I apologize for my lack of recent posting, but as you should already know (
Vacation Post 1), I have trouble writing when it's not a form of procrastination for something else. So let me bring you up to speed:
After match day, I had a couple other electives at UH, and then I went to Tanzania for just over three weeks. One blog post cannot even begin to do that trip justice, but I'll do my best. I went with the program
Work the World in Arusha, and I cannot recommend them enough. It was not cheap, but it was incredibly well-run, safe, fun, and gave me an incredible experience at Mt. Meru Regional Hospital.
I spent two weeks in the general medicine department, and I learned an amazing amount in my time there. The Tanzanian doctors were great to work with, and I got a lot of hands-on experience. I learned how to make do with very limited supplies (probably the most valuable thing I learned), I learned about typhoid and malaria and HIV and TB, and I learned so much about the amazing Tanzanian and Massai patients.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eNBRHRErsXBLSu-wTrCT3V5LibmV5PKf2OLAUIJenUUNsE43owDML-dbOsv4H2BN0_-7eEV4KFXAxESi6mtmA5lRPs3SOMtA77GaHNS4U5dpTO3Lso8g1yO_DljK_OYJ65OcO51_u7A/s1600/hospitala.jpg) |
the female ward (pics taken and posted with permission) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbOKbpjx5Nx18MGjSgrTIymXYImEaZI8MWkaQq2GUY2GXsym50goS4vrXs89mdPgcUiLX5nio1a2ug22nykrkpMxwH_Iu56e2Ts6mjFX7jf13wNDajaA5wHLlIFNs_daj76sJthFaYx0/s1600/hospital2.jpg) |
families waiting for visiting hours outside the ward |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeyazCmh7OEsKVVurBTQaswCOHXHSgkN-3WoQkzbkLp5H-5NeyBF2-Vwv4C_21d5aKvn3l7vtaRem9AudTC2P8FoAcDEBmYqQerB5dBypdM4zv9tzelc2NoGrNa52vF3GiwrcISX2POI/s1600/hospital3.jpg) |
mzungu Dominic learning on rounds |
But enough about medicine - in those two weeks, I also got to visit
St. Jude's, an amazing school for gifted but poor Tanzanian children; help out at two orphanages (
Neema House and
Paradiso); take a traditional Tanzanian cooking class; drink Konyagi; and go on a three-day safari to the Serengeti and to the Ngorongoro Crater with a fellow medical student on my program. We had a fantastic time, and saw all of the Big Five + some extras (like my personal favorite, the zebras).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuiHwRJl-qVPIjiTFvoqy5piy75gTNveK-g5QxL2VmB6fHEa8fohULdb7U9vNbx0eOPrdsZg44ZqVj73PQf_NAHpA-4ORzXVyL2hmcQe6bhDN0vqbW9bRmEYFhmS1MLuntl4nkzxZzCs/s1600/safari1.jpg) |
the beautiful Serengeti |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnvSX9R5HSyfkpDbTSlk0gkMMLVwy_qCC90mhyhzapqrMvULoAtcGBhQIH6s0F5hyphenhyphenX9qNqTH4Z9NjllgLZvdoEV-kVvhlFXCAZ6uCk49vyb67dZRkd9up7OYbx6Z2gl-sNNK7SYcnB68/s1600/safari3.jpg) |
Sarah and I in our jeep! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9-jq1cEkBQEGSO5aWragABzHppQF_qhz4M9qdKbi9AtZdkwFN2s0M5SUJLUINU1uVj6upAAGsYx1Mhvnvs1xF92T_4H9stBu_1RWlwPkhgPWnWhwmYf4t3eSodzn-dfdOasbJ4a6qIg/s1600/safari4.jpg) |
zebras are cool. |
And after the program, I climbed Kilimanjaro. It was very rainy, very very difficult, and I definitely got altitude sickness (which involved some vomit, and a lot of me trying to convince myself in the middle of the night that I had pulmonary edema... I didn't).
I (slowly) made it to the top with the help of my amazing guide Nicholaus and the rest of the crew. I cried on the first night because I was alone in a tent and I was wet and muddy and there was a giant spider and I don't like ANY of those things and I was like, "WHAT am I doing here?!" but after that first night, don't worry, I got more and more miserable the higher and wetter I got. But I was really good at faking smiles for pictures whenever the rain briefly stopped...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dSLSwXc7ELGovZ_Fa-LfisXS2Ny1K_3cLJsgA9bmMiO0CjduQKFBf-_Vo_QfmUVhR05ZLiZmTz-lb7OjU4Kqf-iaAP0tciDNNOwMJE8UfiuJO8KSB3LzmdPJyBXnZZZJc0TyxOfrcZ8/s1600/kili1.jpg) |
only day 2 - not too miserable yet |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-C9m0LJDJGeWOHVyIKEPCwZG49LHqHXP9LmB0LylrB6vXz6S8CX_J9pC7dOw9as6EZSsd_PMKDCAAmIGV-koRMlbNI0b8MXPyZnj64io4l_XvMPlvZJHkcl40uFHwq0fwGGtmMiYUkY/s1600/kili2.jpg) |
but views like this made it worth it (I guess) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DZ8i1i1fpKHbj6aju1A_jJFOiF9n-7PyCo0zQZGE93oRl-fDMavXYOh11dYaGIveaWvCxWr_19025GmDdP6NT3NtA7QRcxS-vg3yKdeK9bXpBcewgdmGdwt9ObruZGiNnrsZJbJ57LE/s1600/kili3.jpg) |
Uhuru peak. Phew. 5,895 m (19,341 feet) high! |
I suppose it was worth it because now I can say I climbed Kilimanjaro! And that's pretty cool. But I'm oh so glad it's over. :)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKUTBEB_EtK1JMpvFsvWROic0NcPsmHH_ra-DSo8042h2yt_kq1S_Pgh8-_uEWlJU_zaWDbXO5oIQxlqWqANPs5mjlwGyGEO4Eovtn6mtrtdRrNyyUu13VgayclJ84s0XFWxt0yMkomk/s1600/IMG_5733.jpg) |
Kilimanjaro beer > Kilimanjaro mountain |
Once I returned to the US, there was that minor thing called medical school graduation, and officially this blog is a misnomer because I am no longer a medical student, but Dr. Elena Welt, MD. After graduation, I packed up my apartment, had to say good-bye to my awesome roomie of FOUR years, and now I live in DC!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZKO4mVxcVqiEAmAMxxS4zKpMZuXBpjZ-BZj57tzf4-W8XVueW2TmIF-zpdeNAljururIxaZ8gUc8daz7rbB1MxXkQq9pjdGvVV3i7NaFQ25x6AK9cUmmnkIT36K_-ug8dwRAxX9tqfo/s1600/grad1.jpg) |
My amazing parents without whom I couldn't have done any of the things I've done. |
A new, exciting phase of my life is beginning. Eek!!
Your career is really fantastic. and the general medicine department is the greatest one. as you know the four: typhoid and malaria and HIV and TB are really dangerous for human beings. I am really want to the present states of these. and we also want to offer services for those places.
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