Asalamu alaikum! I am back to inform you of my observations in pediatrics this past week and where we went this weekend.
Firstly, the pediatrics building has departments within itself. Navigating the building was a bit challenging the first few days but we got a better handle of it following three days. Pediatrics was tough for me; it was very difficult visiting ill children with all sorts of medical problems. Many of them had kidney failure. Some had heart problems. Others had some sort of neurological complications.
Just like Neurology, we were required to attend morning reports at 9AM where the residents presented interesting cases to the attending physicians. After the “staff meeting” or morning report, as we say back in the US, the residents part ways and goes to the departments they are working in.
The director of the pediatrics department gave us permission to visit and shadow any area of pediatrics we wish to see during our time there. I particularly enjoyed being in the cardiac wing where we took care of patients with cardiac problems. One patient that the resident educated me on had Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect such as ventricular septal defect, pulmonic stenosis, overriding aorta, and/or right ventricular hypertrophy.
Some of the symptoms of a patient having this defect ranges from turning blue, becoming limp, difficulty breathing, and lose of consciousness. Please note that I am not giving any medical advice on this blog. Please seek advice from your medical professionals.We spent the rest of our days shadowing pediatricians doing consultations and also visiting the pediatrics emergency room.
L to R: Alexis (my colleague), Resident Dr. Hanane Nouar, Resident Dr. Khawla, and Supervising Dr. Showqi. The doctors in pediatrics did a great job educating us and showing us what a day in the life of a pediatrician is like.
After a long week of Neurology and Pediatrics, we spent the weekend up north in Saidia, very close to Algeria. Saidia is about 171 miles from Fes. On our way to Saidia, we stop at the border of Morocco and Algeria to take some photos and wave at Algerians and tourists on the other side.
It is known to be a famous vacation spot for the summer. The Mediterranean is the body of water that people there love to swim in. The crowds, shops, carts selling food, and the small theme park reminded me of Coney Island in Brooklyn.
I am sitting on Moroccan territory with Algeria behind me. If you look closely, you can see the barb-wired fence marking the border and behind it are bunch of Algerian flags. I was not feeling well that day, hence the wind breaker and long sleeved shirt in 90 degree weather.
Rest of the weekend was spent relaxing on the beach (with sunscreen on, of course) and unwinding and getting rebooted for the coming week in radiotherapy. Stay tuned to hear what radiotherapy is all about and where we go to spend our weekend.
Peace and blessings from Fes, Morocco – Mohammed