How's it?

Hello from South Africa!

The last 5 days have been exciting, exhausting, and totally overwhelming. Due to our limited access to the computer lab, we haven't been able to get online since we were in the states. The experience so far has been nothing short of unbelievable. I am here with two other medical students (both Ashleys), and two of us are together on a haematology (South African spelling) rotation at Chris Hani Baragwanath, which is the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere. It is unlike anything I have ever seen. There are about 100 one story buildings, which are each wards. Between the wards there are covered walkways (maybe, if not dirt trails), where you walk outside. There are about 50 patients in one large open ward in each building, where there is maybe one bathroom, and definately no air conditioning. I have to say that one of the most unusual things that I have seen is when I looked through an open window and saw someone on a ventilator. The facilities are terrible, but the people that work here are extremely knowledgable (definately more so than the US in terms of physical diagnosis on exam) and I am already learning incredible amounts beyond the culture.

We are living in a dorm on part of the university campus, which is fine since we each have our own bedroom. There isn't any air con (as they call it here), but it really isn't necessary since it only gets to about 80 during the day and in the 60s at night. It rains every afternoon, so we sometimes get a little wet between the wards when we are walking around. We haven't really ventured outside of the hospital and our dorm. We ride about 45 minutes on the facility bus each way to get to Bara hospital. It is down in Soweto, which is short for South Western Townships, which is not the best part of town.

The amount of disease here is unreal. I will try not to bore you, since I know most of you are not interested in it, but our patients are approximately 75% HIV + (or RVD+) here. We see tons of AIDS associated conditions, as well as miliary TB. I also get to do many things that I wouldn't be able to do at home. Today, I actually got to perform a bone marrow biopsy! Super pumped about that. Anyway, enough of the boring medical stuff.

Hopefully, I'll get computer access again soon, so I'll fill you all in on details if you are interested.

Miss you all!