Throughout my first week at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, I've been amazed at how excited and welcoming my Kenyan counterparts have been with my arrival. More than anything, it is a testament to the tireless work of Purdue University staff who have come before me to build this solid collegial relationship. I would also like to relay the empathy many of my Kenyan colleagues have expressed for Julie Everett's family. Julie clearly touched the lives of everybody who had the good fortune to work with her. Without her, the program would not be the success it is today.
For my first week, I've been touring and working in the 7 satellite pharmacies dispersed throughout the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and AMPATH pharmacy. I can't wait to see the incoming Purdue students function in these settings and be immersed in the hands on practice of pharmacy in a completely different environment. The greatest joy of my week in Kenya has been interacting with the many characters and personalities which have allowed the pharmacy to function despite a complete paucity of resources. Our mutual curiousiy in each other's culture and practice setting has led to numerous interesting discussions which I anticipate Purdue students will soon enjoy and relish in.
I will begin rounding on the wards next week and look forward to the opportunity to directly interact with patients and help improve pharmacotherapeutic management of disease states we rarely see in America.
