#placement experience

Our fifth-year medicine student Madeleine Kelly shares her adventure on placement in Fiji. 

“Head on view” these were the words I heard on my first day of my three-week placement thanks to JCU and the new Colombo plan when I walked into the hospital's labour ward. Moments later I performed my first delivery bringing a 3.5kg baby boy into the world. This was a common occurrence during my elective where over 25 babies were born a day and in so many of them you got the chance to be the accoucheur. No training was done, you just got in and delivered the babies. Some days you were just going from room to room assisting or delivering, and other days you were in theatre helping suture caesareans. Each birth giving you the opportunity to measure fundal height, perform and interpret CTGs and locate the foetal heart rate. Some deliveries were quick and uncomplicated, while others required you to assist in suturing of tears, delivering the baby and sometimes even setting up IV infusions and drawing up medications before giving intramuscular injections. The hospital gave students free range to explore high risk clinics, maternal ICU, antenatal clinics and theatre. Despite the many obstacles and challenges this resource scarce country has faced the medical knowledge and skills are parallel to Australia. It’s not all business during placement with adventures to the Mamanuca islands to indulge in cocktails on the beach, snorkelling in crystal clear waters and limbo competitions until the early morning hours. Day trips to Malamala beach club with stand up paddle boarding and kayaking. Visits to the local villages surrounded by magical hidden waterfalls to experience the traditions from Kava ceremonies to lovo (meat cooked underground). Evenings filled with dinners out with your fellow students and gold class movies at bargain prices.

At times in Australia we may take for granted the resources available. Something as simple as a dipstick often a test performed on anyone with urinary symptoms or fever, in Fiji it is lifesaving. Pregnancy kits, something cheap and readily assessible at local pharmacies in Australia, is rationed and often not available to these communities in Fiji. It truly is another world in Fiji in regards to resources but the local doctors remain at the forefront of medical knowledge and continue to be compassionate and holistic practitioners despite often overwhelming patient load. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity as it shaped me into not only a better clinician but a more compassionate and understanding human being. I highly recommend that anyone considering a placement like this, should go out of their comfort zone and jump at the opportunity to do placement in Fiji.