So I must confess, I’ve returned to the states nearly a month ago. It was hard to leave the jungle hospital…although killing two cockroaches in my room two days prior to departure may have helped.
I miss the warmth. Not just physical warmth (although that too!) but the wonderful open hearts of the Bengali people. The midwives and the medics and the nurses and the social workers who are all part of the team of helping people heal. The patients, especially the moms and babies. But it was time. I have not yet completed my medical training, although certainly two months in the jungle does wonders for one’s ability to handle certain things. Like the chief complaint “fell out of a mango tree.” Pretty sure I won’t see that one during my residency in the upper Midwest!
On to the next step of family medicine residency. I have a passion and have had a long, slow trajectory leading towards serving cross-culturally. We will see what happens in the future. Thanks for journeying with me!