GEMx Blog

Ntuthuko Mkhabela’s Cardiology Elective Exchange to Uganda

September 5, 2018

Filed under: GEMx Regional Exchanges

Ntuthuko Mkhabela

Post by Ntuthuko Mkhabela, a 5th- year medical student at the University of KwaZulu- Natal in South Africa taking an elective program to Makerere University in Uganda. (Student on the left)

Introduction

My name is Ntuthuko Mkhabela, I am a 5th-year medical student at the University of KwaZulu- Natal in South Africa.

I was afforded the opportunity to do a Cardiology elective program in Makerere Univerity in Uganda at the Mulago Hospital Heart Institute from the 4th until the 23rd of June 2018 by the GEMx.

I found this to be a great learning opportunity and also a very prodigious chance to explore new places and meet new people. From when I got to Uganda I found that everyone was very friendly, though it was difficult at first to settle in and comprehend how somethings are done but within a few days, it really felt like home.

Academics

Group photo at the hospital

I had to admit that I had the best bedside teaching at the Heart Institute and they have the best grand round on Tuesdays with the best and most enthusiastic teachers I have ever had any chance to meet.

I was a great honor to get teaching from Dr. Batambuze “The Lord of the Heroes” as he refers to himself when entering the ward, he isn’t only a great consultant but also offers the best form of teaching in a very passionate and motivating way; and he also has a great sense of humor.

He was very patient with us and even though he had not come to teach undergraduate students. He made us feel welcome and were willing to assist us wherever we got lost. He would take us all the way from basic science and anatomy up to the clinical and bedside medicine and the one thing he really enforced was the importance of proper and evidence-based bedside clinical medicine and how it would assist in saving a patient’s life and for that I would like to forward my special thanks to him.

Ntuthuko Mkhabela and Lindokuhle Dlamini

We also had the best team in the ward led by Dr. Majwala who also held our hands throughout the period together with his MMed students: Dr. Ssibuliba, Dr. Were, and Dr. Herbert. They were willing to not only share their much valuable knowledge with us but also even shared some of their resources with us.

It was really a great motivation to me and if given the opportunity I would definitely love to work with them again because I think there is a lot that I could learn from them and it wouldn’t be just for me to not appreciate these great individuals. It also wouldn’t be just for me not to appreciate Dr. Lugero for his great teaching, he was the first to welcome us and he rightfully told us that he cannot welcome us with a party or whatever but he can only welcome us with academic questions and indeed his teaching remains highly appreciated. I would also like to appreciate all the other doctors I have not mentioned above who also were willingly and undoubtedly making efforts to ensure that we are trained to become great clinicians.

I also had an opportunity to spend some time in the Cath Lab to see how coronary stents are inserted and again we were welcomed with warm hands and without any objections taught us as much as they could within the little time we had in there and it was again a memorable experience.

Briefly, I would just say I the academic side of my visit had the best teaching I have ever been exposed to in my life and I remain grateful, and one would then safely say the purpose of the trip was fulfilled.

Social

Ntuthuko Mkhabela selfie

During my stay in Uganda, I had a chance to explore a number of places in the area, starting with the tour around Makerere University which we had with Clement who was a great host and was always there when we needed him. He became more than just ‘a student who was supposed to show us around’, he became a friend and a colleague who we shared a lot of great moments with and also shared knowledge.

He is a great leader and has been in the student leadership myself, we actually shared a lot in common hence we got along very easily and I sure do wish him well in the future and hope we do meet again at some point.

I also had an opportunity of watching the multicultural tribes of Uganda performing their traditional dance TWICE because for some reason I just couldn’t have enough of their dance,  jokes,  music and of course the food courtesy of Dr. Isaac.

Ntuthuko Mkhabela enjoying traditional activities

This was a great experience and it made me wish to get a chance to go live in their rural areas for at least a day so I could be part of the traditional activities and have the first-hand experience of how it actually feels to be one of them because I was already feeling like one of them even at that time. I couldn’t really tell whether this gentleman was too tall or it’s just that I am very short but I honestly had the most fun at this cultural dance event I also had an opportunity to go and watch a local rugby tournament and also meet up with other medical students from different other countries from all around the world. I made a lot of friends who I learned a lot from; we also watched a number of world cup games together and shared a lot of fun moments. With some, we even share the same accommodation which allowed us to get to know each other even more.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go to the Safari and to Lake Victoria with them, which I really think it would have been really great adventure given the fact that it was in the home of the Nile Rivers its self.

Ntuthuko Mkhabela enjoying his stay in Uganda

Conclusion

Even though the trip started off on a very frustrating note from missing our flight and having to spend a night in Johannesburg to serious financial constraints but in the end, all the efforts were worth it and I definitely would relive every moment of it if given the chance again. I appreciate the opportunity that was afforded to me and would like to thank everyone who put their efforts into ensuring that this trip became a success.

Smiling with my new friends

I think this GEMx initiative is a great one and really I would like to see more people from our school taking part in it.

Thank You