My time in Tansen was such a joy!

I spent six weeks at United Mission Hospital for my medical elective and was able to spend half of my time working with the general surgery team and then the other half with the paediatrics team. As soon as I began my placement, I felt welcomed and included. The Nepali junior doctors were so friendly, and I soon felt like part of the team – assisting with writing notes, examining patients and discussing management options. All the ward rounds are spoken in English which really helped my understanding! My time in paediatrics was particularly useful as it helped me gain confidence in an area I had little experience in. But also the smiley babies made ward rounds a lot more enjoyable!!

I loved being able to get to know some of the junior doctors well too – I’d spend most evenings after work cooking dahl baat, going on a walk around Tansen or chatting with them! When I had days off, we went shopping together or went for walks to surrounding villages. It was all a lot of fun and I hope to be able to meet them all again one day!

I was also offered the chance to learn some Nepali, for a small cost. I had hour long lessons with Khila, the language teacher, who is so patient and explains things to clearly. Having the lessons meant that I was able to feel more confident buying things in restaurants or local shops, as well as being able to understand a little more of patient consultations. I’d really recommend making the most of the lessons!

The town of Tansen is a great place to spend your elective too – getting to wake up in the morning to the most beautiful sunrise and being surrounded by the most incredible hills is so special. There are loads of walks you can do close by and a few restaurants with great food. Lots of the foreign staff are kind enough to invite you round for meals too – it’s great to be able to learn their stories and the way God has led them to work Nepal.

I absolutely loved my time in Tansen and was so sad to leave by the end! I made so many special memories that I’ll treasure forever and was inspired find out more about how I might be able to serve overseas in the future.