This is my blog, started because I'm going to Ghana in a few months. I can't promise that I'll only write about my trip and work in Ghana, but I will definitely try to update often when I'm in Ghana. So... to get everyone on the same page, I'm going to answer some burning questions that I know you all have:
When will you be gone?
I'm leaving sometime in June and will return sometime in September. It will probably take about 3 months to finish my project. I'm not allowed to come home until I finish (kidding, kind of).
Where is Ghana?
Ghana is in western Africa. It is the closest country to the coordinates (0,0). It has the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and is bordered by Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, and Burkina Faso.
Why are you going to Ghana?
Funny you should ask. Here's a little blurb that I wrote up for one of the funding proposals:
Like many other countries in Africa, Ghana has two major factors working against the improvement of women’s reproductive health. The lack of sufficient medical schools and the extremely low repatriation rate of physicians trained outside the country contribute to Ghana’s high maternal mortality rate. In 1986, the American College of Ob/Gyns and the Royal College of Ob/Gyns came together and, with the support of the Carnegie Corporation, developed a residency program in obstetrics and gynecology in the hopes of correcting the abysmal maternal mortality and morbidity rates. The graduates of the program are expected to perform clinical work, teach and train other reproductive health workers, and perform independent research.
This program is a 5-year process, with FWACS (Fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons) certification awarded to successful residents upon completion. FWACS requires a 4-year program; however, an extra year is incorporated into the training during which the students spend three months in a hospital management course in the US or UK, and spend six months in rural Ghana. Based on interviews performed in 2006, this extra year is instrumental in the physicians’ training. The time spent outside Ghana helps to demystify rumors that Ob/Gyn practice in the US and UK is radically more developed than in Ghana. Many interviewees stated that the externship gave them the confidence that they were not missing anything by remaining in Ghana.
The goal of this research project is to determine the overall public health effect on Ghana of this postgraduate program. This program has already proven to be successful in the retention rate of the physicians. As of November 2006, 37 of the 38 specialists remained in Ghana. We hypothesize that these graduates have established far-reaching practices and have drastically improved the reproductive health in the areas that they serve. No detailed research has been done to follow up on each graduate’s location, education, research, and treatment of his or her patients. Through this project, we hope to perform structured interviews with as many of the 70-some graduates as possible. The interviews will give us a better idea of the efficacy of the postgraduate program.
What are some important things to know about Ghana?
- Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence (in 1957, from the United Kingdom).
- Ghana was not colonized by the French like the surrounding countries. Not very many people speak French in Ghana (thank GOD).
- Ghana has been politically stable for a while, and is often cited as the best country to visit if you're a first-time traveler to Africa. It's one of the safest countries in Africa.
- Ghana is the size of Minnesota and has a population of 21 million people.
Checklist for things to do before leaving:
- Vaccines!
- Buy plane ticket
- Email program directors to introduce myself... maybe try to get the list of people I'm interviewing? (fingers crossed!)
- Develop survey questionnaire
- Start eating meat :-/
- Learn to speak Twi ("Uti bruofu annnaaa?" "Yes, I do speak English!!")
- Write personal statement; start/finish medical school applications
- Graduate college
Love,
Erika
Ghanaian proverb of the day: "When you are sitting in your own house, you do not learn anything. You must leave your house to learn."
