En Route To Uganda

As I sit here in the airport, that familiar feeling sits with me. Although I love travelling, and have been blessed to already have a fair amount of experience under my belt, departures (whether coming or going) have always been a challenge for me. Trips that I have been anticipating and dreaming about for weeks, months, or even years, inexplicably seem like a bad idea when it comes down to actually getting on that plane. More often than not, I’m unable to pinpoint that sense of uneasiness. Perhaps, even though I know I will most likely be loathe to return home in the end, it is always a bit intimidating stepping out of the comfortable and into the unknown.

This time, I am getting on a series of airplanes with the final destination of Entebbe, Uganda (East Africa). I am currently seated in the international terminal in Montreal. 7 hours here. I contemplated heading into town, but the bus took too long, and a cab was too expensive. Plus it is gloomy and raining outside. So I’m here, actually grateful for the time to sit, alone, and write, read, nap, think, pray, and just be. All important things for an introvert like me, but things that somehow get squeezed out of my schedule. 

That is one thing I love about air travel. There is nothing else I can do besides sleep, watch movies, or read (or study if I were feeling really ambitious, but let’s not kid anyone!) All very relaxing, but it can get a bit sedentary. My bum was starting to go numb and I was only about 7 hours into my 32 hour trip, so I decided to do a little airport fitness routine. I found an empty-ish gate, and proceeded to do some wall squats, lunges, squats, stretches, and even sit ups on the chairs! No one actually came up and said anything to me, but I could see passengers eyeing me on their way by, but I’m pretty sure that the emotion behind those smirks and smiles was envy.

But back to my trip. I am going to do a one month elective at the Nagalamma hospital in Uganda, just outside of the capital Kampala. I am going under the care of Jean Chamberlain, OB/GYN from Hamilton, and founder of Save The Mothers (www.savethemothers.org ---check it out! Especially the "Save The Mothers Story" video--this is what really got me excited about coming here and meeting Jean), although I won’t be working directly with her; I’ll be working with a local doctor in a private Catholic hospital. I’ve been impassioned by global health for many years, and was actively involved in the scene in medical school. However, my 2^nd year of residency had a way of crushing the excitement and passion for life out of me, and mere survival became my goal. I began to forget my goals, hopes, aspirations, and dreams. But I’ve emerged from the dreaded “second year OB residency,”  and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, my passions have resurfaced. My first thought was to do an elective in SE Asia, either with Burmese refugees along the Thai border, or with victims of the vicious sex trade that is so rampant in that part of the world. Opportunities were slim, however. So I decided if I couldn’t go where I would like to end up one day, I would do an elective with someone who is such a role model and inspiration for me. In the short time I’ve known her, Jean has been such an encouragement and mentor, and I’m honoured to be able to spend some time with her and see the incredible work that she has done, to learn from her Save The Mothers model and her personal and professional experiences. 

The thing is, I don’t really know exactly yet what I’ll be learning, or really even what things will look like. In hindsight, I should have had some more specific goals and objectives, but it’s hard to have specific goals when you don’t really know what you’re getting into. Sort of a chicken-and-egg scenario. What do I hope to accomplish: well, here is a list of a few ideas in no particular order:

·      get re-inspired about global health. Actually, even more broad than that. Reaffirm that this is what I am passionate about. Do I still really want to do this? Is this a lifelong calling I am feeling, or was it just a phase?

·      Gain some clinical skills. I don’t want to get thrown in way over my head, nor do I want to sit there feeling totally useless. Both are very real possibilities, especially given that there was a last-minute change of site where I will be working, and I don’t believe they are used to having learners, let alone foreign ones at the hospital I'll be posted. As for the clinical skills I hope to gain, it would be nice to get comfortable doing breech deliveries, if they do them at the hospital, basic management of obstetric fistula, learning how to work in resource-poor settings. Management of HIV and tropical diseases. (I do have a bit of trepidation about the risk of HIV, but that’s another story.)

·      Gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by women in developing countries. I realize that my experience won’t necessarily be generalizable but it will give me an idea.

·      Somehow give back. I’m not fooling myself into thinking that I’ll make any huge real difference when I’m over there; I am going primarily as a learner. But perhaps when I come back, I’ll organize a fundraising party or find some similar way to actually give back. Planning to do some presentations to raise awareness (and perhaps new supporters of Save The Mothers), and hopefully run a global health journal club for med students when I return.

·      Make some friends and learn more about the local culture. Have some fun adventures and see a bit of the country.

·      Learn from Jean! I want to be like a sponge, absorbing her wisdom and knowledge and experience, to learn her life path, how she got to where she is, and lessons she learned along the way. Her life is one I may wish to emulate one day. This is probably one of the main reasons I am going.

·      I was hoping to do a bit of research while there. However I couldn’t think of what might be useful. We’ll see if they have thought up any projects for me.

·      Take some quiet time for me to read, reflect, pray, and write. Things I miss, and rarely find time for the past few years. Not sure if my trip will be social or solitudinous. I am prepared for and would be happy with either.

• Do you guys have any ideas what I should add to my list? Let me know!

It will be interesting to take a look back at this entry when I am on the way home. Praying to God for wisdom, patience, humility, eagerness to embrace all learning opportunities (whatever they may happen to look like), and the sense that it was time well spent for both myself and my hosts.