South Africa: Trauma Elective

 

Elective: Trauma
Location: Cape Town
Hospital: Tygerberg (University of Stellenbosch)
Affiliate: University of Cape Town Emergency Medicine
http://www.emergencymed.co.za/

Trauma: Tygerberg Hospital

This experience was amazing. I spent the month of March living in Cape Town, South Africa.  I lived in Camps Bay just below the Twelve apostles and Table Mountain National Park. I went running on old Jeep Trails and hiking on Table Mountain.

 I worked nights in the trauma front room @ Tygerberg which received all traumas including stab wounds, gun shot wounds, motor vehicle accidents, burn victims.

Many cases came from the nearby township: Khayelitsha.

I also spent some time working in the township itself.  A brand new hospital (Khayelitsha District Hospital) within the township was opened in February 2012.

 

I was very impressed with the South African medical system. The trauma surgeons and EM residents that I worked with were very competent and their patients received high quality care rooted in ATLS standards.

 

with my friend Khalid (an EM resident @ Univ. of Cape Town)

The sheer volume of cases was great for learning: Intubations. Central Lines. Chest Tubes.

The Emergency Medicine service offers the opportunity to participate in transport medicine on the helicopters and in the ambulances.

Khayelitsha District Hospital

It was in my opinion a dream location for an elective.

Khayelitsha

 

I made some great friends that I hope to keep in contact with for years to come.

I had experiences that will stay with me throughout my medical career.

I fell back in love with medicine South Africa.

website: http://www.trauma.org/index.php/resources/elective/352/
contact: Rachel Pullen crp@sun.ac.za