Reflective essy

Self-reflection essay I remember low gear arriving in Haiti. The blast of heat stepping impinge on the plane, cramming onto a mini school bus, and sodding(a) out the windows at the outskirts of Cap Haitian and the rural road to Milot. Im in Haiti , I kept telling myself, nerve-wracking to fawn entirely that I was absorbing. The landscape, the right smart mass live here, the norms of this farming were so different from anything I had seen before. We walked the streets of Milot that first day and I strongly rec tout ensemble the uncomfort equal whim of all eyes on us, the water ice and the pigs in the rivers, and the children crying, BlanBlan as we walked past. Its funny what happens aft(prenominal) youVe been in a place for a while. It ceases to be constantly foreign and overwhelming. I no longer see wholly abject poverty out the windows or while we walk by villages. I notice the details, walls painted bright blue, yellow, passing, the boldness design carved out of brick that agree up the windows of each home, the bright red hibiscus flowers and cacti that form walls around each familys piece of land. When I walk through Milot today I expect people to stare, wherefore wouldnt they?I say bonjou to them and smile, and nab a bonjou and a smile ack. I port for the goat babies we pass on our runs, and am always comforted by the mountains border this microscopic t possess. Haiti is poor, yes, and I am reminded of that both day, but in that respect is so over often more to it than that. I wrote the above dickens paragraphs in my blog a little over a month into my self-gratification to Haiti this summer. They sum up my feeling of fitting part of a place, as much as an American medical examination pupil can become part of a teensy-weensy Haitian town in 7 weeks. I had a sincerely amazing, fulfilling, and personally enriching palpate.My first fancying object was, to ain confidence in applying the clinical skills I have learned the refrom far, through consort with patients every day. I became very comfortable works through an interpreter, as this was the only way to notify with every patient I interacted with. I had a lot of practice in conducting patient interviews, performing a targeted tangible exam, and taking vitals. This opportunity was an amazing way to remember and fine tune all the skills I learned in medical interviewing, physical diagnosis, and CAP.Interviewing patients who speak English allow for seem a lot easier in comparison. My second study target area was, to learn how to ask public health questions and stop out meaningful research to make better the health of a population. About half(a) of our time in Haiti was dedicated to conducting a public health project. This was an incredible discipline experience up to now before deviation the US. Three of us and our physician wise man applied for three IRB approvals as a group. That required a lot of research, teamwork, and delegation. We were able to get approval before passing for Haiti, which let us hit the earth running. We spent about 2 age a week in small illages around Milot, working with translators and going limen to door to interview women, or merging large groups of midwives in village clinics. This experience was a true test of my constancy and ability to tack together my type A, get things done now personality aside. Vans were always tardy to pick us up, the translators werent high quality, and there were myriad miscommunications between us and the voluntary coordinator.Nevertheless, we managed to ge interviews conducted. I strongly bank that as a result of our research, optimistic developments volition happen in Milot. This was a rewarding and challenging experience and even more ducational than I thought it would be going into it. My third learning objective was, to strengthen my teamwork skills by working about and effectively with early(a) medical professionals. I think my teamwork skills were honed best through working with two some other students on our public health project.We all learned how to compromise, how to put our opinions forward effectively, and how to cede to others opinions. We spent a lot of time and mental vim with each other without ever getting angry. There were times when wed get preclude with each other, but we were able to reproof about it and move on. All septet of us students spent 2417 with each other for seven weeks and our collective ability to work together, to pick each other up when we were down, and to have fun together was akin nothing IVe ever experienced.My final learning objective was, to improve my communication skills and heathen competence while working with patients and other health care professionals with varied backgrounds and beliefs. Of all my learning questions, this was perhaps the most meaning(a) and the most difficult to successfully achieve. It pass on be a work in progress for my entire career, which i s something I didnt real nderstand until this trip. Its not easy to put oneself, with ones own background, beliefs, and culturally created personality into anothers shoes completely.Its likewise difficult to understand a culture so far removed from your own. Although I say its difficult, I spent every single day in Haiti trying to improve my ability to do so. From working with doctors who often worked at a curtilage that made it seem as though they didnt care about their patients, to waiting for 3 hours for a late ride to a village, to the miscommunications that occurred frequently, every day was a sure effort to nderstand the culture in which I found myself.Finally, I always hear about how hard it is to deal with the dysfunctional systems in third world countries, and I thought I understood. Its a unit different level of understanding when you see what that means on an individual pitying level in the eyes of the patients in front of you. And you are helpless to intensify the system. My time in Haiti I will remember, learn from, and be glad I did for the rest of my life. The things I learned, the relationships I made, and the experiences I had in those seven weeks would take a book to write down and do Justice to.