#8: Trying to Keep Up With the Constant Rhythm of the Hospital

Life is moving sweetly.

Every day feels like a new mountain to climb—in the best way. There are so many things happening all the time, and I am constantly surprised by how quickly days turn and rearrange themselves. Even on Sunday, the day I took off, I felt extraordinarily busy. I went to a 3 hour church service, did laundry (and caused a flood because I did laundry), went to the hospital a few times, and most importantly, laid on my bed and let things slow down, knowing that by Monday morning the hospital and MCAT prep would be moving at full speed again.

Albertine Hospital feels alive in a way that is hard to describe unless you’ve been inside it for a while. There is always someone arriving, always something unfolding. I am beginning to understand why hospitals are so often the setting of movies and TV shows. Stories don’t need to be written here—they arrive on their own. Sometimes things change dramatically in an instant. Other times, the weight comes from watching something unfold slowly, hour by hour.

I am playing more and more of an important role at the hospital, though not in the way I originally imagined. I haven’t really been able to start the technological parts of my “job” yet—working on donations, data analytics, or infrastructure projects. Instead, I am getting acquainted with life and people here. I’m learning names, routines, rhythms. I’m getting to know the nurses, the doctors, and the entire staff, and I am finding ways to help where I can. Everyone has been so kind, and I feel incredibly welcomed into this community. That feeling alone makes the long days worth it. I can officially check someone into the hospital in the local language, Runyoro (roon-yoro). If they say anything off of my handy-dandy script, then I am lost and I have to ask for help “nku saba onyambeho!” But I am learning new words every day! People usually get very excited when I speak Runyoro to them. It it is nice to see people smile even though they are in the hospital. 

As expected, my favorite part of the job is emergencies. And now that I finally have internet at my house, I can do so much more. People can call me, and I can come help whenever something urgent comes in. I love that feeling—being useful, being present, being able to respond. The emergency department is fast, unpredictable, and demanding, but it is also where I feel most alive and most engaged with what I am learning.

The hospital has been especially busy lately. We are treating a wide range of patients, each one carrying their own story, their own complexity. There is a 73-year-old man with tuberculosis, HIV, and type II diabetes. An 8-year-old boy with partial-thickness burns over 30% TSBA of his body after playing with petrol and matches. A 19-year-old male with a complete femur fracture following a motorcycle accident. A 70-year-old man with blunt force trauma to the head and neck, also from a motorcycle accident. And several women recovering from complicated births and surgeries.

Each day, I feel like I am learning an overwhelming amount—about medicine, about systems, about people, about myself. It is humbling and energizing at the same time. I feel honored to be here and deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn in a place where the needs are real and immediate.

There are constantly things happening, constantly things to absorb. I don’t always know how to write it all down at once. I’m starting to realize that some stories deserve more space than a paragraph, and some patients deserve more time than a brief mention.

So I think sometimes I will write about a specific case. Stay tuned….

Here are some recent photos: