This past summer provided me with a meaningful, transformative experience. We spent a lot of time both in the hospital and working on our respective research studies, in addition to exploring Mwanza and meeting new people. I truly enjoyed my time at Bugando, observing physicians in various departments. One of my favorite and most challenging weeks was when we shadowed in the pediatrics department, as we were introduced to a team of very dedicated doctors facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. Below is a description of our time in pediatrics:
We were mainly in the PICU, and we learned a lot about the kids on the ward. I found it more emotionally challenging than other units, and at times felt overwhelmed with sadness. The most upsetting part was seeing the late presentations of some of the kids, and knowing that if the family had sought treatment earlier, they would have been okay. I know that the families are not to blame for this, as sometimes cost and health illiteracy are insurmountable barriers to medical care. One case that especially upset me was a 9 year old boy who was cachectic with a giant abdomen due to advanced lymphoma. His abdomen had scarring over the spleen and the liver, where a traditional healer had made marks. The boy was so sick, I wondered how long he must have had the disease before his mom brought him to Bugando. Kristen, a pediatric oncologist from Duke evaluated him, and her organization will provide him with a CT scan and chemo at no cost to the family. I’m not sure what his prognosis is, but it’s upsetting to know if he had been brought to the hospital sooner, it would have been a lot better. Another boy was in the PICU because he had AKI from vomiting and diarrhea, and had been unconscious for 2 days. I found this case to be upsetting as well, because the late presentation at the hospital is what made it so severe, as the boy had been sick for days before receiving IV fluids in the PICU.
The PICU is also unique in that families are allowed to stay with the children for the entirety of their stay. In the other units, I didn’t witness family interactions with the patients, so I felt more detached from the patients. Seeing how dedicated and caring the family members were to the children in the PICU was touching and the unit felt much more emotionally charged than others.
The 8 weeks I spend in Mwanza have taught me so much, and I feel like I’ve matured in a myriad of ways, both intellectually and emotionally. I have no doubt that this experience will make me a better physician, and am so thankful to have had this experience.