If Doanh Doan never joined the Legacy Medical Society, she would’ve never found a new sympathy for the older people in her life.
Founded in 2023 by senior Eva Gurung, members of the Legacy Medical Society dedicate themselves to giving members early experience in the medical field. Their efforts included blood drives, organizing relief donations and community service at senior living facilities. At Walnut Creek Assisted Living and Memory Care, senior Doanh Doan and other members hosted various activities with residents.
“It was a very nice, really comfortable place. Most of us went and volunteered at memory care.” Doan said. “We would play games with them that will try to jog their memory or keep them grounded.”
Doan and her friends provided more than just a helping hand around the facility. Often, nurses and occasional family members were the only people residents had a chance to talk to. Teenage volunteers were a welcome change of pace in the quiet residential communities.
“Once you actually interact with them, you can see how joyous it is for them to have someone there younger than them to talk to and play around with,” Doan said. “Apparently, that doesn’t really happen a lot, because usually the ones that do come there are their children, and they’re middle-aged.”
After volunteering with the club, Doan empathized with the older people around her and viewed their life experiences as something to learn from. Her community service gave her a new perspective on interactions with her elders.
“You lived through so much and you’re still out here living more,” Doan said. “It’s sort of a feeling of just getting to see what could become of you.”
Fellow Med Society members, such as junior Jose Salomon, shared similar sentiments. Salomon joined Legacy Med Society in his sophomore year and enjoyed volunteering with other members. Club members found roles as helping hands for the nurses or company for residents.
“I do think it’s a little stress reliever for the workers there,” Salomon said. “And for the elderly people there, getting a new set of faces and people to interact with.”
Legacy Med Society opened doors for new experiences and lessons for its members. Salomon dedicated time on the weekends to volunteering at elderly homes, where he gained early experience in the medical field and thrived around peers with a mutual interest.
“If I were to volunteer alone, it’d be totally different than volunteering with these people.” Salomon said. “I wouldn’t have that social aspect of volunteering and, I guess, that teamwork.”
