Day 97: Mentor

Mentor, a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. My official title is the medical mentor to the Afghan National Army Garrison Clinic. Sounds like a mouthful. One of the first things I had to learn, as a Afghan medical mentor, was to SLOW DOWN! I'm sure many of my fellow doctor friends can relate to always being in "high-speed" mode. We want things now, we want notes done, clinic patients moved in and out of exam rooms, patients out of the ER, patients out of the OR, patients discharged, patients admitted....well all of that has now come to a screeching halt.

I showed up to the clinic with high hopes of conducting formal rounds, precepting during their clinic, starting a lecture schedule, showing them what "American" medicine is all about. Well, the clinic staff introduced me to "Afghan" time and here is how the schedule typically goes...

0900 I show up at the clinic with my interpreter
0915 It's tea time for an hour or so with the senior medical staff
1015 I then visit some of the ward/urgent care patients
1025 I review the chart and realize that they don't have a full set of vital signs
1030 I tell them the importance of having a full set of vital signs documented
1035 They smile and change the subject
1045 I then visit the rest of the medical staff including the medics, lab officers, and pharmacist
1050 I greet all of the staff and shake the hands of EVERYONE, this includes the desk workers, janitors, as well as medical staff.
1100 I inspect their pharmacy and make minor suggestions regarding their supply and organization of meds. They separate their meds by capsule, tablets, and liquids...not by medication class.
1115 I sit back down with the senior medical staff and go over some of my recommendations
1125 I am offered more chai tea
1135 The Afghans then turn on their computer to play solitaire
1145 I realize that they are tuning me out so I head home only to do the same thing all over again

It has been definite culture shock mentoring at the clinic, but at the same time it has really calmed me down:) Rather than pursuing the long, lofty checklist of projects I had hoped to accomplish for this clinic, I just hope that the medical staff here will buy into not giving 7 grams of Rocephin in 1 day or that they consider changing the bed sheets after a patient is discharged. It's all about baby steps...Enshallah!

Here is a picture of Captain Baryalai who is one of the pharmacy officers. Really good guy, actually knows some English, and is always smiling except during a photo-op.

"...walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love..." Ephesians 4:1,2