This morning I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a bus! I skipped Spanish class to go to the emergency room at the hospital. They took an x-ray of my right shoulder and upon examination the doctor decided he needed another x-ray, but this time I had to hold ten kilos in my right hand. He also wanted a trauma specialist to take a look at the films. After reviewing both films, the trauma doc said I may have a slightly separated shoulder, but without a CT Scan he couldn't be sure. What he was happy about is that I had no broken bones, I had almost full range of motion and to his knowledge all of my nerves were intact. So, he prescribed me a sling (that I have to wear until Monday), a muscle relaxer (cyclobenzoprine) and a COX-2 inhibitor (a glorified ibuprofen). I had to pay for the drugs and the sling out of pocket... The grand total: $24.80. JACKPOT. The bad news - is I may not be able to do white water rafting and canyoning this weekend. Ugh.
Anyway, this week we are travelling to a rural clinic in Rio Verde, a small town near Banos, to see yet another aspect of healthcare in Ecuador. It was very similar to a primary care provider's office in the states except that the people were given the drugs at the office (for free) since they don't live near a pharmacy. Nothing too exciting today. Just kids with diarrhea and coughs. The doctor is a really nice guy though. I enjoy learning from him and chatting with him in broken Spanish. He is ONLY 25! Apparently, the way medical school works here is that you are not required to complete three years of undergraduate studies to go to medical school. The degree itself is a six year undergraduate program. Then you are required to work for the government for two years (since tuition is free) in primary care. After you finish that you can specialize if you wish. I am really getting a great perspective on a different type of healthcare system. It is mind blowing what they can do with so few resources.
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