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Patricia Haislop, is a pre-dental student at the University of Arkansas. She heard about Remote Area Medical (RAM®) from her advisor and knew it would be an opportunity for her to gain valuable experience. She was a general support volunteer in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Patricia was one of the 224 volunteers at the free healthcare clinic throughout the weekend.
Volunteer Opportunities with RAM —
As a first-time RAM Volunteer, Haislop spent her day working in dental sterilization. She sorted instruments and prepared them for sterilization in the autoclave. While she had worked in dental offices before, the clinic was her first time getting hands-on experience with dental instruments. She also learned how the dental sterilization process works.
“I think, if you want to get a hands-on experience, come to this [a RAM Clinic], for sure,” said Haislop. “. . . I think it helps a lot — it’s kind of like a head start into the field a little bit. . . it’s a really neat thing to do. So, I would totally recommend it.”
Haislop expressed how much she admired RAM’s pop-up clinic setup. This clinic took place in Fort Smith Convention Center. RAM Volunteers turned the space into a fully equipped clinic. The free clinic offered dental, vision (including eyeglasses made on-site), and medical services. The clinic had 20 dental tents set up for patients to get cleanings, extractions, fillings, and dental x-rays.
For Haislop, this volunteer opportunity with RAM was a rewarding experience. Though she did not interact with many patients while working in sterilization, she still saw the impact the free healthcare clinic was having on the community.
“. . . When I see the kids or [whoever], everyone’s really happy and smiley, so I think it’s a good thing,” said Haislop.
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Team Work at RAM’s Free Healthcare Clinics —
The hard work of all the other volunteers at the clinic did not go unnoticed by Haislop. From the other volunteers working in sterilization (pictured above), to all the dental professionals working directly with patients on the floor, everyone worked together to ensure patients received the care they needed.
“. . . I think everyone here is really passionate about what they’re doing, and they want to keep working on mouths depending on — it doesn’t really matter what the circumstance.” Haislop said. “I think, you know, being able to provide that service is just, it’s just great.”
Read about Dr. Rowdy Simon’s experience at the Fort Smith, Arkansas RAM Clinic here. Dr. Simon traveled from Oklahoma to provide free dental care to the community.
Supporting RAM’s Free Clinics —
If you would like to join Patricia and Dr. Simon and volunteer at an upcoming RAM Clinic, we encourage you to visit our volunteer page to learn more about volunteer opportunities at RAM.
RAM can bring free healthcare to tens of thousands of people every year thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to donate to RAM or even become a monthly donor, please visit www.ramusa.org/donate.
Do you want more content from RAM? Read our blog for weekly volunteer stories, patient stories, and much more.
RAM’s mission is to prevent pain and alleviate suffering through providing free, quality healthcare to those in need. We do this by bringing our pop-up and telehealth clinics to communities across the country. See our clinic schedule to find a clinic near you.
You can watch our short videos to hear from other RAM Volunteers.
