Status Update (Alexis is....)

Spring Break was to be a time of intensive observation. Until I got a nasty illness (pink eye). I must admit, I felt the victim of some sort of sorcery or at least some psychosocial stress.

In any case, I did manage to interview two more people from the clinic: a Medical Assistant and the physician. Both were really interesting and had markedly different experiences in the healthcare industry. Perhaps the most prominent difference was their definitions of health. The MA answered my questions about health by talking about sanitation: she cared for her health by staying clean and sanitizing her work spaces. The physician answered my questions about health with the anticipated talk of exercise and eating right. Both exemplified the dedication and time commitment required to work in healthcare, though the stress levels (especially emotional stress) were greatly different.

I managed about an hour of participant observation which was not wholly unproductive. I got to overhear some conversations in Spanish. As I get to know more people and after conducting the interviews, I am becoming more aware of the office relationships and understanding the topics of their conversations.

While my field and interview notes are complete, I must admit that the transcriptions await me. I dread them.

My interviews were only about 45 minutes each. Is that bad? Should I do another? I think I could arrange to meet with a medical administrator in about two weeks, which I might do regardless of whether I "need" it. She seems pretty eager to meet!