Preparations

I can't believe tomorrow is September 1st! Just over 2 months until departure. It may seem like I still have lots of time, but given how quickly July and August flew by, it won't be long at all. Plus, I'll be in northern Ontario doing a stint as a surgeon for most of October, so that really just leaves me with September for most of my preparations.

I've been doing a lot of shopping lately. Thanks to my friend Maggie, who gave me expert advice on what to buy, I put down a large wad of cash at Mountain Equipment Coop the other day - lots of warm stuff (down sleeping bag, thermals) in preparation for the cold winter I'll be arriving into in Nepal. What else? Shoes, towels, a water filter, a camping headlight (not to be confused with my surgical headlamp), a down jacket, etc. Fortunately, it sounds like I can get a lot of toiletry items in Kathmandu, so I'm not too worried about that. Anti-perspirant is apparently hard to come by, though. Pharma Plus to the rescue...this week I found my favourite anti-perspirant in jumbo size on sale for $2.50 each (normally about $5.99). So I scooped up all the ones they had...at 4 different stores! I should be covered in that department now :)

I've actually packed one of my suitcases for Nepal, and will be sending it with someone going there next week. That makes me pretty happy, both because it makes it feel that much more real, and because it will really help me out since I'm sure I'll still be well over my luggage allowance when I head over. So to send a 20 kg suitcase with someone else is a huge blessing. I did make a list for myself of everything in there - I don't trust my brain enough these days to remember.

Packing tip: in case you find yourself traveling overseas in the future, especially for an extended period of time: pack things inside plastic containers and/or Ziplock bags - the more the better! They're light, and they're like gold when you're overseas. I also decided that a light large duffle bag on wheels is a better option than my giant suitcase...gives a lot more wiggle room for those weight restrictions that you can exceed so easily. (P.S. if anyone else has any packing tips for me, send 'em along!)

I've also started packing up my apartment, and it's amazing to me how much STUFF I have! It's a bit overwhelming, actually, since I was planning to store whatever stuff I'm keeping in my parents' basement. They have space, but the thought of how much I have is making me a bit nauseous. I'm purging a lot, but there's still a lot, especially books! I guess that's a family trait, since my dad has probably about 20 bookshelves full of books, himself. I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all at the moment, but I do have a month to take care of it all, and if I do it little by little I'll get there eventually.

I'm still doing some orthopedics, and that's going well. I'm really glad I'm doing it - I'm kind of starting from scratch, and there's a lot to learn, so I'm thankful for a head start. I'm also getting a smattering of other experiences...some obstetrics and gynecology, plastic surgery, ENT, etc, all of which will serve me well.

Smattering: "A small amount of something" (thanks, Google).

The home stretch

I thought I should post an update, since a lot has happened since my initial post, and things are moving right along.

First of all, my surgical board exams are done, and I passed! Thanks, God! So did the other 8 residents I've trained with for the last 5 years. It's such a relief to have this phase of things done, and a little hard to imagine that my general surgery training is finally over.

Where to from here? Well, next week I start a 3 month orthopedic surgery placement to help me prepare for some of the surgery I'll be doing in Nepal that I haven't yet been trained for. I'm looking forward to this time. With my exams done, and all the core requirements for my residency completed, this is just bonus time, and I'm doing it to prepare for Nepal, so it should be fun. And I don't have to study for exams anymore. Whew!

I have a departure date scheduled - it's November 3. I'll be flying first to Thailand, where I'll spend 10 days with some good friends, and then will head to Kathmandu in mid-November. The plan is to be in Kathmandu for the first 4-5 months doing language study, and then to move to Tansen after that, probably March/April 2012.

I'm so thankful that God has brought me this far. The last many months have been a grind, but it's paid off. Thanks to those of you who have been standing with me.

Onwards and upwards.

Intro to this blog

As you may already know given that you've found me here, I am in my final year of residency training in General Surgery. I am also in my final year of preparations for going overseas after my training is finished. This has been a long time in coming - the first time I remember talking about working overseas was when I was in 8th grade. I've been in education/training my whole life up till now, and things are soon going to shift dramatically.

Once residency is done, I will be heading to Nepal to work at a hospital called Tansen hospital (www.tansenhospital.org.np), about 300 km west of Kathmandu (see map below). I'm thrilled about the opportunity, and confident that this is the next step in God's plan for my life. The current arrangement is that I will be there for 2 years, but I suspect that this is more than just a 2-year term. This blog will be one way that I keep people in the loop while I'm over there. I don't anticipate posting much over the next year, but am starting with this one post, mainly because the link for this blog is on my prayer card, which many of you have received.


For those of you interested in what the next year looks like, here's a rough timeline:

• October - March - 2nd half of my 12-month stint as chief surgical resident
• April - June 2011 - Exam preparation, filling in some gaps in my clinical experience (C-sections, skin grafting, etc)
• Surgical Board exams: Written exam - May 2-3; Oral exam - June 14 or 15
• July - September 2011 - 3 months of orthopedic surgery to round out my experience before I go overseas
• September 30, 2011 - End of residency!!!
• Sometime in Oct/Nov 2011 - Leave for Nepal!!!!

This year is obviously very significant in terms of preparing for the years ahead, and transitioning from training into the next stage of my life. Prayer is much appreciated.