Working as a medical doctor in Senegal will be a big step for which I will never be prepared well enough. Still I feel confirmed that God will give me the strength I need, just as He has done until now. From my background as a Medical Doctor specialized in Tropical Medicine, Mother and Child Health Care, I was looking for a place where I can contribute to the health care in Dakar. My long term vision is to improve health care for many, by means of education, research and public health management. My plan is to first start working in the biggest governmental and academic hospital Le Dantec for the following reasons:
- Learning the Health Care structure of the country from an official point of view.
- Experiencing the difficulties and lacks in health care personally.
- Networking amongst medical specialist and doctors.
- Learn about new governmental policies as they are first implemented in governmental hospitals.
- Joining research projects and exploring research opportunities.
Even though I know that most of the missionary doctors don’t choose to go this way, I think for long-term mission this will be the right place to start. If you want to make a difference you need to know the governmental structures. After a while or in my spare time I would love to be involved in the only mission initiative in town, the House of Hope clinic.
I think it will take me 1-3 years of gaining work experience at Le Dantec before I can take the next step, which would probably be working more at the House of Hope clinic in Dakar or a mission hospital outside Dakar like the Barthimee Hospital in Thiès.
