Experience at the Rain Tree Clinic – Sai Sai Poe

“Time spent at the Rain Tree Clinic has changed me in different ways. Seeing patients at the RTC made me happy and confident. At first, I thought it wouldn’t be easy to communicate with the local people but with the passage of time we were able to build a good relationship with them. Working in a remote area is really difficult compared to working in T-RAD clinic. At T-RAD, we had good doctors and better access to medicines and other things like a refrigerator and good electric power. Whereas, at the RTC it was different we can’t store the medicines that we need afterwards because we don’t have a refrigerator. We had to take care of the patients ourselves without doctors but I’m glad that we had the phone and WiFi connection to contact the doctors and EMA teachers when we needed suggestions. 

I saw many kinds of patients with different diseases like Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Malaria, GI problems, Arthritis, Measles, Asthma, Bone fracture, Eye problems, Scrub typhus, Leptospirosis, UTI, and Brain tumor at the RTC from where I learned a lot. Most of the patients I saw were measles infected. In the past, I took measles as a virus infection and didn’t know about any special treatments, which sounded easy at that time but when I saw measles patients on my own at the RTC it was different and difficult. I came to know that while treating a measles patient there are a lot of things one needs to consider. The most important things I learned was that we cannot just treat the patient but we also need to give health education and encouragement to the patient and their families as well. Giving better health education is vital in building the relationship and the trust between the medic and the patient. I have loved talking with the patients this year!!!

Now, I know that I can do better compared to Year 1 because I have more confidence to see patients and in making decision with diagnosis and treatment. Two years ago, I felt nervous to see patients and I didn’t know how to present the case to doctors. Last year at the RTC, I saw more patients than I saw at T-RAD clinic. It has improved my learning and understanding of how to take patient history and how to examine one. At T-RAD, it took me a long time to record patient history and physical exam, about 2-hours whereas now I can do it all in 30-minutes. I feel happy and satisfied with my progress. 

This year for Year 5, I hope to get a chance to learn more about how to do Ultrasound, how to read a X-Ray, how to do more advanced labs, and understand the lab’s results, also I am really looking forward to learning about C-Section deliveries.” – Sai Sai Poe, EMA Y5 Physician Assistant student