Today, I want to share a little about my experience working in healthcare here in Malawi! As you may know, I am planning on starting medical school upon returning to the US. I would love to get involved in something called global health, which means focusing on improving health and access to care for all people worldwide. For this reason, when I arrived in Malawi, I knew I wanted to get involved and better understand what the healthcare system looks like in the big cities as well as in the remote areas. Within my first weeks here I began going to hospitals and other medical centers to see if there could be a place for me to volunteer and help out. In the US, I am a certified Medical Assistant, which is similar to a nurse, but with less training and usually only working in clinics. For example, when many of you go to the doctor for your annual checkup, that is likely a Medical Assistant that calls your name and takes you back. However, my certification as a Medical Assistant doesn’t transfer to Malawi, and I am limited in what I can do without a local certification.
Luckily, I found an opportunity at one of the top hospitals in the capital city: ABC Mission Hospital in Lilongwe.
