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Welcome to Our Blog

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG

As anyone who has participated in UConn's Education Abroad in Cape Town will tell you, there are no words to adequately explain the depth of the experiences, no narratives to sufficiently describe the hospitality of the people, and no pictures to begin to capture the exquisite scenery. Therefore this blog is only intended to provide an unfolding story of the those co-educators who are traveling together as companions on this amazing journey.

As Resident Director of this program since 2008 it is once again my privilege and honor to accompany another group of remarkable students to this place I have come to know and love.

In peace, with hope,
Marita McComiskey, PhD

(marita4peace@gmail.com)

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Derek's first day at Tafelsig amazing in many ways

Finally, after all the anxious buildup, I completed my first full day at Tafelsig. For those who aren’t on the program, Tafelsig is a non-profit primary clinic that averages 500 patient consultations per day. The clinic provides a myriad of medical services including family planning, nurse and doctor appointments, an emergency and bloodwork room, pediatrics, mental healthcare, etc. As a non-profit, the clinic is able to maintain the overall wellbeing of Mitchell’s Plain, an impoverished area that cannot afford to pay for medical insurance. Tafelsig’s great value within the community can be seen by the high demand for its services; the first patient we met had waited in line since 5:45am (the clinic opens at 7:30).

Primarily, today served as our adjustment period. By Sister Castle’s side we made rounds to meet each of the staff members and observe the medical branch they were located in. The versatility of the staff was astounding. In most practices within the US I find that medical professionals will specialize in and stick to a certain field; however, it seemed as though each nurse at Tafelsig rotated stations according to a monthly schedule. Moreover, all were welcoming and eager to teach new students. For the first day the 3 of us (Eric, Paige, and I) were kept together to file charts, and observe patient consultations by Sister Castle or Sister Nas. Once again my ‘exotic’ expectations were diminished; the majority of appointments discussed typical ailments such as headaches, diarrhea (it’s apparently “in season”), and minor trauma. Despite this, I found myself somewhat uncomfortable with shadowing. I felt again like a tourist group that forced its way into an overwhelmingly intimate conversation between provider and patient. Not only did our presence force the patients to speak in English (the native tongue of the area is Afrikaans) but I doubt they were overjoyed to share their personal health habits or symptoms with us – the foreigners.


At the end of the day, I felt as though I was placed in the ideal internship (shout out to Vernon). Although uncomfortable at times, in just a day I was able to see the impact that a single consultation could have on a patient. By showing her patients about 30-45 minutes of undivided attention, Sister Castle was not only able to advocate for improved healthcare habits but to leave the patients in better spirits than they entered. The level of emotional support Sister Castle was able to provide her patients reaffirmed and solidified my major and career track – an issue I raised in my introductory post. I’ve never had a class or job that has interested me enough to actively ask questions or to personally further research the material. The fact that I feel this way already for my internship amazes me and I cannot wait to become more hands on with the patients.

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