Quarantined in Kigali
November 10, 2020
When I accepted the position of Academic Global Fellow at Wills, COVID-19 hadn’t gained momentum in the US and most of us were still hopeful it would never affect us the way it affected the rest of the world. Boy, were we wrong. I completed my residency in the midst of a pandemic and my chances to spend a year traveling and learning about global ophthalmic healthcare delivery were dwindling. 20/20 was supposed to be our year! WillsEye Center for Academic Global Ophthalmology has the reputation of being the first program of its kind and one of the most established in the US -- and they have stayed true to this reputation. What makes this program so special is how far the faculty are willing to go and adapt to ensure you are receiving a meaningful educational experience. In a mere few months, I already have the highest domestic MSICS surgical volume in our department’s history and I owe my mentors a great deal of debt for that. The culture of the department is to rally around the fellow to ensure there are enough resources available to you to perform your duty as an attending in Philadelphia, but also to augment your education and complete projects or ideas you’re passionate about internationally. That culture is alive and well. And now that I am blessed to be able to travel, I reflect on the time I have spent at Wills and with the residents with great pride and a sense of purpose.
After spending months organizing and planning my trip to Kigali, Rwanda, the day was finally here. I had shouldered the turmoil of the Wills ER and the side effects of the yellow fever vaccine. The encouraging words of positivity and support from my mentors and friends replayed in my head, but I remained cautiously optimistic. Do you blame me? If 2020 has taught us anything it is: be prepared for the worst. Full stop. Don’t hope for the best. It’s not enough. Make it happen. That night my flight was rescheduled, unsurprisingly. But I kept reminding myself, these obstacles are not gonna hold me back. I hardly slept on my 35 hour trip to Rwanda because my mind was too focused on not making any mistakes. We’ve come too far. When I finally landed and was greeted by the airline staff telling me my checked-in bags didn’t make it, I bellowed with laughter. I had already taken long, deep breaths of the rain in the air and marveled at the lush green landscape. Who cares about my clothes? They’re just things.
I made it to Rwanda.
