Overall I really enjoyed my 8 week rotation in Kenya. This is not to say that there were not challenges along the way, but I do believe everyone that comes here makes a profound impact. It definitely took some adjusting, but after the fist few weeks I felt like I was able to contribute on rounds. We rounded with a team of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) wards on a daily basis. This was a good learning environment because there are so many opportunities to use your clinical judgment to impact patient care and educate staff members. I often found myself question physicians about drug regimens, helping fellow pharmacists’ dose medications, educating patients on how to properly use inhalers, and educating nurses about various medications. I really enjoyed getting to work with the vast array of medical personnel from all over the US, Kenya, and other parts of the world. This truly was a global and very uniting experience. Sonak did a great job of helping us adjust and learn from this unique environment. I got to see many different areas including outpatient oncology, the diabetes clinic, and some of the rural clinics. In each of these very different practice settings pharmacists were making an impact.
I also really enjoyed the opportunity to do presentations and complete projects. I assisted in developing antiemetic regimens for chemotherapy treatment, helped make pediatric ARV handouts, and worked with IU medical students to complete a morning report presentation. My favorite project was a presentation about the treatment of chemotherapy induced side effects. This was a good chance for me to review the treatment options, especially since my next rotation is in oncology. This is also an area that I am considering specializing in, so it was very pertinent. It was interesting to see how their oncology program is developing, since it is still in the early stages of organization. It was frustrating, but educational at the same time. They do not even mix the chemotherapy drugs in any kind of a flow hood, just next to an open window.
I think I learned the most at our afternoon topic/ patient case discussions with Sonak and the other pharmacy students. These were great opportunities to learn from each other and better the care of our patients. Plus Sonak did a great job of asking us questions and making it a learning experience. I also enjoyed our fireside chats that related to public health topics. This was a great opportunity to lean more about the world and understand different perspectives. We discussed different topics ranging from the street kids in Eldoret to contrasting the health care systems of the US and Canada. These were good discussions because they involved people with different backgrounds and from different parts of the world.
Lastly, I enjoyed the opportunities to see some of the non-pharmacy related work that is done through AMPATH, such as the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program, Sally Test Center, and farming. OVC was a great opportunity to see people helping each other. The stories of these families were amazing and really moved me to want to help. I met a grandmother that was caring for 11 of her grandchildren because two of her daughters had died from AIDS. The organization had helped her find a small one room home for her to live in with her grandchildren. She was incredibly grateful; the experience was very moving. The Sally Test Center was such an enjoyable environment where we could play with the children from the pediatric wards. The kids always greeted you with a smile and were ready to have some fun and forget about the hospital. I also enjoyed learning about the farming initiative, because with out food, the patients ARV regimens would useless. AMPATH tries to look at the big picture when caring for patients. Honestly, adjusting to life here was not as hard as I had expected. I had many opportunities to grow both as a pharmacy student and as an individual. I hope I was able to make as much of an impact here, as I this experience has made on me.
I also really enjoyed the opportunity to do presentations and complete projects. I assisted in developing antiemetic regimens for chemotherapy treatment, helped make pediatric ARV handouts, and worked with IU medical students to complete a morning report presentation. My favorite project was a presentation about the treatment of chemotherapy induced side effects. This was a good chance for me to review the treatment options, especially since my next rotation is in oncology. This is also an area that I am considering specializing in, so it was very pertinent. It was interesting to see how their oncology program is developing, since it is still in the early stages of organization. It was frustrating, but educational at the same time. They do not even mix the chemotherapy drugs in any kind of a flow hood, just next to an open window.
I think I learned the most at our afternoon topic/ patient case discussions with Sonak and the other pharmacy students. These were great opportunities to learn from each other and better the care of our patients. Plus Sonak did a great job of asking us questions and making it a learning experience. I also enjoyed our fireside chats that related to public health topics. This was a great opportunity to lean more about the world and understand different perspectives. We discussed different topics ranging from the street kids in Eldoret to contrasting the health care systems of the US and Canada. These were good discussions because they involved people with different backgrounds and from different parts of the world.
Lastly, I enjoyed the opportunities to see some of the non-pharmacy related work that is done through AMPATH, such as the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program, Sally Test Center, and farming. OVC was a great opportunity to see people helping each other. The stories of these families were amazing and really moved me to want to help. I met a grandmother that was caring for 11 of her grandchildren because two of her daughters had died from AIDS. The organization had helped her find a small one room home for her to live in with her grandchildren. She was incredibly grateful; the experience was very moving. The Sally Test Center was such an enjoyable environment where we could play with the children from the pediatric wards. The kids always greeted you with a smile and were ready to have some fun and forget about the hospital. I also enjoyed learning about the farming initiative, because with out food, the patients ARV regimens would useless. AMPATH tries to look at the big picture when caring for patients. Honestly, adjusting to life here was not as hard as I had expected. I had many opportunities to grow both as a pharmacy student and as an individual. I hope I was able to make as much of an impact here, as I this experience has made on me.
