Dr. Saltzman with patient in Zambia
Through the generous sponsorship provided by the Southeastern Section of the AUA, Amanda Saltzman, MD traveled to Lusaka, Zambia with mentor Francis Schneck, MD to assist during a pediatric urology workshop. During her visit, Dr. Saltzman was able to provide much-needed urological care to 50 children as an IVUmed Traveling Resident Scholar.
Reporting on her experience, Dr. Saltzman stated:
“We went to meet all of the children to treat that day in the morning. There were immediately differences from America. The first was the open wards and multiple kids per bed. The shoes at the entry to the ward were also surprising. Diapers are not supplied by the hospital and are the responsibility of the families, with many using rags or nothing as diapers. There is an area called “high cost” where kids with insurance are housed. This area has more sheets and each kid has his/her own bed.
“I think our trip was a great success. We had a great exchange of information with the Zambian urologists and they did a great job learning the reconstructive techniques. The only disappointing thing about the week was that we had to turn away many kids and families that traveled from far away to seek our help. However, we passed on our knowledge to the local urologists and they scheduled many of the distal hypospadias to be fixed the week after we left during their ‘jubilee.’
“This trip was my first international medical trip and will not be my last. I had such a wonderful time meeting new people, seeing how to cope and work with less, appreciating the sophistication of the American medical system and working with such adorable children. I felt like I helped more children and families during my week in Zambia than I have during my 3 years of residency so far. The joy on the kids’ faces when they saw us and got toys everyday was priceless. I can’t wait to go back, hopefully every year!”