POCUS Training Testimonials: Dr David Mwakisha
MedicScan-Africa Asia Health Dynamics has over the past few years conducted trainings on POCUS with a mission to equip doctors and other medical providers with the skills to improve better patient’s outcome.
We take time today to interview one of our recently graduated trainees on his experience white training with us.
Esther: Thank you Dr Mwakisha for finding time to have this interview.
Dr Mwakisha: I’ll preface my feedback by stating my appreciation for the opportunity to give honest feedback on the POCUS training programme.
Esther: Thank you, we were glad to have you as well. Why did you participate in this training?
Dr Mwakisha: I decided to participate in this training when I realised that a good understanding of ultrasound imaging helped in making crucial clinical decisions at my work place.
Numerous ultrasound requests for diagnosing and prognosticating different conditions stamped the importance of bedside ultrasound. Some of my consultants could perform bedside ultrasounds without waiting for radiology to avail themselves thereby markedly reducing turnaround time of the same. Therefore, I wanted to get better at my general assessment of the patient. I also saw it as an extension to normal systemic examinations.
Esther: Great, that is comprehensively explained. How do local physicians examine patients without ultrasound?
Dr Mwakisha: Systemic physical examination normally involves 4 aspects (variance between systems exists):
1. Inspection (seeing)
2. Percussion (knocking/striking)
3. Palpation (touching)
4. Auscultation (listening).
Esther: And are there any benefits, such as income or position, from taking the POCUS training?
Dr Mwakisha: Currently, no monetary benefits exist for having participated in the POCUS training. Additionally, no advertisements for posts in the healthcare field specifically ask for POCUS training as a requirement for consideration.
Esther: Why is POCUS important?
Dr Mwakisha: It is crucial in making timely, life-saving decisions in the acute clinical setting.
Esther: I see. What are the good and bad points of our POCUS training?
Dr Mwakisha: To the GOOD points: flexible training schedules, great instructors, adequate provision of learning materials.
BAD points: low quality ultrasound images gained from ultrasound machines used for training.
Esther: We apologise for the bad encounters. Moving forward, we will ensure to equip our training centre with ultrasound machines with high quality resolution of images.
What makes our POCUS training better than other services?
Dr Mwakisha: I liked the mostly visual way of training employed (online tutorials provided prior to physical/hands-on sessions), adequate time provided for physical training and healthy interactions between trainers and trainees.
Esther: That is good to hear from you. Please tell us in detail what was specifically wrong with our POCUS training.
Dr Mwakisha: Acquisition of images from the main ultrasound machine used in the training was erratic, cumbersome (especially as deadlines for submission of images loomed).
Esther: We apologise for that and we will improve on that area. What other areas of POCUS would you like to train in?
Dr Mwakisha: I would love to be trained in full cardiac, hepatic & biliary, renal and obstetric system ultrasound.
Esther: Once we open the mentioned training, we will let you know.
Please tell us specifically which areas you would like to be trained in. Why?
Dr Mwakisha: As above (full cardiac, hepatic & biliary, renal and obstetric system ultrasound training). It would amplify ultrasound skills and vastly help in making the correct clinical decisions in different systems in a timely manner.
Esther: The medical world is another area where we need to work with the private sector. For example, what kind of startups do you think would make a difference in Kenyan healthcare?
Dr Mwakisha: There are significant gaps in Kenya’s healthcare: emergency medicine, telemedicine, concierge medicine, travel medicine are areas that need enhancing and focusing on.
Esther: What kind of doctor do you want to be in 10 years?
Dr Mwakisha: A successful, well-rounded, highly skilled medical practitioner helping the community in multiple ways including through healthcare policy and advocacy.
Esther: Thank you so much for your time Dr Mwakisha.
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