Learning Journal #12

My first "mock interview" was really fun! It gave me a new surge of excitement for my project in Tonga. I interviewed a coworker who has chronic headaches. She also has a thick Thai accent, so I got a feel for that communication challenge. I am hoping to interview people who speak English, but their Tongan accents will most likely be heavy. Maybe a Tongan survey would be a better approach. I think I'll hand out mass surveys in schools, clinics, and churches, then interview the people who suffer with chronic headaches. That will be the best approach. This practice interview gave me a taste of some of the problems I might encounter. Such as...

1. Question wording: "Q-How long have you had these headaches? A- They last for about 2 hours." I clarified by saying, "Q-No, sorry. Let me rephrase that last question. Have you had these headaches your whole life? When did they start? A-Oh Sorry! I misunderstood the question. I started having them when I was a teenager. Probably 13 or 14 years old."
        -This hiccup brought the wording issue to my attention. Even if a question makes perfect sense to me, I need to word it in the simplest, clearest way possible, speaking slowly enunciating.

2. Offending: "Q-So knowing that low blood-sugar triggers your headaches, do you try to avoid skipping breakfast? A-Not really. I've never really been one to eat breakfast. My mornings are just too rushed. I know it sounds silly to say I won't avoid my headache trigger, but I don't even know if that's the real problem. I don't want to wake up any earlier than I have to. I'm already exhausted."
       -This defensive answer reminded me that I'm not a doctor. I shouldn't be giving heath-care advice to anyone that participates in my project. It's my job to collect the research, not to try and counsel with patients.

Those are just two of the lessons I learned during this first interview. I'm going to practice my interviewing skills each week until I leave for Tonga. I'm really excited to get out into the field and put these concepts to the test.