Trevor Shenk, DO: Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Family Medicine PGY2

Africa: March 2024

 I am continually impressed by the privilege of practicing medicine. Traveling to Malawi, Africa was no less of a privilege. Although traveling to one of the poorest countries in the world, we were met by such beauty, kindness, patience, and joy.

 Most of my time at Malamulo Adventist Hospital in the rolling tea fields of southern Malawi was spent in the general medical ward. I rounded with Malawian clinical officers and provided clinical decision making and teaching for senior and intern clinical officers. I also spent one week working with clinical officers on the maternity service, rounding on postpartum and intrapartum patients and seeing patients in their high-risk prenatal clinical and their gynecology dedicated clinic. Additional tasks included seeing patients in the high-dependency unit where patients were oxygen dependent on oxygen concentrators or requiring close glucose monitoring. The unique differentials for this clinical setting were challenging and educational. I joked that the rapid malaria test was the “5th vital sign” as almost everyone was screened for this even with widely varying chief complaints.

 The highlight of my trip was establishing relationships with clinical officers and other nursing staff which allowed reciprocal education and friendship. Although limited resources, out of stock meds, power outages, and death were common occurrences during my trip, the continual presence of joy and perseverance was refreshing from the patients and staff whom I encountered.

 Thank-you for your support!