Medical Student Adventures

Medical Students around the country are spending their spare time doing amazing things and we think you should know about them and be inspired by their stories. Below are the stories of some of these adventures.

You have a story or know someone who does and would like to see it on the website? Let the communications officer know at kerry@nzmsa.org.nz

Thailand Experience by James Heaton, 3rd year Medical Student

I was fortunate to spend my summer 08-09 on the Thai Burmese border as a research assistant volunteer at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, based in Mae Sot, which is a small town in the north of Thailand.

Mae Sot had a frontier feel to it, - one road in and out.  The only other exit was to Burma’s Karen State. For any foreigner this is an absolute no go. Karen state is full of fighting between Burmese government soldiers and Karen rebel fighters. The Karen people have been fighting for independence for over 60 years. This is one of the world’s forgotten wars, but for hundreds of thousands refugees, it is all too real. Forced to flee through jungles ridden with malaria and little food, water or access to medicines, it is a roll of the dice who will survive. Even with access to medicines, drug resistance and inadequate treatment further hinders recovery.

This is where the role of SMRU becomes vital. They provide free malaria and basic antibiotic treatments to all who reach their border clinics. In return patients are registered in ongoing epidemiological studies. Since 1986 SMRU has managed to halt the development of drug resistance and effectively treated tens of thousands of malaria cases.

 As a third year medical student, my clinical experience on arrival was minimal (read: none), but that rapidly changed.  By the end of the first morning I had seen, among other things, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and crepitations versus a wheeze-caused not by asthma, but Ascaris Lumbricoides migration to the lungs!  And all in a bamboo examination room!

Needless to say I was on a steep learning curve but absolutely thrived on the experience. I was so impressed by the dedication, skill, and compassion of the international staff. I never had so much fun learning.

The Karen people are so trusting and grateful for the medical assistance they receive.  After all they and their families have been through, it is astounding how they can still trust anyone. Some have lived in the refugee camps for over twenty years and cannot imagine any other life for themselves. They live in hope that their children will be accepted as refugees into other countries and for them that would be enough.

I was more than willing to help at SMRU in any way I could. I was fortunate to be very involved in two research projects, which I hope will enable the quality of life for the Karen refugees and wider populations affected by tropical disease to improve. Such an outcome would be hugely satisfying.