As a pediatrics physician, I plan to serve alongside a multidisciplinary and dedicated team offering neonatal care for premature infants, pediatric cardiology, general pediatrics, acute care and developmental care for local children in Moshi, Tanzania for two months. I plan to live on site with the local community in doctors quarters, learning the culture and offering clinical services while developing a clinical acumen and deeper cultural appreciation. I plan to work in the regional hospital there, serving alongside in-country physicians and other international providers who dedicate their lives and time toward the forwarding and access to high quality and equitable medical care. I plan to teach and learn at local conferences, case discussions and interactions with learners. I plan also to work in the outpatient HIV clinic, infectious disease clinic and neurology clinics in Moshi. I am thrilled to serve alongside brilliant and dedicated global health physicians from Duke University health system, local physicians and providers, and other international dedicated global health providers all with a common mission.
The Kilimanjaro Christian, Medical Center, and associated clinics, serve the local population of Moshi Tanzania. The referral hospital was established in order to serve the northern, eastern and central zone of Tanzania. Its access to care, treatment and research has significant influence in East Africa and beyond. KCMC as a referral hospital is serving approximately eleven million people in Northern Tanzania, including local tribes, natives, and other members of the community.
Serving as a pediatric physician in a global health capacity at a hospital in Tanzania will have profound impacts both professionally and personally. Professionally, I will gain invaluable experience in treating a wide range of medical conditions that may be uncommon in my developed country. This exposure can enhance my diagnostic and treatment skills, making me more versatile and knowledgeable. I will also learn to work with limited resources, fostering creativity and resilience in my medical practice.
On a personal level, I will likely develop a deep sense of empathy and cultural sensitivity. Working in Tanzania, I will encounter diverse cultural practices and beliefs, which can broaden my understanding and appreciation of different ways of life. This experience will be incredibly rewarding, as I witness firsthand the positive impact of my work on children's lives and the community.
Moreover, my presence can contribute to the local healthcare system's development. By sharing my expertise and training local healthcare workers, I can help build capacity and improve the quality of care. This collaborative approach can lead to sustainable improvements in pediatric healthcare in the region.
Overall, serving in Tanzania will be a transformative experience, enriching my career and personal growth while making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and the broader community.
“Unity is singing the same song.” On countless occasions during my two months living and working at an East African children’s hospital in Moshi Tanzania did I experience the awe which flows from the power and purity of voices joining in harmony to make a joyful noise. Overlapping vibrations producing pitch and caliber - synchronizing in a steady march which sneaks in the ears and under the skin for all to appreciate. A symbol of unity, hope, and goodness.
On many occasions I also experienced when these harmonies were hampered by the hostility of disease. Where cries of mourning sang the loudest, silencing all other song. Where pain, suffering and at times, death, joined the choir thus severing that once sweet sound.
Where limited resources, language barriers, malnutrition, poor living conditions, infectious disease and the aftermath of colonialism intersect. Where traditional practices persist, tuberculosis wages a war of wasting and malaria mingles with the most minute yet mandatory of cells in the bloodstream. Where rising antimicrobial resistance threatens our most basic battlements to bacteria. Where “stigma” causes HIV to break free from the safety of undetectability and mental health crises to claim countless souls.
And yet, in the face of these challenges, there persisted an unwavering song. Soft, at times, yet always within reach. And there I stood, at the junction of those sweet melodies and toughest tragedies. Humbled to brush shoulders with healing and the most enduring harmony of all - hope; a tune that rises from the depths of despair and transcends the toils which once tampered its tune, a resounding voice of unity rising above the rest.
