Editor’s Note
This is part of an ongoing series following area students as they go through their last year of high school.
OXFORD — It’s important for an aspiring doctor to not only learn about anatomy and what can go wrong with the body, but also to practice a bedside manner.
To all three ends, Raymond Dong has been volunteering at McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital since he was a freshman. Even with his busy schedule of athletics and school activities, Dong manages to put in six or seven hours a week. Altogether, he estimates that he’s logged about 500 volunteer hours.
“It’s a big commitment, but it’s worth my time,” he said. “I could get a job and make some money, but I like it here a lot.”
He got involved after hearing an announcement at Badin High School offering the opportunity. At first, he split his time in the imaging department and the McCullough Hyde Physical Therapy facility on Morning Sun Road, then eventually began to focus his effort on the latter.
“I saw a lot of CAT scans and X-rays,” he said after a recent afternoon shift assisting physical therapist Sara Morlein. “Here, it’s a lot more interactive. I like talking to people to learn more about their health and activities.”
He’s put the knowledge he’s gained in his physiology classes, memorizing all the bones, muscles and their movements, to practical use. As a volunteer, he’s not allowed to work directly with patients, but he can talk to them and ask questions of the therapist as he assists.
“It’s helped me learn how to interact with a diverse group of people,” he said. “This is a popular center, so I get to meet a lot of different people, and I can adjust to all kinds of personalities.
“I get a chance to cheer people up on their down days,” he said, “and knowing you helped them make the best of themselves and heal is gratifying.”
Morlein said that the clinic treats many types of skeletal and neuromuscular issues, including the broken bones and torn ligaments of athletes.
“We get a lot of volunteers from Miami University and from local high schools,” she said. “They’re here to observe and help us with duties like cleaning off tables. If you want to be a physical therapist, you have to do so many observational hours.”
“Physical therapy would be a really great career,” Dong said, “but my experiences are shaping me to want to be a surgeon.”
Of course, being a volunteer also means that he gets to do some of the less glamorous tasks.
“I always have to take out the laundry at least once while I’m here,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2188 or rjones@coxohio.com.
About the Author