Reflection

I think the thing I am most apprehensive about is just being “on my own” in a foreign country. I’ve never traveled abroad before; I’ve barely traveled within the U.S. without my parents, and never without a large group of friends. I know I’ll have Hailey and John and Mary Pat which is helping to calm my fears quite a bit. But there’s still a part of me that is nervous to be in another country so far away from the familiar. I suppose it could be excitement as well. This is one of the greatest opportunities that have ever been presented to me. Not only am I going to a beautiful country with amazing people; I also get to experience a completely different style of health care and learn and grow from those experiences. Hopefully I can bring the knowledge I gain at Hillside Clinic back to Wisconsin and share it with others to help us to realize the awesome advantages we have here and to acknowledge ways in which our practice could is different from other practices (both for the better and for the worse). I guess I’d have to say that that is really what my overall goal is for this rotation. I want to experience a different perspective on medicine and patient care and then find the best ways to apply that experience once I get home. Because what good is it to travel to an exotic location if you can’t learn something to share once you get back.

On the topic of goals I’m very interested in prescribing patterns in Belize (and any foreign country for that matter), especially in the context of differing disease burdens. I remember learning that many of the commonly seen disease states in the U.S. are beginning to be more prevalent in other countries (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia), but I know there will be a diverse new set of illnesses in Belize that I may or may not have encountered before. I feel like our schooling, while adequate for practice in the U.S., lacks a thorough base of tropical diseases and health in foreign countries in general. I’m not sure if I’m entirely prepared to work with “novel” illnesses, but I know I’m ready for the challenge they’re sure to present. This is another place where I feel extremely lucky to have John and Mary Pat as my preceptors. Their extensive work in Mexico and Belize is sure to come in handy and help Hailey and I to learn more and see more than we might have with other preceptors.

Speaking of John and Mary Pat I again feel fortunate that they are coming along to Belize. I’ve had the chance to meet John (and give him his influenza vaccine) and even in the short time he was back at the pharmacy I’ve learned a ton. To top off his amazing wealth of knowledge, he’s spectacularly funny and easy to talk to and get along with. And while I haven’t yet met Mary Pat I’m sure she’ll add another fascinating layer to the dynamic of the trip.

Of course, while my main goal focuses on health care and pharmacy, I also hope to learn more about the culture and the people of Belize. I’ve already heard interesting stories of weekend trips, adventures with translators, and multitudes of new friends. And it isn’t only the people of Belize who can provide me with another dimension to my education. My fellow colleagues at the clinic may also be from other countries. Not only will the health care in Belize itself be different, but the way in which each of them practices will most likely vary from both my own idea of health care and that of the people of Belize. The many dimensions to this trip will make for a gratifying experience if approached with the right frame of mind. I’m planning to head into the venture with a completely open-mind, practically a blank slate (tabula rasa), to ensure that I have the greatest ability to gather and apply new information. At the same time I hope that those around me will find some of my knowledge and practices useful as well, and will take them back to their homes to share.

Ultimately I believe that this experience is about sharing all forms of knowledge. It is an amazing opportunity that I hope will present itself many more times in my life as I continue to shape my career and my practice.