This is Jonathan, actually writing a blog - for once!
The Qingdao Municipal Hospital is a brand new facility with a very good reputation. I did three rotations there, a week each of pulmonary, rheumatology, and neurology. On each team I met kind people who were willing to speak English and explain things to me.
Standing in this picture is Wang Hongmei, a pulmonologist who really went out of her way to show me around the city and make sure I was well-fed. Her English was very good, so we had some great spiritual discussions as well.
I don't know any Chinese, so I was helpless when the Chinese doctors were talking to patients. But most of the good medical literature is in English (which I can speak relatively well), so I could help them out with that.
Their payment system is different and their medical care is MUCH less expensive for patients, so I saw many patients staying in the hospital for very long periods of time.
Their payment system is different and their medical care is MUCH less expensive for patients, so I saw many patients staying in the hospital for very long periods of time.
As in most parts of the world, Chinese medical students don't have to go to college first. They go straight to a 5-year medical school, after which they enter directly into a subspecialty. Here in the U.S., it would take me 13 years after high school graduation to become a rheumatologist; in China, it takes 8 years.
I was glad to find that I could contribute some ideas to rounds.
Everyone was so gracious and welcoming. Hopefully we'll see our Chinese friends again.
2 comments:
It's really good to hear your voice here, Jonathan. In very basic ways we are so much like each other around the world. We've seen that in the countries that we've visited. We love our families and we need each other.
Great pics and post from China, guys. So fun to see some of the sites you saw!
Hey, I was looking at your site map and noticed that no one from Australia has visited your site. Sharon and I decided that we really should take a trip there so we can check your site from there. And maybe we'll visit an internet cafe in Antarctica while we're down there.
Love,
Granddaddy
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