Week 3: Back to Durban

Andy and I spent the third week at King Edward Hospital in Durban, while the girls spent it in Scottburgh. What made this place great was the fact that it was right next to the University of KZN School of Medicine. The whole week was spent between different departments at the hospital and lectures and labs at the university. Having an American accent here is like having an all-access pass. We were able to show up to random lectures and speak with the professors and they invited us to other courses that were part of different years curriculums! It was so excellent. I spent Monday in ultrasound with Drs Frekke and Atiesh. I learned how to identify the different anatomical organs of the abdomen through the ultrasound monitor and to better tell what was supposed to be there and what wasn’t. Despite the complex view, it turned out to be surprisingly simple once explained and repeated many times. Tuesday was spent mostly at the university, in the LAN and in a lecture on the Pleura and different complications of the Pleural space. The professor did an excellent job explaining the structures and functions of the pleura and I went down and told him so after. He then invited me and Andy to go to a dissection lab the following morning! Tuesday was also the day that I met Deenash Singh, a doctor in the MOPD who has up to this current point (Tuesday, week 4) made our stay much more enjoyable. Will discuss later. Went to the cadaver lab on Wednesday, and got to see some incredible specimens of the brain and abdomen. Was unable to spend much time there as I later had a meeting with Singh. Hung out in MOPD for an hour, then went to ER where I met Dr. Kugesha. The ER was dead that day, and Kugesha explained that Friday and Saturday nights were the time to go, especially on payday weekends. Made plans to go friday during week 4. Went to surgery later that day, saw some plaster of paris leg castings, and left. Thursday: more time in ultrasound, hung out with Singh, and hung out at university. In all honesty, Week 3 was probably the least exciting so far, but I made some great contacts. Friday we didn’t attend KEH, and got picked up at 9:30 am for the meeting with Dr. Naidoo on TB. After that we went back to the hostel to get picked up to go to Drachensburg!