I am a medical student, living in Mexico, and this year I am doing my year of social service.
In Mexico, anyone who studies anything that has to do with health (medicine, odontology, nursing, etc) has to do by law a complete year (365 days) of social service.
Usually, after 4 years of studying and 1 year of internship, the government sends us in a random fashion to different areas of the country. Usually small towns, with limited resources; in which we deliver a service.
In my case, this service consists of giving medical consults to anyone that comes by the office, taking lab samples, sometimes doing ECG (electrocardiograms), giving flu shots, putting on bandages, doing pap smears. And even giving health lessons to teenagers, and parents.
It's actually like a year of practice. Like being doctors, but without the full responsibility of it. (I still don't have my title). This is the year in our training where we actually learn to treat people as patients. This is when we learn to be doctors.
I got sent to a town in Michoacán called Cotija (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotija,_Michoacán). Yes, just like the cheese. After complaining to one of my best friends about the distance from my house, the completely different lifestyle I had in here, and the attitude most of the people have towards me when they realize that : 1) I'm young, and a doctor. And 2) that I am a woman (Apparently feminism hasn't reached this area). She laughed so hard, that she suggested "Hey! Why don't you write a blog?"
After thinking about it for a while, and then some more, and some more. I realized that this experience is a once in a life time opportunity to register what it is actually turning to be an amazing year.
So, here I am. After two months of living in the town, about to present my oral professional exam, writing about my experience as a MPSS (Médico Pasante en Servicio Social - Intern Doctor in Social Service being a rough translation)
Hoping to capture this beautiful town, and beautiful people who have accepted me as a part of their families in such short time. (I'm not complaining so much now) here is My life on the town.
