Room for Improvement

(written Thursday August 19th) It's pretty amazing to think that I have been working at Schweitzer for almost three weeks now. Time flies when you are treating gastroenteritis and malaria, eating pseudo-European meals, and fighting off mosquitos after 6pm. Sidenote: even with 95% DEET on I am a freaking mosquito magnet. It's a good thing that there are few malaria carriers around the hospital and that mefloquin is such an effective prophylactic medication because otherwise I would certainly have had malaria 10 times already.

Tomorrow marks my ¼ of the time here and thus I would like to take a moment of reflection and respite. I have come a long way in my tropical medicine and medical French ways. I can take on and entire afternoon's worth of patients on my own. I am learning the names and dosages of European medications. Ca arrive. But I am also at the point where I can think about making improvements in my treatment of patients as well as how the pediatrie handles things. Thus I would like to send a special thought/question out to my medically minded family and friends: if you imagine yourself practicing medicine in a developing country, what kinds of things would you focus on for improvement? Specific knowledge base? Management of certain diseases? Approach/education of patients and their families? Community health mini-initiative? Any thoughts or ideas would be much appreciated. I definitely want to continually improve as a practioner while I am here so I will make a plan of attack based on people's input and my own reflection. Please email or leave comments. Thank you in advance and a toute a l'heure mes amis!