On that note, there have been some exciting cases. There was a kid with a huge absceso on his head, and it was humongous. When Dra Prado was puncturing the abscess with a syringe and squeezing out the bloody pus, he didn't even cry! I would be crying, to be honest. I really hate needles. I'm also learning new terms - balanitis for example is the infection of the gland near the penis. I definitely didn't know that before.
Something I have been noticing as patients come in is that they ask for medicine specifically, by name, even if they don't exactly know what the medicine do or are for. Granted, I don't know exactly what medicine does what and is for what, but mothers give acetaminophen for EVERYTHING. Everyone is overmedicated because they aren't educated. Many of the doctors in the hospital don't help with this either - they give the mothers what they want. Acetaminophen, loratadine (claritin), Broncomat/Albuterol - even if the kid doesn't need it. It's a placebo effect. Mothers see their kids getting better, but it's not because of the drugs or treatment. It's because things like flu, colds, and the cough just clear up after a while. What worries me most is giving out antibiotics when kids don't need it. This will just reinforce the resistance in the community, and no one - patients, doctors, mothers, kids - will benefit from that.
It's now the end of my 3rd week in clinic. I have about 1.5 weeks left. I am still volunteering at the orphanage and helping the kids with their reading/spelling. Unfortunately the four kids that I work with really cannot read yet - even though they are in first grade. They can barely say basic sounds: th, ch, sh, etc. I've been doing my best but the kids don't realize the importance of reading, and they are used to being rowdy, rude, and obnoxious so that is how they are. One of the kids chased me around with a tarantula spider in his hand in order to get out of studying!! Allen and I have been persevering, but it's getting very frustrating when the kids do more complaining and whining than studying during our time there. Surely but slowly, they're making progress. I just wish it was a more SURELY, than slowly.
From the experience I have had at the clinic and at the orphanage, I realize that I like working with older children or teenagers more so than babies and little kids. The little kids are adorable and cute, but I like making a connection with teenagers and young adults. During the school year, I tutor high school students on the side to make some money, and the experience is really rewarding. Realizing this is important for my future. Unlike most the interns, I am NOT pre-med! My goal is to become a nurse practitioner, and because of this experience I think I have decided on becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. I was thinking of maybe becoming a Pediatric NP, but I think I would like to have general knowledge so that I can be someone's practitioner throughout his or her lifetime.
