Pediatrics

So my first week at the hospital I was on the Pediatric rotation. We started on Tuesday since Monday was full of getting all the necessary things to register and such. It was quite a site - none of us knew we needed 3 passport photos to register and we were too lazy to return to town to get our pictures taken. So we went to the library and had our drivers license copied and cut out the pictures to be our ID picture. I'm sure the lady wanted to laugh at us, as we all came with tiny paper pictures,... but it worked. - This is what is pictured above
Oh yes, and Paul and I received our bags on Wednesday. The man sat by our bags from 2AM to 7AM when we went to breakfast, as they did not know where we were -- just part of the communication barrier. Rebecca and I moved rooms that night and are now staying in a nicer place - this is what the other picture is above. It's called the Johnson House. Kristen and Kathryn also moved there - so we have our own little home for all 4 of us girls. Rebecca's bag came Thursday morning - not sure why it got separated from ours, but I am glad they all arrived with only Paul's toiletries missing.
About the hospital part - what I came here for... Tuesday I was partnered with a first year resident ( they have already done a separate year - like our transitional year) who I spent most the week working alongside. They call the doctors by the first name -- like Dr. Ricki is the doctor I was with. I was amazed at how many patients each resident had. We saw 25 patients that morning that this resident is assigned to. In the states it is usually 5-10 patients - a huge difference. I was also amazed at all the tiny new babies that were back in the hospital - less than a month old with all kinds of infections. At the hospital there are 5 Ped Wards and about 40 beds in each ward -- so lots of babies and there are plenty of people waiting for a bed outside. The doors are locked by padlock and so whenever you want to get in you have to buzz and wait for someone to come let you in -- that can take awhile.
I have been very impressed at how technologically up to date they are here == they have CT scans, MRI's, and labs and films are on the computers. The doctors are all very well educated as well and seem to practice medicine very similar to the way we do - with research-based medicine.
Here is a list of a few of the diagnoses I have seen thus far in the kiddos:
- Lots of nephrotic syndrome with very large ascitic fluid ( big bellies) and one child with so much swelling his eyes were swollen shut
- Lupus
- Ricket's
- TB ( I tried to not breathe too deeply )
- neonatal HIV
- Lots of meningitis
- Rickettsial infection .. among many others
Clinic is pretty amazing as well. Two doctors are in each examination room and they are both seeing patients at the same time while sharing an examination bed. They are able to see alot of patients and I was able to see a wide range of disease and age range. I feel like I learned alot this week and was able to see some diseases that I may never see in America.
I am starting to get used being stared at all the time -- well not really. I'm not sure if you ever get used to that -- but I think it's funny as the children peek around walls or just stare the whole time during the visit.
Our first weekend is here -- we will stay here in Vellore for the weekend.