Doctoral students from the School of Medicine had the opportunity to see the reality of the African country
Students worked in the hospital infirmary in January / Photo: personal archive
New experiences are always enriching. Having the opportunity to get to know different realities while learning and developing skills is something that not only builds one’s CV but also changes worldviews and leaves indelible marks. In January this year, three doctoral students from the School of Medicine had the opportunity to experience some of that. During an exchange period in Mozambique, Africa, Mathias Kunde, Julia Monteiro de Oliveira and Paula Bastos worked in the infirmary of the Maputo Central Hospital (HCM).
According to Dr. Leonardo Araújo Pinto, coordinator of the Pediatrics Center of the School, it is important for students to have the experience of living and working in places with different realities. “Brazil is a rich country in several aspects. However, when we go abroad, there are always different work routines and habits, and they lead to professional and personal learning”, he says.
Some of the health-related problems met by the doctoral students in the African country also differ from the most usual ones in their daily practices in Brazil. Malnutrition, which affects 821 million people worldwide according to the United Nations (UN), is one of them. “This is a relevant problem in Mozambique and an uncommon one in southern Brazil. Besides, the high incidence of HIV and tuberculosis in children are also issues of a different scenario, which multiplies the possibilities of help and learning ”, says Pinto.
The professor points out that this is a tripartite cooperation involving PUCRS; the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in the United States; and HCM, in Mozambique. “It all started with a partnership with Christopher Buck, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist and professor at UCLA who works in an education and aid project of the university at HCM. This has contributed to the possibility of exchanges with Mozambique and also with UCLA”, says Pinto. Students interested in an exchange period at HCM can send an e-mail to [email protected].
A welcoming, receptive people that is always willing to help. This was the description of Mozambicans by the doctoral students from the School of Medicine who visited the country. According to Julia Monteiro, it was beautiful to see their joy, despite all the difficulties and deprivation. “They have a unique energy, a sincere smile and a pure heart,” she tells.
For Mathias Kunde, spending a month at HCM provided an enriching academic experience. “I had the opportunity to accompany a medical team providing voluntary health care in an orphanage located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Maputo”, he recalls. All residents have life histories associated with extreme poverty, infectious diseases (particularly HIV), physical and/or metal disabilities, neglect and begging. “That was the most meaningful moment to me. I felt I had so much in my life”, he says.
According to Paula Bastos, the experience of practical learning in pediatrics in a large hospital was memorable. “I learned about other diseases, which are rare in Brazil or at least not prevalent in our region, like malaria; and some that are not very frequent in Brazil due to advances in health care, such as child malnutrition syndromes and AIDS in children, which is very prevalent. Beyond a doubt, that helped me grow a lot as a professional”, she says.
For Mathias Kunde, the exchange experience expanded his cultural knowledge. “I return home carrying the feeling of having grown not only as a student, but also as a human being”, says the doctoral student.
With a large part of the Mozambican population living in extreme poverty, Paula brought home a better outlook on the social aspects behind each patient. “Many people live in a precarious situation there. This, added to the local culture and some existing taboos, contributes to contracting illnesses or the course they will take, which is generally a progression until medical care is sought”, she explains.
Yolanda has been in Porto Alegre since April 2019 / Photo: personal archive
Julia says the exchange enriched her cultural and medical knowledge. Some curious and unique regional details also caught the student’s attention, like the way the Mozambican people deals with disease. “Many seek out healers before going to a doctor. I had several memorable experiences ”, she remarks.
Mozambican Yolanda Monteiro did the opposite as the three PUCRS students. In April 2019, she came from Mozambique to Porto Alegre as an internship in the Gastropediatrics area of PUCRS São Lucas Hospital (HSL). “I was welcomed very kindly. Preceptors are always willing to teach and guide us, and the relationship and co-working with the residents is also excellent. This period in Brazil has been very good, I have met people, made friends, visited new places and learned a little about the culture of Rio Grande do Sul”, she highlights. Yolanda returns to Maputo in the last week of March.
