Typical day at clinic

Up @ 7. breakfast at 7:30, initially only bread and tea. Now more fruit added, coffee occasionally.
8:00 clinic starts. Many patients wait in the small waiting area outside of the main consultation room, sometimes spilling out into the open area outside the clinic building.
8 – 1:00 see 40-50 patients between the Malian doctor, me who assists, and occasionally the aide (village elder/assistant to the elder)
Typical consult: Fill in graph paper book with information: name, sexe, age, race, village, occupation, temperature, symptoms/complaints, thick smear result, diagnosis, treatment given. Ask brief follow-up questions. Do a quick exam. Dish out meds. Call next patient.
1:00-2:30/3:00- lunch and downtime. Usually take hour nap. Write in journal if time. Read pleasure book or read medical textbook on patients I have seen.
3:00-7:00- travel to and from Bamako, getting provisions, and/or work on study at the site. Run and/or play soccer with the locals. Truly and unforgettable experience (see later posts)
7:30- dinner
8:30-10:30- work on protocol, clinic revisions, talk with study staff about questions
11:00- have beer and chat outside in the elements (usually Guinness. The first day I got there I asked for a Guinness, and they have supplied that for me for the past 2 weeks.)
12:00 or so- bed and read for a while.