A Day in the Life of a DOTZ Student, Part Three

For our third 'Day in the Life' Interview we spoke to Ngwarai, who is in the third year of his Medical degree at the University of Zimbabwe and had been supported by DOTZ since earlier this year.

How do you get ready to start your day?

I usually wake up early in the morning at 6am without alarms. I make up my bed and go out for some short exercises. I brush my teeth and after that I have my shower and prepare my school bag. I pray to bless my day. I have my breakfast and go out to find transport to school.

How do you get to Medical School?

I now attend school at Parirenyatwa, the main hospital in Harare. If I am living on campus I use school buses for free at 0700hrs. If I am living off campus I take ZUPCO buses from area of residence to school at the hospital.

What do you see on your way into Medical School?

On my way I see busy streets and people rushing to work. I also see green trees and sometimes a garden. I also pass pass a filling station. If I board the bus earlier I also see people doing exercises.

What does a typical morning in Medical School look like?

A typical morning at school is usually busy. It consists of submitting homework and catching up on work I might have missed. After that I go to clerk patients or find new patients in my ward to clerk and examine before main ward rounds begin with our supervisors.

What is the hospital like?

The hospital is a special place to me. Every time I reach the hospital for clinical wards I feel like it puts me further along the path to the profession I am headed towards. To me the hospital is a place where people get helped and treated. As a medical student I feel like I learn more in the hospital both by being exposed to patients and by being surrounded by professionals who help me to gain more knowledge. It’s like a home where the sick are welcome and health professionals attend to their problems.

How do you get home and at what time?

If I am staying on campus I board the school bus at 5pm and reach campus around 5.30pm. If I am staying off campus I walk to town and find ZUPCO bus to my area of residence. If staying off campus I arrive late at home around 7pm.

How do spend your evenings?

After arriving back home I prepare supper and prepare for study. If I am staying off campus I prepare a light meal that doesn’t require time to prepare. I study usually from 7pm until 11pm. If I am on campus I go to discussions at 11pm till 12am. I sleep around 0030 hrs.

Why did you decide to train to be a doctor?

I decided to train to be a doctor after my father had his first stroke. He became unconscious and had lost his memory of everything. Seeing him in that state made me want to know how I could save him.

What do your family think about you training to be a doctor?

My family feels proud to have me training to be a doctor. They feel like I am going to uplift them. I will also be the first doctor to graduate from my family root.

What is the most challenging part of your day/life?

At school when I am busy with books the only stress or challenge that comes back into my mind is how my father is feeling that day. Otherwise due to school pressure other stresses just pass by unnoticed. I try to keep up with my school work and school stress is usually not that much unless I have unfinished business.

What is the most challenging case you have worked on so far?

The most challenging case I have worked on was the one I had with a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). From the way the skin of the patient looked there were three possible different diagnoses. The patient could have been burnt, or had an allergic skin reaction or it could be SLE. It was a strenuous task to go through the patient’s history and physical examinations to figure out eventually that it was SLE. Even then the initial treatment of the patient was not prompt. The patient was hospitalised for quite a long time.

What is the most rewarding case you have worked on?

A patient presented for the first time with swollen legs (edema) and other associated symptoms. After taking a history and conducting a physical exam, I diagnosed the patient with heart failure. This was confirmed by my clinical supervisor who confirmed the same working diagnosis to my excitement.

What are your hopes for the future of Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe has suffered a lot of challenges, especially economic instability that has affected a lot of sectors including the health system mostly. My hopes are that the health system of Zimbabwe improves and more people, especially those who cannot support themselves, get free service. Most complications in health are the result of poor living standards and an inability to pay the necessary hospital fees to get treated. This has led to more people suffering. To make things worse there have been countless strikes of doctors and nurses who have been complaining that they cannot even support themselves at home. Zimbabwe has lost a lot of doctors that it has trained itself. If the government would look back at the health system and try to improve the health system I really think it would be better in the near future. The health sector is also depended on other sectors. If people’s standards of living were to improve through employment, they would be able to support themselves and pay for healthcare if needed. My best hopes for Zimbabwe are that the economy stabilizes and the health sector is improved. I just hope Zimbabwe becomes an even better country than it is right now.