Part 2: Gaborone Fever

First week is complete and I cannot believe the amount of information I have learned in just a short 120 hours. Never a dull day at the Vet and Agric Consultants clinic (see below).

Not only are the people incredibly welcoming and friendly, but they are so willing to teach. After walking into the clinic on day ONE and getting a quick tour, we were handed a cat ready for castration and told "go ahead!" We have been immersed in veterinary medicine all week and I feel as though I have learned more this week than my whole first year of vet school. Since our castration on Monday, I have placed catheters, given numerous injections, and intubated animals. Every day I come home feeling exhausted but amazed at how much I love getting up for work at 5:40am. I have never been so content. Here is a picture of some of our wonderful vets and techs!

Our days begin at the clinic at 7:30am. Surgeries begin promptly at 8:30am on Tuesdays-Fridays, with each doctor having a different day. Tuesdays are for Mbatshi, who has been a key character in the steep learning curve we have experienced. He has a wealth of knowledge and is always willing to teach us something new! Wednesdays are for Mike Sento, he is the owner of the practice and the livesaver that drives us half way to work everyday. Thursdays are for Marlize, who is always filling us in on the latest happenings/drama around the world. Fridays are for Lawrence, who is always willing to let US take over! Can't forget all of the techs as well, Ompi, Alpha, OK, who are constantly giving us more experience. I have scrubbed in on a foreign body surgery as well as a flail chest repair. Both of which were incredible and things I had never even seen let alone been able to help with before! Here is a picture of me and Alex suturing up a dog after a spay.

Another great part about working with the clinic is that they see all animals. We have been on farm calls to see horses, have plans to go out and see cattle, and perhaps even get a chance to observe/manage some baboons in the near future. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for us at the clinic.

Meanwhile, outside of clinic hours, Alex and I travel to and from work via the Kombi, which is what I think is similar to a taxi van in the US, except it holds about 25 people instead of maybe 6. It is the same size, mind you, just a lot more squeezing is done in Africa. The kombis operate on a schedule and routes, however there are no maps or directions ANYWHERE. When asking the Batswana (the people of Botswana) how they know where the kombis go, their answer is always "we just know." Needless to say this is not at all helpful for our cause. We have worked out a deal so that in the mornings we take a short kombi ride to a nearby school where Dr. Sento drops off his children in the morning. He then proceeds to take us the rest of the way to work. In the evenings, however, we spend about an hour on the kombis and must transfer at the main "station" which is actually a mall. We have had our fair share of getting lost or things going wrong such as the kombi breaking down, but we are slowly getting the hang of it.

The learning curve is steep here in everything that we do, but we are loving it and taking it in stride. Tuesday I leave for Thailand and I actually sad to leave this place, even if only for a few weeks. I'm sure that I will have great experiences there as well however and I am excited to see classmates from school. I can only hope it is as exciting as it is here in Gaborone. I seem to have caught some Gaborone fever :) 

Part 1: The travel

            Post first year of veterinary school activities have been an adventure so far. Alex (another veterinary student) and I head to Gaborone, Botswana to do an internship with an animal clinic. Don't have any idea what to expect yet and we can't wait to get started!
            The trip to Gaborone certainly started off with a bang. I forgot my purse in my fiancee’s car and almost headed to New York City without my passport, credit cards or any sort of identification. Luckily, Robb noticed not too long after he dropped me off at Alex’s house, that I had done so. Thank goodness for him. It’s also a good thing I am traveling with Alex because she is the most organized person I know, and has had everything done for months. Meanwhile, I am registering with the US embassy the day we are leaving….
            Alex’s parents drove us to NYC to spend the night in order to be ready for the long flight the next day. We stayed in a beautiful apartment overlooking the city. What a view. Next thing I know its morning and we are getting in a taxi to head to JFK. 3 minutes in I realized I had forgotten my phone back at the apartment… had to turn around. Then, once again we were off. Made it through airport security alright, got onto the plane and spent the next 15 hours with sore butts and swollen feet. But we made it in one piece and in good spirits!

                                                     View of NYC from the apartment

             Once we landed in Johannesburg, it was a bit of a maze to figure out where we had to go. We made it to the security checkpoint, where the surgical instruments I use to practice suturing for my trip to Thailand were scouted out. Although they had let me pass with them at JFK, these South African TSA-like authorities were not having it. They wanted to confiscate my tools! No way I was going to let that happen so I pleaded with them and they finally agreed that if I showed them some sort of documentation that I was actually going to spay/neuter animals I could take them with me. Thank you Thailand group for the detailed spay explanation that got my tools back!! Luckily I had stashed it in my backpack. The airport had some fantastic stores! My favorite, called "Out of Africa" had these cool giraffes!

           
              We finally arrived in Gaborone (see above view from the plane!) and were met by some of our internship leaders to take us to the University of Botswana where we would be staying. We received a whirlwind tour of Gaborone on the way. Once we arrived we dropped off our things and headed back out to retrieve phones and groceries. Now we are all settled in, unpacked and ready to explore tomorrow!