Internal Rotations: Kyrgyzstan

Submitted by
Dr. Natalie Jewett
(3rd Year Urban Resident)

My time in Kyrgyzstan was incredibly beneficial for my professional and personal goals and development. I spent many days working alongside American family medicine doctors in a private primary care clinic. We saw full-spectrum family medicine - acute visits, chronic visits, and geriatric, pediatric, and prenatal patients. I was able to see patients independently and with translators. The clinic ran similarly to American models, with an MA triaging and a doctor taking the full history and physical with EMR documentation. However, there were differences in patient expectations. Most patients expected physicians to ask for money at the end of the visit and few expected to be examined at all. They were used to physicians giving them 5-6 treatment options - more labs, vitamins, antibiotics, massage, herbal treatments - but no diagnosis. It was difficult to decode previous treatment plans patients experienced with prior doctors as most came to our clinic for a 2nd or 3rd opinion. I was also able to interact with locals through an English talking club twice a week. I learned more about Krygyz culture, history, and individual people. I was able to travel to one of the student’s hometowns to meet her family - what an honor! Personally, I was able to evaluate what life could look like if I were to move here in the future. I attended church, met many ex-pats, engaged in the culture, and did normal activities like going to the gym and grocery store. Because another couple my husband and I are very close with from Kansas City now live here, we were able to spend a lot of time with them, learn from them, and meet their local friends. It was a joy to engage with the locals and be engaged in the culture at this deep level. Kyrgyzstan has a lot of needs, both medically and spiritually, and thankfully, there are a lot of opportunities to serve.