff would have access to this information. I also created consent forms in both Spanish and English and I established a filing system for patient consent forms for both patient groups. I would be sure to have consent forms packaged and available for patients during their appointments. On days that patients would visit the clinic I would give them their consent forms and ask them to remain standing and once the volunteer nurse was available I would guide patients to the lab room to have their A1C test taken. I would explain or translate to patients what this exam would look for and how long it would take to get results, and once results were available I would explain it to the patients and if a result was a higher than a certain number I would have a conversion to see what further care steps were appropriate to support the management of their diabetes. After A1C exams were taken by the nurse I would guide patients to the In-Body room where I would explain what this was and how it functioned.

I would instruct patients to remove any metal or jewelry, how to use In-Body technical wipes and how to place themselves on the In-Body Scale. I would conduct the Inbody examination, print copies of the results and meet with patients to review their scores. I would write on the result sheet and explain where the average of scores is for their age, height and gender for all the exams the In-Body did. Then we would compare where they were at. This included segment analysis of fat or muscle mass, visceral fat, and cellular water weight. If patients felt anxious about their results, I would explain things they can change in their diet or help connect them to a nutritionist and the nutritionist would have workshops that I would attend and translate at. 

This internship was a great opportunity where I expanded my responsibilities at the clinic and grew my understanding of different examinations, and how to best help patients through preventive medicine. This summer I adopted skills and information that would assist me in the future as a pre-medical student.