The last 2 days of my placement this week were absolutely
fantastic. I didn't get to do too much, and I didn't see any more cool surgery.
But I got to do what I am happiest doing: work in a clinic helping the
under-served.
The clinic is located in the same slum area where we set up
the free clinic my first week after orientation. Calling this building a clinic is a tad
optimistic: it is a single room, with an alcove curtained off to hide an
examination bed. The doctor was not particularly friendly but neither was he mean. This lack of speaking was mostly (if not all) due to the language
barrier, so we communicated a lot through motions and single words. The doctor let us take the blood pressure of
all of the adult patients, and listen to the lungs of the patients that
complained of a cough. We were also able
to give injections: Courtney gave one intravenously yesterday while I gave one
intramuscularly today. A woman came in
today with a splitting nail, so he let us dress that as well. The doctor had a certain procedure he
followed with every patient: first he would see them and get some vitals, then
he would write a prescription down on a small piece of paper for them to take
across the road to the small pharmacy. The patient then brought back the
required medication, the doctor crushed up vitamins and pills then separated
the powder, then the patient paid and left.
We found out later from our driver that the doctor sees and treats
patients for 20% of the typical charge! We discussed a lot about why he would
do that; why would someone who has spent all that money going through medical
training choose to come to a slum and make next to nothing. He may have a few
shifts at a hospital elsewhere to make money, or family and a desire to help his community may
have brought him back....but whatever the reason, he has gained my utmost
respect.
Much love,
Alyssa 
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