Meet Francine Clores, a recent medical school graduate with a heart that beats for two things: medical voluntourism and letter writing. Balancing her time between the Philippines, Maui and now Oʻahu, Francine is all about making real, tangible impacts. Whether she’s helping underserved communities get the medical care they deserve or sending handwritten letters to her grandma, she thrives in spaces where she can see the difference she’s making. In this episode, Francine takes us back to her roots in the Philippines, where she worked alongside other medical volunteers to bring healthcare to rural, indigenous communities. She balances the intensity of that work by indulging in a slower, cozier hobby - reviving the art of letter writing  where she gets lost in the simpler world of stationery, doodles, and stamps. Mahalo for sharing your time with Heartbeat Narratives.

Episode Highlights

0:24 Intro

1:22 Letter writing and mailing postcards

3:06 What makes your heart beat? What makes you feel alive?

3:58 Voluntourism during medical school in the Philippines, serving indigenous communities

4:23 "Bundok" (Tagalog) = mountain

5:26 The call of medicine

9:27 Deciding to go into the medical field

11:18 Holistic care for mental health

12:30 Family connections to Maui and Manila, Philippines

13:32 How our childhood societies shape us

15:05 Staying in Hawaiʻi to be a doctor

17:30 Collecting postcards as a kid

19:00 Rekindling joy: sending postcards from abroad

21:40 Receiving mail as a kid

23:34 Cathartic and creative  

25:52 "Mastermind" letter writing

26:50 Tangible keepsakes

28:53 Volunteerism: doing the work and being helpful

30:43 Nurturing all sides of us through our interests 

Show Art Photo Credit: Francine Clores

Host and Producer: Molly Mamaril

Guitarist: Amund Gismervik