An Awesome Week
This has been an awesome week. I've observed multiple classes, giving me the opportunity to observe almost all the other instructors at the school. Each has a different teaching style, but all are effective with their students. It's amazing, really. For, instance, it had never occurred to me that someone could make the subject of medical billing and coding not just fun and dynamic, but patient-centered.
But, even more amazing are the students. Some of these students come from impoverished backgrounds, some have worked for many years and want a new career, some are fresh out of high school or have just completed their GED (Tucson College offers free GED tutoring and testing to students who need it), some are already working but need to expand their skills in order to be eligible for promotion or just to keep up. Many of the students are parents, sometimes with and sometimes without a partner or family support. A few have disabilities or chronic illnesses. Some have children with disabilities or chronic illnesses, or have lost children to disabilities or chronic illnesses.
The reason I know so much about these students is that during some of the healthcare classes, they gave presentations on health topics of their choice. The topics were, almost without exception, on health issues that someone in the presentation group had experience with, either as the patient, or as a family member of the patient. One such presentation by a group of five women was on depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and similar issues. All of them suffered from one of the disorders they discussed. One of the most amazing things was learning that one of them also suffers from multiple sclerosis. I spoke with her later, during a break, and learned that at one time, her symptoms were such that she needed a wheelchair to get around. She'd had physical therapy to help her learn to walk again; she's still almost entirely numb on one side of her body. Yet, here she is in school, training to work in healthcare, so she can help others. What an inspirational woman.
Another group did a presentation on Apert's Syndrome (See also What is Apert's Syndrome?). One of the women in the group has this condition. Apert's can cause the bones of the skull to fuse together early, which prevents the brain from growing; without surgery, permanent brain damage occurs. As a result of the condition, she's had many surgeries. She's had surgeries to her hands, feet, and head, from the time that she was a small child. Apert's is also associated with learning disabilities. This student has struggled in school all her life, but she is unwilling to let that stop her from continuing to learn and to do well in her future.
Some of the students struggled with tears during their presentations. This was particularly true of those who spoke of their children with medical problems. I was impressed by the bravery of all of the students who spoke, but especially so of those who shared information about their children's medical conditions, despite the pain it brought them.
These are a few of the people who will be medical technicians, caring for us when we visit our physicians or wind up in the hospital. They will do their best, not just to care for us, but to see us as people, to give us a smile when we're ill, and to comfort us in whatever way they can.
Several times during the week, I heard instructors or other staff members reminding students to be mindful of others: mindful of the other students, of their coworkers and future coworkers, of the patients for whom they may someday provide care. Remember, they were told, that when someone speeks irritably to you, it may be because they just lost someone close to them, or are in pain, or had a fight with a loved one. Do your best to be compassionate, to smile, and to be kind. When someone's feeling down, a single smile or a kind word can give them the strength to go on.
It's a lesson that every one--not just these students, but all of us--must learn, over and over again. It's a lesson that I learned this week, along with the students. How many times have I been impatient or angry because I felt that someone--maybe a clerk in a store, a wait person in a restaurant, or a healthcare worker--wasn't friendly enough, or was doing their job poorly, or for some other perceived fault? How many times have I been irritated with someone in my family, possibly because they were irritable themselves, only to discover that they were coming down with a cold or the flu? (Please, don't worry that I'm being to hard on myself. I know I do my best to be kind and supportive of the people around me. I get feedback that tells me I'm usually pretty good at this. So, I'm not beating myself up, just aware that I still have room to grow as a person.)
This has been a hard post to write. I'm too filled up with emotion to be as coherent as I would like. Even harder, has been finding a way to finish. Maybe that's because this week is only the beginning for me.
But, even more amazing are the students. Some of these students come from impoverished backgrounds, some have worked for many years and want a new career, some are fresh out of high school or have just completed their GED (Tucson College offers free GED tutoring and testing to students who need it), some are already working but need to expand their skills in order to be eligible for promotion or just to keep up. Many of the students are parents, sometimes with and sometimes without a partner or family support. A few have disabilities or chronic illnesses. Some have children with disabilities or chronic illnesses, or have lost children to disabilities or chronic illnesses.
The reason I know so much about these students is that during some of the healthcare classes, they gave presentations on health topics of their choice. The topics were, almost without exception, on health issues that someone in the presentation group had experience with, either as the patient, or as a family member of the patient. One such presentation by a group of five women was on depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and similar issues. All of them suffered from one of the disorders they discussed. One of the most amazing things was learning that one of them also suffers from multiple sclerosis. I spoke with her later, during a break, and learned that at one time, her symptoms were such that she needed a wheelchair to get around. She'd had physical therapy to help her learn to walk again; she's still almost entirely numb on one side of her body. Yet, here she is in school, training to work in healthcare, so she can help others. What an inspirational woman.
Another group did a presentation on Apert's Syndrome (See also What is Apert's Syndrome?). One of the women in the group has this condition. Apert's can cause the bones of the skull to fuse together early, which prevents the brain from growing; without surgery, permanent brain damage occurs. As a result of the condition, she's had many surgeries. She's had surgeries to her hands, feet, and head, from the time that she was a small child. Apert's is also associated with learning disabilities. This student has struggled in school all her life, but she is unwilling to let that stop her from continuing to learn and to do well in her future.
Some of the students struggled with tears during their presentations. This was particularly true of those who spoke of their children with medical problems. I was impressed by the bravery of all of the students who spoke, but especially so of those who shared information about their children's medical conditions, despite the pain it brought them.
These are a few of the people who will be medical technicians, caring for us when we visit our physicians or wind up in the hospital. They will do their best, not just to care for us, but to see us as people, to give us a smile when we're ill, and to comfort us in whatever way they can.
Several times during the week, I heard instructors or other staff members reminding students to be mindful of others: mindful of the other students, of their coworkers and future coworkers, of the patients for whom they may someday provide care. Remember, they were told, that when someone speeks irritably to you, it may be because they just lost someone close to them, or are in pain, or had a fight with a loved one. Do your best to be compassionate, to smile, and to be kind. When someone's feeling down, a single smile or a kind word can give them the strength to go on.
It's a lesson that every one--not just these students, but all of us--must learn, over and over again. It's a lesson that I learned this week, along with the students. How many times have I been impatient or angry because I felt that someone--maybe a clerk in a store, a wait person in a restaurant, or a healthcare worker--wasn't friendly enough, or was doing their job poorly, or for some other perceived fault? How many times have I been irritated with someone in my family, possibly because they were irritable themselves, only to discover that they were coming down with a cold or the flu? (Please, don't worry that I'm being to hard on myself. I know I do my best to be kind and supportive of the people around me. I get feedback that tells me I'm usually pretty good at this. So, I'm not beating myself up, just aware that I still have room to grow as a person.)
This has been a hard post to write. I'm too filled up with emotion to be as coherent as I would like. Even harder, has been finding a way to finish. Maybe that's because this week is only the beginning for me.