Visitor FD0801 
| Visitor |
| Sex? |
female |
| Profession/occupation? |
Surgeon |
| Medical school year or years of
experience since graduation? |
18 |
| Home country? |
United States of America |
| What made you want to go to
Solomon Islands? |
my previous 3 visits |
| Did you go alone or in company? |
in company |
| Arriving in Solomon
Islands |
| When did you arrive in Solomon
Islands? |
November 2008 |
| Did you encounter any
bureaucratic difficulties? |
no |
| What was your first impression
after arrival? |
Honiara is a bit dirty, but Visale and Tetere are
beautiful. |
| Living in Solomon
Islands |
| What did positively surprise
you? |
how friendly the people are |
| What did negatively surprise
you? |
how difficult it is to get medical care |
| What took longest to get used
to? |
heat and humidity |
| What did you miss most in
Solomon Islands? |
nothing |
| What should you have brought
along? |
binoculars |
| What did you do to prevent
malaria? |
took Malarone and used bug spray |
| Place and province where you
spent most of your time? |
Guadalcanal |
| Other places/provinces where
you stayed? |
Savo, Russells, Floridas, Central Province; New Georgia,
Western Province |
| Where did you stay? |
Mendana Hotel (Honiara) |
| How long did you stay at each
location? |
2 days to one week |
| How much did you pay for
each? |
USD 150 |
| Where did you usually eat? |
restaurant |
| What did you typically pay for
a normal meal? |
USD 15-30 |
| What local food/beverage did
you like most? |
slippery cabbage, potatoes |
| What local food/beverage did
you like least? |
none |
| Mobile
phone services |
| If you brought along a mobile
phone, which services did you successfully use? |
- |
| Comments? |
I was unable to get mobile service |
| Money
matters |
Used US bank debit card to get
cash at ATMs
Used US bank credit card to pay for goods and services |
| Comments? |
no trouble getting SBD |
| Working in Solomon
Islands |
| How did you usually go to
work? |
walk, by bus, by boat |
| Where did you work? |
NRH, Tulagi Hospital, Good Samaritan in Tetere, Seghe
Clinic, Yandina Clinic |
| What was your occupation? |
surgeon |
| What were your working days and
hours? |
daily 10 hours |
| What was particularly difficult
in regard to your work? |
not enough time to see all the patients that needed to be
seen |
| Did you feel accepted by the
locals? |
yes |
| What did you usually do in your
spare time after work? |
scuba dive, hike |
| Questions
for medical trainees of all levels (students to
registrars) |
| How was the supervision? |
very close |
| Comments |
Our group had a director |
| How was the teaching? |
- |
| Comments |
not applicable |
| Leaving Solomon Islands and
looking back |
| When did you leave Solomon
Islands? |
November 2008 |
| How long was your stay? |
one week |
| How do you judge the length of
your stay? |
too short |
| What did you learn from the
locals? |
pidgin, medicine and resilience |
| Your advice to prospective
visitors? |
be sure to travel west and east from Honiara, the country
is beautiful |
| What did you miss most when
back at home again? |
the people of the Solomon Islands |
| What did you enjoy most when
back at home again? |
my family, patients and employees |
| Would you go back for another
stay? |
Anytime! |
| Estimated total cost of your
stay (including travel costs)? |
USD 3,000 |
| Additional comments? |
I plan to do medical work at least twice a year in the
Solomon Islands. |
