Sunday, May 17, 2009

SOPD, Edendale Hospital

SOPD (Surgical Outpatient Department) is where Dr. Ndaba works. This is like ER. The hospital is so big that their 'ER' is divided into many different sections, all ending in OPD. So there is Medical OPD, for example, too, and it takes different patients from SOPD. SOPD takes any severe trauma emergencies which could go on to surgery. I was just starting to understand the set up by the end of the day. Observing in SOPD was really fascinating, we saw a number of incredible cases, plus I was able to compare the way the facility was run to those back in the States. It makes me want to go to medical school. I am searching the AAMC website now...
So, that was all day Sunday. While it was busy, and long lines of patients (really, I would call them more like victims), and just crazy, I was told by the nurses that Friday and Saturday nights are much more hectic. Well, well. I guess next it would be cool to see a private hospital here, there is supposed to be a huge gap in how the two compare.
Saturday I walked into town with my buddies Laurin and Kerry. We checked out a really cool art museum, Tatham Art Gallery. I am going back there before I leave, there was all kinds of mixed media, painting, beading, collage, print making, photos, you name it, nice place. Unfortunately we forgot that shops close early on Saturdays, 2:30pm, so we didn't do much shopping, that's okay, we don't need to buy much, just browse. Downtown was pretty dead after 3, though. We ate at our Curry place and then walked on back. I have included some sweet pictures from downtown, the clock tower, and a statue of Gandhi.
I forgot to mention that Saturday was Open Day, a day when high schools from all around the area bring bus loads of students to UKZN PMB to check it out (i.e. super chaotic on campus, and a hence a good day to go to town). Girls and boys dress up in their school uniforms and look really nice and stroll around the campus and ask questions to all the departments who have set up tents of information. Plus the art students do some demos, and there is free ice cream. Like Cal Day at Berkeley.
So, this is the last few days of classes, we are out on Wednesday, then we have a study week, then exams. It is weird to think that a semester has gone by, seems like it it has been to short to be a semester.

No comments:

Post a Comment