UgandAshis 41 Exams

UgandAshis 41

July 29, 2009

Fort Portal, Uganda

Exams

Trembling hands, stuttering candidates, patients that escape and marabou’s that disturb the silence. It has been a hectic three days. One hundred and forty candidates in our department have been reviewed. Twenty minutes for a long case (one patient: history taking, physical examination, laboratory and treatment) and fifteen minutes for a short case (any question goes)

The great thing about taking exams of a long list of clinical officers (about 70 so far) is that you get to review the entire history taking process, physical examination and differential diagnostic thinking yourself. Some candidates are confused or nervous and some shine. After a long day of exams questions as: “What is the seat of the soul?” rise. These questions are to the general bewilderment of the candidates.

There is a very serious side to the exams as well. Unlike medical students who after qualifying after 5 years of study need to be supervised for at least a year the clinical officers will be in charge of a health center without close supervision.

That means that the first criteria to judge are: “Is the candidate a risk to the population at general? “ Then we look at the relative strength of the candidate as compared to the others, a mediocre, good or excellent candidate. After that the two doctors discuss what their score of the candidate is.

Some of the students have spent their three years reading their books and rarely came down to the wards. It shows during the exams. Others are so good they present the cases with confidence without reading their clerked notes and that is a pleasure to experience.

Once again reviewing over 50 patients it becomes clear that HIV/AIDS and malaria are major issues in Fort Portal. Despite a government program supported by the international community patients are still without their antiretroviral drugs and essential anti-malarial drugs are often missing.

Our students were examined in a pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics, medicine and public health. This is a healthy and extensive mix of the different disciplines of mother medicine. Friday their exams are over and I know there will be some heavy partying.

As soon as their results are out those that have passed their final exams are off to their respective new posts all over the country. This is a good reason for me to visit them wherever they are and to see more of this beautiful country. I think that at least 130 out of 140 will pass their practical exams. Congratulations to all of them. Tomorrow morning 8 exams remain. A piece of cake and at last rest for our patients, some of them have been clerked by over 6 students. It was also the reason some of our patients ran away from the hospital.

Namaskar,

Ashis