Clinic Prep Day!

January 9, 2015

Clinic Prep Day!

Today is clinic prep day! Sterilized, cleaned, inventoried the supplies – ah yes, reminded of why we came here! Contrary to what FB pictures have been posted, this trip isn’t meant to be fun and games, tour, trek, or whatnot – we came here to provide medicine and work. 

cleaning the chairs

Bex organizing and stocking the first aid kit

outside the clinic

Had a class with the interpreters – made sure we are all on the same page and communicated what we want to see in each other – repetitive themes that came up were

-Comfortable with communications – correct [grammar] or ask for clarification, or rephrase to ensure accurate translation

-Respectful of roles – as practitioners, know the interpreters job is merely to interpret, not to rely on them to read between the lines, or to pick up your slack and for ex. Explain how acupuncture works, etc. As interpreters, know not to offer your own advice to the patients, and remember that that is what the practitioners are for.

Then we had a class on Primary Care – what it means to take on the primary care practitioner role, and letting go of the limiting title, of “acupuncturist.”

Andrew really likes to push our boundaries on our comfort levels…

In clinic, we always focus heavily on our subjective findings – asking question after question. He urges us to shift the focus to objective findings – palpating, testing, objectifying the pain scale, looking…even in uncomfortable situation. Terry, our team leader, says last year she had to do a vaginal exam. (I’m thinking – uhh…we never even learned in school how to do that!)

We also discussed heavily on the idea of care vs. treatment. As providers, we are always thinking, “what to do, what to do?” We get paid for what we do – the CPT codes. Care, however, is everything else.

Sometimes care does requires intervention, sometimes simple monitoring or patient education is all that is necessary. Ex., for a boil, you could prescribe antibiotics, or just educate the patient to clean the area with soap and water, and expose to some sunlight. Nepalese people don’t know this…they don’t shower often, but [at least in this village] do have access to running water and soap – just need someone to hear them and guide them!

Though my breath stops a few times and I feel I have no idea how I am going to manage all these cases, I keep hearing its normal to feel panicky, and to “trust the process.” Reminds me of the acupuncture boards.

Regardless – all in all, I feel super excited and privileged to have the opportunity to offer phenomenal medicine, to be a PCP, something I can’t title in the U.S, to wear my white coat with confidence, to expand my boundaries, to get to know my patients well. True medicine is slow and I am so grateful have the time here to witness the ability of slow medicine.