KATE
MALIA: Kate was a
gap-year student who did her Medical Work Experience Project in Ghana
before starting university. This report is a compilation made doing
various stages of her placement.
Impressions:
My first impression of the hospital was shock. I was
surprised by how nice it seemed, expecting something far more run-down. By
the sound of it, this is quite largely because it is a private clinic. The
hospital itself is more of a large doctors-surgery, just with a few
specialists, a lab and an X-ray machine.
I spent the first week both in the main
pharmacy and in the lab. Although the pharmacy was interesting, I am
pleased now to have moved onto something new. In the lab I learnt a lot
and was able to help in a number of the tests being done. It was also
whilst working in these areas that I realised how different things are run
from hospitals and clinics in the UK.
Everyone at the hospital has been really friendly and has made us feel
welcomed. We have been invited around to one colleague’s house and other
has suggested doing something on the weekends. I look forward to this
along with working in the wards nest year.
I have spent the last three weeks
observing the general practitioner in the consultation rooms. I began
doing this after only one day with the nurses doing ward rounds. As there
was nothing for me to do or see, the nurses had suggested and organised
it. Sitting with the doctors has been excellent; I’ve found it really
interesting for my future.
The consultation is spoken either in
English, Ga or Twi, but the GPs have been good at explaining any
non-English speaking cases. I have also learnt a lot watching the doctors,
not only about how to take a patient history and make diagnosis but also
about the common illnesses in Ghana. I am quite confident that I could
recognise all the symptoms and even know what medicines to prescribe for
some.
The doctors have been more that willing to
explain everything to me and along with everybody else, have been friendly
and welcoming.
After spending some time with various
specialists we have spent the final 2 weeks of the placements with GPs
again. Everyone has been willing to have us observe and have been keen to
explain to us. The ENT specialist also invited us to Korle Bu (the
Government Teaching Hospital) where we observed consultations and sat with
medical students as they practised their clinical skills both in
consultation rooms and the wards.
This placement has been rewarding work
experience for me and it has made me determined to get a qualification so
that next time I can truly work, rather that observe. For anybody wanting
a career in medicine this is an excellent opportunity and I would
recommend it.
NAME:
David McCaffer AGE:
17 PLACEMENT: Medical Work Experience
COUNTRY: Ghana
What experience do you
feel you gained? So much. As far as the
medical experience goes, there's only so much textbooks can do for you. Just
being here has to have increased my knowledge tenfold & I've learnt
new skills such as taking blood & doing different lab tests etc. Living in
Ghana itself is an amazing experience; the culture just forces you to make
some changes to your personality just to get by. I've never been used to
people just coming to me & talking to me in the street, it will be weird
going back to where that's not quite as acceptable.
What was the best thing
about your placement? The diversity of what
I'm doing is definitely the top plus. There is so many things I can do in
the hospital & can do each of them for as long or short as I like. So I
really am getting an all round learning experience.
Would you recommend this
placement to anyone else? Absolutely. If
medicine is your thing: definitely. And experiencing such an
interesting culture as the Ghanaian culture, definitely.
What type of person do
you think this placement would suit? Someone
interesting in medicine, obviously, but really a caring person who isn't
afraid to just be a nuisance & ask plenty of questions about what's going on
around them, because the people here are more than happy to answer them all.
A typical day?
You can't really describe this place with a typical day, things are
happening all the time! As far as hours, the standard is 8am to 4pm with
lunch whenever you want to take it & going back to work after you've
finished chatting with the rest of the friendly staff. The administrator at
the hospital suggested doing 2 weeks in the lab, pharmacy, dentist & wards
but has no problem at all with you finding other staff members willing to
take you on for however long you like such as the xray, treatment room &
going round with doctors. Thanks,
David.
NAME: Craig
Barrington
AGE: 20
PLACEMENT: Medicine
COUNTRY: Ghana
Undergraduate studying at Durham University, Biomedical Science
What
experience do you feel you gained? Where do I start! Firstly the
experience of living in a developing country was something I never imagined
it would have been like. From living where I did I definitely felt like I
became more independent. At the hospital I gained more experience working
in a medical environment than I ever thought I would have. I was able to
work in the lab, pharmacy, wards, with the doctors, x-ray room, treatment
room, surgery and on the OPD! I learnt so much when out there and it was
very useful to be able to put what I learnt at university into practice! I
experienced how hospitals work in Ghana and what improvements are needed out
there for all patients to be able to get first class treatment! I always
wanted to work in a developing country when I fully qualify as a doctor and
this trip has increased that determination! Also I was able to tune my
silent actions, when kids or other people didn’t understand English and
having to communicate with sign language.
What was the best thing about your placement? Everyday, even
having malaria and typhoid at the same time! The thing that always sticks
out when people ask me this question was the death that I experienced when
at work and how I was asked to help in taking care of the body. The reaction
to the family and the treatment of the body at the morgue (it was awful!).
Also when patients where informed about being HIV positive, this enabled me
to be able to see the reactions of patients and act on their emotions, if
that makes sense!?
Would you recommend this placement to anyone else? Yes I would
definitely recommend this placement to any other student wanting to get into
medicine.
What type of person do you think this placement would suit? Someone who is
outgoing, sociable and prepared to work hard.
Can you describe a typical day? Up at 07.00,
showered in the cold water! And then had breakfast while watching BBC news
24 for half an hour. Left for work to be there for 08.00 getting a taxi or
walking if have time. At work it’s a matter of signing in and then heading
to the department you are working in and letting them know you have
arrived. Work until around 12.30 before having an hour lunch break and then
work again until 16.00. After close spend about an hour chatting to the
staff and then head home. I then played cards with some local guys and drank
their homemade gin until the sun went down and dinner was ready. The evening
depended on whether we went out for the night or stayed in. Bed was usually
around 00.00-01.00. We lived with the best family ever and couldn’t have
asked to live anywhere else.
.
+44 01903 502595
