Every morning we wake up to the bright Costa Rican sun shining in. After a filling Costa Rican desayuno (breakfast) of usually pinto gallo (rice and beans), an egg, toast, some sort of fruit (usually pineapple/mangos/papayas), Alvaro (FIMRC chauffer) picks us up at our respective houses and drives us to the clinic in Alajuelita.
The waiting room is already filled with women and their children by the time we arrive. Time only allows for about 15 patients to be seen. Dr. Stedhem, who is finishing up his training in palliative care here in Costa Rica, sees the patients from about 9-1. He writes out a plan of care and prescriptions. Usually there is 1 or 2 students in the room working with him, and he translates for us when necessary, and lets us perform a selective physical.
The prescriptions he writes out are then passed out to the student in the back who is working pharmacy. Whoever is working pharmacy writes out directions for taking the meds, and measures out medications/counts out the pills for the patient. The pharmacy student then takes the meds out the waiting room and speaks to the patient, and makes sure they have no further questions.
The other 2 or 3 students are either busy with the psychotherapist, Tatiana, or are in the waiting room, triaging patients and taking their vitals. All in all, the day goes by in the blink of an eye. Afterwards, we eat lunch together, sharing what our Mama Ticas (Costa Rican moms) have packed for us. All is well in Costa Rica...Estamos feliz como un lombriz....
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