Doesn't exist.
Allie and I have made it through the first week of our internship. Although we have established the semblance of a daily routine, every day seems to present us with new surprises and challenges. Regardless, I will do my best to describe a "typical day" in Gaborone.
5:45 am: Groan as the alarm goes off. Roll out of bed. Throw on a pair of scrubs.
6:35 am: Leave University of Botswana dorms and catch a kombi to work.
7:30 am: Arrive at Vet and Agric Consultants (unless we miss our kombi stop and end up having to take 3 kombis instead of 2 as well as an extended detour through villages on the outskirts of Gabs as happened this morning).
8:30am - 12:00pm: Observe surgeries including spays and neuters, ACL repair, femur head amputation, and foreign body removal.
12pm - 1pm: Lunch break
1pm - 4pm: "Free time" because the clinic doesn't see clients in the middle of the day. Usually spent reading or reviewing anatomy.
4pm - 6pm: Consultations.
6pm: Leave work and catch the kombi back to the University of Botswana.
7:15pm: Arrive at the dorms (unless the kombi breaks down in the middle of the street and we have to navigate...without an iphone or GPS...to the next stop). In which case it might be a little bit later.
7:30pm: Cook dinner (spaghetti for the past five nights). May have to use drinking water instead of tap water to cook the pasta in the event of a water shortage (which should have happened on Monday according to the schedule, but happened on Friday evening instead).
9:00pm: Shower, go to bed. Get ready to do it all again in the morning.
Our first week has been full of ups and downs. Lowpoints include multiple mishaps on the kombis, water and electricity shortages, and seeing a patient die on the surgery table. Highlights include scrubbing in to close a spay incision, getting a taste of traditional food, making a field visit to treat Botswana's police horses, and having a client (a complete stranger) offer to show me and Allie around and introduce us to her friends.
One can only guess what next week will bring.
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Sounds like you are adjusting well. It is never easy when you lose a patient on the table and it will never be. In my experiences, I have to have faith that there is a heaven full of the animals that have touched our lives whether you knew them for an hour, a day or for years. Sending you hugs. I am so proud of you
ReplyDeleteYou look like a natural with those surgical tools, Dr. Crooks! I think you should definitely take up that client on her offer to show you around and meet new friends. That sounds like fun. How nice of her! <3
ReplyDeleteAwesome pictures Alex!
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