27 Oct Read the transcriptions below from ten interviews with youth about their experience accessing a medical walk-in clinic specifically designed to serve youth ages 14-25.

Read the transcriptions below from ten interviews with youth about their experience accessing a medical walk-in clinic specifically designed to serve youth ages 14-25.

 

What themes do you see across some or all of the interviews? (a word or short phrase for each theme).  Try to come up with 2-4. 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Yeah, when I went to the clinic I guess it was okay. I needed to wait a long time. Like, I think it was at least three hours before I saw the doctor, but I mean, at least I saw one right? So it wasn’t that bad. The doctor was nice and she helped me get the medication I needed. So, I got what I needed you to know. I didn’t mind so much once it was done. It sucked during though because I had to use the bathroom at one point but I was afraid to go in case they called my name and I missed it. 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

I liked the doctor. She was very compassionate and the examination she did was thorough but not invasive. I don’t really like being touched so I liked that she was kind and explained things to me. I would use the clinic again, especially if she was there. 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

I guess it was an okay experience. The waiting room was packed for most of the time and it felt like it took forever to get in to see the doctor but she helped me once I got in. 

 

 

 

 

 

4

 

The doctor was fantastic. Like, she got me and got why I was there. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I kind of thought I might just be imagining it, you know? I don’t get sick ever. I didn’t want to go there, to begin with, but then, like, it started getting bad so I finally caved and went. I was sitting in the waiting room and I almost left a few times. Not like, because of the wait, although it was like two hours, but like, because I kept second guessing if I should even really be there. I was nervous waiting around. Once I saw her, the doctor I mean, she explained what was wrong with me and the treatment. I felt, like, validated, you know? I’m glad I stuck around and got the help that I needed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

 

I hated it. It was such a waste of time. The doctor was fine, but I was there for two hours before I even got in. I could have been at work. I had to take half a day off work just to go to the clinic. Yeah, I got medicine, but I don’t know if it was even worth it. I’m out like $60 in pay. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

I don’t know. The waiting room was a bunch of white walls and plastic chairs. It made me nervous sitting there. I felt like everyone was staring at me. Like they knew what was wrong with me even though I didn’t really. It made me uncomfortable. Having to just sit there for a few hours. I tried playing Among Us on my phone but I kept getting distracted by everyone else who was in the waiting room. I was also worried someone might have something contagious. I live with my mom and she has lung disease if I brought something home she could get sick and go to the hospital and I didn’t want that. The doctor was helpful. She explained what was wrong and the medication I needed to go on and the side effects from it, so that was good. She also gave me some information on some like… I forget what it’s called, alternative therapies? That would also help me too, so that was kind of cool. Like it wasn’t just hey here’s some medicine, bye. She gave me a lot of information on a bunch of different stuff that could help me, so I’m going to do all of it because she said it wouldn’t hurt if I did everything.

 

 

 

7

 

Um. I guess I liked it. Like, the staff was nice, and like I only waited like two hours to see the doctor. Like, I’ve been to other places and the wait was long so it was okay I guess. I was kind of worried to like, you know, go to the bathroom in case they called my name, but other than that it was fine. The doctor was nice. Usually, they treat me like I’m a child but she didn’t, she explained stuff well. It’s close to my house too like I only had to take one bus and it was maybe five minutes on it. 

 

 

 

8

 

Uh, well, it’s a walk-in clinic, so you know you’re going to wait, you always wait at walk-in clinics. The waiting room was boring. They didn’t have Wi-Fi, or at least not that I could see, and I don’t have data, so I only had a few games I could play on my phone. There wasn’t anything on the walls. I know it’s for youth but it didn’t seem like it was meant for youth, not in how it looked. It looked like any other clinic. The doctor was really good though, I would go back and see her again.

 

 

 

9

 

I don’t live close to the clinic but I liked that it was meant for people my age so I took the bus. It was pretty easy to get there, and I knew where to get off from the website information which helped. It was two buses but only because I live in a weird place. It’s on the main bus route. It took about twenty minutes to get there and then I waited for maybe an hour or two. I don’t know if that’s good or not. People always complain about the wait times at places so I guess I expected longer. I don’t go to walk-in clinics. I was a bit worried at first because I was having some mental health stuff going on and I didn’t know if it was a place for that too, or if I would have to go to the hospital, but I didn’t have to go to the hospital. The doctor saw me and went over a bunch of information and stuff. She asked me a ton of questions but it was okay because I knew she wanted to help me, she seemed really caring and like she wanted to help. She ended up referring me to a therapist that’s covered because I don’t have a lot of money, it’s just my mom and me and she works a lot but we still don’t have a lot of money so I didn’t want to spend money on me even though I know my mom would. So she referred me to that program, and she wrote me a prescription that’s covered by the province too, so that’s good, I don’t have to pay money for anything. She told me I have to come back and see her in a month but to call sooner if I get worse symptoms. She also gave me a bunch of information about crisis lines and stuff which was helpful. I don’t think I’ll need them but I feel better having them, you know?