As I sit and write my initial report at 3.30am whilst being on-call in one of West Yorkshires busiest hospitals, I stop to think that I have less than 6 months to go before I leave the NHS behind and have a taste of something else. I am leaving the UK to work in Guatemalas Rainforest as a medical doctor working in an outreach clinic attached to an orphanage providing care for anyone who wants or needs it. I will be working with 2 charities whilst in Guatemala who are CASA Guatemala and HELPS International.
You may think that 5 years at medical school and working as a doctor for 2 years will prepare you for pretty much anything. Well, you may be right but I too have fears, doubts and apprehension about my trip. The one thing that I learnt from all my experiences is that you dont loose anything by not trying! I cant wait to experience a new country, culture and way of delivering medical care especially as I have been privileged enough to have been brought up with equipment, resources and specialties at my easy disposal.
I hope to make a small change with the skills that I have to the rural communities in the jungle. I hope to donate medical equipment in order to provide a better delivery of health care to those living in the rainforest. I shall keep you up-dated of what my experience of being a doctor in the Guatemalan Jungle is truly like
