Aspart of a school program that allows me to volunteer for credit, I am a hospitalhelper at Beth Israel Medical Center. One might think Brooklyn is the worst placeto live and the hospitals would not be great, but the reality is the totalopposite. The hospital is in a quiet residential area and provides good servicesfor all its patients.

I am volunteering not only for credit in school,but also because I want to be a pediatrician. Making a difference for futuregenerations is an important job and I would like to take on that responsibility.I've been helping for about a month and I love it. The first day was hectic butsoon I got the hang of it. I work in the Emergency Department, which sometimes isfast-paced. It is nothing like what we see on television, and is not always fullof activity. On some days there is work immediately and I run errands to the lab,pharmacy and radiology department. I deliver x-rays to be read, bring patients'blood tests to the lab, and retrieve medicine from the pharmacy. Sometimes it iscalm and not many patients need help.

One day I helped an old lady eather food because she was too sick to do it herself. When she said I was such anice young lady, she touched my heart. I want to touch the lives of many. When Igave some water to a woman who could not speak, I could tell by her expressionthat she really appreciated what I had done.

I do not often get tointeract with the patients one-on-one, but when I do, it's always a pleasure.Working with doctors is also a good experience. Seeing them interact withpatients gives me an idea of how I would treat my patients. Sometimes patientsare not very easy to communicate with and I think it is important to know how totalk to them. When one doctor was treating a patient, he spoke in such a soothingvoice that it helped her calm down and understand her condition.

Workingat Beth Israel has helped me to improve my interpersonal skills and my ability towork with others. I recommend volunteering; it helps you grow and experiencethings hands-on. Someone told me that being a pediatrician is very hard work andgoing to medical school costs a lot of money, which discouraged me, making mequestion whether I wanted to become a doctor. Being at the hospital helped merealize that I would love to be a pediatrician, so I'm willing to work hard.