First Week in the Clinic

Another exciting couple of weeks have passed here in Nairobi! In the time since I last updated you, I have had my first official week of working in the medical clinic here.

UCESCO’s medical clinic – the KAC Clinic – is comprised of an outpatient clinic, an optometry clinic, a dental clinic, and a laboratory. These facilities are staffed by one physician, two physician assistants, a dental assistant, an optometrist, and support staff and operate on a walk-in, first-come-first-serve basis. The outpatient clinic primarily treats acute illnesses like respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal infections but, also handles management of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The primary services of the dental clinic are tooth extractions and cleaning.

This week, I have gotten to observe in the lab and the dental clinic in addition to spending the majority of my time in the medical clinic. We saw many patients throughout the week with a variety of complaints, anything from diabetes consultations to wound cleanings. When I was working with the providers, I got to learn from how they approach taking the history of each patient and hearing their complaint and from how they ultimately decide on a diagnosis and treatment plan. In the lab, I was able to see how they test blood, urine, or stool samples for a variety of infections or conditions, including tests that are not commonly run in the U.S. like using microscopy or a rapid test to diagnose malaria. It was really enlightening to see the diagnostic process from both sides, from forming a hypothesis based on the patient’s symptoms to confirming or disproving it in the lab work. I am excited for the weeks to come and for expanding my learning and impact in continuing this work.

Outside of work, I have enjoyed trying a variety of restaurants with my fellow volunteers. Over the weekend, we visited an Ethiopian restaurant where we enjoyed a mixed plate of traditional Ethiopian foods eaten with injera, a light spongy bread. I have also quickly found a favorite place to grab a bite after work, Nairobi Street Kitchen. NSK is a large restaurant that is made up of a variety of vendors selling different of types of food, anything from burgers to Thai food to pasta. While the food is delicious, it also has a great atmosphere, and I see myself eating there often during my time here. I have also enjoyed activities such as going out to bowl or play mini golf or exploring different markets around the city.