Samir El-Sawaf, MD
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Family Medicine and Community Health Residency- PGY3

My trip to Degeya, Uganda was one of the most rewarding experiences of my medical career. I was able to see patients of all ages, from newborn through old age, alongside Ugandan clinicians and independently. I was challenged intellectually by health conditions I do not routinely encounter, such as malaria and typhoid, and learned an incredible amount from my Ugandan colleagues.

Perhaps the highlight of my trip was participating in the labor and delivery of a patient from the local village. I worked with the clinic’s midwife to care for the patient throughout her labor, deliver her baby, and perform the newborn examination and routine care. After delivering the baby, the parents decided to name the baby after me! It was truly one of the most humbling and beautiful experiences of my young medical career. I will forever be grateful for the support of Benjamin H Josephson Fund for providing me the support that allowed this trip to become a reality. I have been changed as a physician and person because of this trip and cannot wait to return to Uganda again!