At AMM, volunteers range from college students who are hoping to get into the medical field, community members looking to make a difference, congregations who build hygiene kits and provide groups for our Garden Workdays, the list goes on. Some volunteers, however, have unique ways of getting involved, and former volunteer and medical assistant Olivia Joyner is the perfect example. Check out our interview below!
What made you want to volunteer at AMM? How long were you a volunteer? Were you in school at this time?
I had the unique experience of growing up volunteering in the clinic. My mom worked at AMM since its opening year and I spent many afternoons and weekends in the clinic and the garden, getting to know the staff and the volunteers that rotated through. Alliance always held a special place in my heart, so it only made sense that I devote my spare hours to the clinic in hopes of one day joining the staff. I started regularly volunteering during the first year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. I continued to regularly volunteer throughout my year in a Post Baccalaureate program when I graduated from college but again became a full-time student. Once I finished the program, took the MCAT, and sent in my medical school applications, I worked full time on staff as a bilingual Medical Assistant.
“Alliance always held a special place in my heart, so it only made sense that I devote my spare hours to the clinic in hopes of one day joining the staff.”
Olivia in the Clinic, 2022
You were brought on as a staff member after a while of volunteering, do you think that had an impact on deciding to pursue medical school, or was that something you’ve always wanted to do?
I am a nontraditional student; I always had an interest in public health but did not discover my love for clinical medicine until 2020, during the Pandemic. I enjoyed volunteering at Alliance because I got to speak Spanish and became involved in public health efforts, like the Diabetes Care Management program, Healthy Steps and cooking classes, and the first COVID-19 vaccination clinics for uninsured patients. Although volunteering and working at Alliance was not the deciding factor in applying to medical school, it did show me exactly the type of physician I aspire to be. There are endless numbers of clinics in the surrounding area that serve patients with insurance who look like me and grew up like I grew up. There are, however, very few physicians in the area that devote their entire career, not just their spare hours, to the uninsured, and underserved communities. The physicians at Alliance are part of these few, and they are the ones who truly inspire me. They use both knowledge in their fields and empathy to serve patients who the healthcare system overlooks and leaves out. Every day they help their patients navigate numerous barriers so that they can receive the same quality of care as everyone else in the community.
Olivia as a medical student at Eastern Carolina University
“Although volunteering and working at Alliance was not the deciding factor in applying to medical school, it did show me exactly the type of physician I aspire to be”
A lot of our clinic volunteers are interested in med school or are in the process of applying. What is one piece of advice you would give them?
Keep believing in yourself! Don’t compare yourself to other pre-med students and get discouraged. Your journey is your own!
Volunteers like Olivia are what makes AMM special. As the late Rosalynn Carter said, “Without volunteers, we’d be a nation without a soul”. That sentiment stands true with AMM as well! Without our volunteers, whether you’re a college student, community member, or part of a congregation, AMM would not be able to serve the community in the capacity that it deserves.