Weeks 3-4

This past two weeks have been a fantastic mix of clinic work, traveling, Spanish and getting to know people better.

Both weeks I've been assigned the Wednesday and Friday morning clinics. Two of those days I've been able to shadow Dr. Barbara. I've also helped with triage and pharmacy like normal. Dr Barbara is trained as a pediatrician here in Guatemala. She and Dr. Carmen Rosa have been trying to take Step 1 and the subsequent tests to get certified in the U.S. but that process has been slow and complicated for them. Our patients have been mostly women with the occasional child or older man. Many of the chief complaints Dr. Barbara received were reproductive in nature so I've observed two pelvic exams and been present for discussions on nutrition, uterine cancer, family planning, female hygiene, and more. We've also seen a fair number of patients with nerve problems. As I try to weigh the pros and cons of primary care versus neurology and how they could be used in a missions/community development setting, it has been good to see the need for both. In talking with one of the other doctors, he encouraged me to pursue whatever specialty interests me most. This has helped me realize how much i learned this year and how much I still don't know.

On our days off, I've been able to visit some amazing places with friends. One weekend we went zip lining, toured a coffee plantation and swam in some hot springs. Last week a few of us rented bungalows in Fuentes Georginas for a night. They're different hot springs in the mountains near Xela, and since it was the middle of the week we had the place to ourselves. Without the city lights you could see the stars so clearly, and the hot water felt so good compared to the cold mountain air. The view when the sun was up was just as breathtaking. That weekend we also went back to Lake Atitlan but stayed in a different little town, Santa Cruz. We had bungalows right on the lake, so we swam, played some games, enjoyed the stars then got up early to see the sunrise over the mountains. We spent that Sunday in Panajachel and said goodbye to some of our friends who were headed back to the States. This week we stayed in Xela but have been trying to explore the town more...we've tried some new restaurants and cafes, gone dancing a couple times, and browsed local markets and women's cooperative stores. Friday Xela had two pretty big events...a gas explosion early that morning wiped out an entire block including the club we had gone to for salsa lessons the night before, and then an earthquake shook the town that afternoon. From what I've heard, no one died but a few people were severely injured in the fire.

We've hit the point where a lot of the people we came with have finished their four weeks and are leaving. It's been sad having to say goodbye knowing we probably won't see each other again (or at least not for long) since our school schedules will have us tied down for the next several years. This summer definitely has been refreshing, and time is flying by. I'm glad we decided to do six weeks of class because I'm definitely not ready to head back to Loma Linda yet.