Seventeen-year-old Alex Carr spent three weeks doing an internship programme in hospitals and schools in Nepal.
She was one of 25 students from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong in the programme.
It was part of the Ashburton College student’s Project Aboard experience.
The learning included classes on the Nepalese language and suturing and visits to four general hospitals, a gastrointestinal
hospital and a tuberculosis lab. Students scrubbed in on actual surgery procedures.
‘‘It was surreal to be in there and see the skilled doctors perform surgery on people with long term health issues,’’ she said.
‘‘The surgery was laparotomy. It was good to be in surgery, it was a cool feeling.”
A challenge for Alex during her time away was the distance from family and friends, and difficulties with communicating
back to her parents.
The Year 13 student is undertaking a Diploma in International Volunteering with a focus on global health care.
She plans to study medicine next year.
Her ultimate goal is to be a doctor.
The Nepalese trip, which was undertaken during school holidays at the end of last year, ticked off the international experience component of her study.
She was based at Chitwan, six hours out of Kathmandu.
Alex said the trip had been an eye opener and she was shocked by lower standards in care compared to New Zealand.
She had learnt of the programme through the Pathway programme at her school.
It piqued her interest.
There was a cost for her to go to Nepal and her parents were very supportive as well as Rotary Club of Ashburton Plains and Zonta Club of Ashburton.
Students in the programme visited the Centre for Mental Health and Counselling, National City Hospital, Healthpost medical facility, Manakamana, and Natural hospitals donning the white coat and shadowing doctors and nurses.
They also visited schools to promote dental hygiene and undertake simple medical checks.
It was a valuable learning experience, and a highlight was visiting a national park and seeing the animals, especially the elephants.
They attended a school performance and a local wedding as well as trying to cook Nepalese dumplings and learn traditional dancing.
