Hello Everybody!
My name is Julie Thacker. I am the Truro Hospital SubDean for Exeter Medical School and PCMD. I have been collaborating with Rob Marshall, the lead for the Exeter-Wollega link since the outset. It has been a fantastic experience so far, but now it's all going to get a lot more real, as I'm heading out to Ethiopia in 4 days’ time. Rob is already out there. We will overlap for about 5 days, then he will come back but I will stay on for another week.
I am hoping to spend some time teaching clinical examination at the bedside to the current year 3's there. I'm hoping to get a good look around the hospital in Nekemte, where the students spend most of their clinical time, to try and get a feel for the teaching resources and opportunities they have there. Rob and I may be able to do some Small Group work with the students and perhaps with their clinical teachers too.
I'm taking out some medical textbooks for the students. These have kindly been donated by many of the clinical teachers in Truro. I'm also taking out some booklets on clinical examination that have been created by some of our brilliant year 4 students in Truro as part of their DaT SSU.
My immediate concern is getting myself and my luggage from Penzance to Wollega in one piece on Thursday. I've just had an email from Ethiopian Airlines informing me of an extra stopover in my overnight flight - 2 hours in Rome at 1am! If we have to change planes, I can't help feeling it'll be goodbye luggage, at least for a little while....
Anyway, I've had all my jabs (Hep A, typhoid, rabies x 3, yellow fever and meningitis), I start antimalarials on Wednesday, Nicki S (aka 'The Boss') has given me an HIV PEP kit just in case and my GP has given me some Cipro, again just in case! I've also had to pack sun block (it's 80 degrees out there), mosquito repellant and a mosquito net. I've also had to pack plenty of conservative clothes. I asked Asha Budahn, our year 4 student who went out last year, what the female doctors wear on the wards - she told me that she didn't recall seeing any - that in itself is going to be quite a challenge!
Anyway, I'm planning on taking plenty of photos while I'm away and hopefully will learn how to upload them! Please keep following and comment if you can!
Yours
Julie
My name is Julie Thacker. I am the Truro Hospital SubDean for Exeter Medical School and PCMD. I have been collaborating with Rob Marshall, the lead for the Exeter-Wollega link since the outset. It has been a fantastic experience so far, but now it's all going to get a lot more real, as I'm heading out to Ethiopia in 4 days’ time. Rob is already out there. We will overlap for about 5 days, then he will come back but I will stay on for another week.
I am hoping to spend some time teaching clinical examination at the bedside to the current year 3's there. I'm hoping to get a good look around the hospital in Nekemte, where the students spend most of their clinical time, to try and get a feel for the teaching resources and opportunities they have there. Rob and I may be able to do some Small Group work with the students and perhaps with their clinical teachers too.
I'm taking out some medical textbooks for the students. These have kindly been donated by many of the clinical teachers in Truro. I'm also taking out some booklets on clinical examination that have been created by some of our brilliant year 4 students in Truro as part of their DaT SSU.
My immediate concern is getting myself and my luggage from Penzance to Wollega in one piece on Thursday. I've just had an email from Ethiopian Airlines informing me of an extra stopover in my overnight flight - 2 hours in Rome at 1am! If we have to change planes, I can't help feeling it'll be goodbye luggage, at least for a little while....
Anyway, I've had all my jabs (Hep A, typhoid, rabies x 3, yellow fever and meningitis), I start antimalarials on Wednesday, Nicki S (aka 'The Boss') has given me an HIV PEP kit just in case and my GP has given me some Cipro, again just in case! I've also had to pack sun block (it's 80 degrees out there), mosquito repellant and a mosquito net. I've also had to pack plenty of conservative clothes. I asked Asha Budahn, our year 4 student who went out last year, what the female doctors wear on the wards - she told me that she didn't recall seeing any - that in itself is going to be quite a challenge!
Anyway, I'm planning on taking plenty of photos while I'm away and hopefully will learn how to upload them! Please keep following and comment if you can!
Yours
Julie