Ghana, Africa. BYU Fieldstudies -Natalie. "Life Changing"

The only words I can sum my internship in Wiamoase, Ghana, West Africa are exactly those: life changing. Located in the South of the Western sub-Saharan region, Ghana has a population of 23.4 million. When I stepped off the plane I never could have guessed what the next three months had in store for me. I lived in a very small village where electricity came and went just like the waves of extreme heat. I didn’t have high expectations for my living situation so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw where I was living (mainly because we had a working toilet!). Wiamoase is about two miles long on the main road with not much to look at. With a future in the medical setting I knew I wanted to start off my internship in the clinic. Working with BYU Field Studies and their faculty I finally had my research narrowed down. I chose to research why parents bring their children to a clinic. About 1-½ miles away from where I stayed was the Salvation Army Health Center. Open 24 hours a day the clinic is mainly there for outpatient procedures. I started my days off in the O.P.D.(Out Patient Department) helping the nurses take temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and weight. I interviewed staff members about the clinic and how it operated. I sat and observed the clinic for a few weeks before actually interviewing any parents about why they chose the clinic as their primary health care. I quickly learned that most of the town does in fact prefer the clinic. As the weeks went on I began interviewing parents by asking a series of questions in a semi-structure interview process. I learned more from these people than I thought. Since I was working with BYU field studies I took a course that helped prepare for the research. The professors helped with every step of the way providing support whenever necessary. I grew as a person emotionally, physically, and mentally as a result of going on my internship to Ghana. I will never forget the experience I had and the things I learned.