Brian Talbot, MD: Lancaster General Health, Family Medicine- PGY2

Uganda: January 2025

 My trip to the Ddegeya Village in Uganda was inspiring and educational. I feel very fortunate to have been able to form new relationships and strengthen many existing ones as well. During my 2-weeks, I had the opportunity to work with many of the local clinicians taking care of patients, working and learning in the laboratory, participating in home and community visits, and engaging in bidirectional education with our teams of clinical staff.

  I was amazed by the care that is provided despite the reality that there is reduced access to certain laboratory studies, tests, and resources compared with what is normal in my day-to-day life. It was incredible to see the scope of practice in this clinic – they did preventative care and acute care for all ages and kept patients for short observation and IV medications or fluids. On top of this, they also do prenatal care and have labor and delivery coverage 24/7. This clinic is an amazing resource to the community.

  One of my favorite parts of this experience was the bidirectional learning that took place. The local staff had so much to teach – they gave a lecture to us on HIV management, and I got first-hand experience managing infectious diseases, such as Malaria. On the flip side, one of our major roles was offering some education on topics that were relevant to the local staff. I gave a lecture on heart failure management tailored to the resources and medications available in the clinic and participated in workshops on topics such as suturing and splinting skills.

  Of all the things I learned and experienced, what I will remember and appreciate most is the amazing compassion, strength, and friendliness of the local staff and patients that I met. I feel very grateful to have worked alongside this wonderful team and am happy to know that the Ddegeya community has this clinic as a resource and health partner.