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The Stethoscope and the Machete

My Journey Through the World of Humanitarian Medicine

  • Lumbini Medical College
  • Butaro District Hospital
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Category: Butaro District Hospital

The way in which Rwanda has re-written its story after one of the most brutal atrocities of modern history and welcomed the world to participate in its remodeling is a case study in good governance.

When it comes to healthcare for the marginalized, if there is one thing I have learned it’s that nobody can do this alone. Prominent involvement and support from local structures is key. This idea couldn’t be better represented than by the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), a medical and public health school birthed from an agreement between the Rwandan government and the US-based NGO Partners in Health. My monthlong attachment as visiting faculty in the department of medicine brought me an opportunity to study their process from the inside. With the help of typhoid fever and a medical curriculum growing into maturation, I gained a view into an aspirational approach to creating the next generation of healthcare leaders.

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The Vagabond in a Chinese Restaurant

The Vagabond in a Chinese Restaurant

By juan.lopez, March 9, 2025
Posted in: Butaro District Hospital

Simulation labs have become quite sexy in medical education over the last decade; every medical school has one or wants one. They are usually the equivalent of a trauma bay…

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The Vagabond in a Chinese Restaurant
Gollum’s Riddle

Gollum’s Riddle

By juan.lopez, March 4, 2025
Posted in: Butaro District Hospital

For all of the good things I have said, there are still many areas that need a lot of work in this health system. Some of these are related to…

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Gollum’s Riddle
We are All Rwandan

We are All Rwandan

By juan.lopez, March 4, 2025
Posted in: Butaro District Hospital

The next day would be my last with this cohort of students, so I bid them all good luck in their rotation when I boarded the Friday afternoon bus back…

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We are All Rwandan
The Bus Can Wait

The Bus Can Wait

By juan.lopez, February 26, 2025
Posted in: Butaro District Hospital

I’ll admit that I was having a great time working at Butaro district hospital. So many of my projects have taken on a more educational flavor that I don’t get…

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The Bus Can Wait
The Trenches

The Trenches

By juan.lopez, February 26, 2025
Posted in: Butaro District Hospital

The typhoid case was one of several that slipped through the cracks due to system failures in that first week. In that same stretch, we also had an 18 year…

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The Trenches
Typhoid Fever

Typhoid Fever

By juan.lopez, February 16, 2025
Posted in: Butaro District Hospital

Typhoid fever, caused by the bacteria salmonella typhi, is a form of dysentery (infectious bloody diarrhea) spread through contaminated waste that has been part of our lives since likely pre-history.…

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Typhoid Fever
The Butterflies Emerge

The Butterflies Emerge

By juan.lopez, February 16, 2025
Posted in: Butaro District Hospital

As I progress in this journey, I continue to ask myself how best to approach this mission to bring about positive change. One of my primary goals for this phase…

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The Butterflies Emerge

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