Visitor FS0704 
| Visitor |
| Sex? |
female |
| Profession/occupation? |
Medical Student |
| Home country? |
Australia |
| What made you want to go to
Solomon Islands? |
talking to a previous visitor |
| Did you go alone or in company? |
alone |
| Arriving in Solomon
Islands |
| When did you arrive in Solomon
Islands? |
December 2007 |
| Did you encounter any
bureaucratic difficulties? |
no |
| What was your first impression
after arrival? |
Hot, humid and friendly people |
| Living in Solomon
Islands |
| What did positively surprise
you? |
Accomodation at Kiwi House isn't that bad! |
| What did negatively surprise
you? |
- |
| What took longest to get used
to? |
- |
| What did you miss most in
Solomon Islands? |
- |
| What should you have brought
along? |
Everything is at Kiwi House! - mosquito nets, sunscreen,
insect repellent, med textbooks, even scrubs! |
| What did you do to prevent
malaria? |
Insect repellent, mosquito net and Doxycycline |
| Place and province where you
spent most of your time? |
Honiara, Honiara-City |
| Other places/provinces where
you stayed? |
Auki, Malaita Province |
| Where did you stay? |
Kiwi-House (Honiara), stayed with a lovely family
(Auki) |
| How long did you stay at each
location? |
4 weeks, 2 weeks |
| How much did you pay for
each? |
SBD 1500 total |
| Where did you usually eat? |
Both home and out |
| What did you typically pay for
a normal meal? |
between SBD 50-70 |
| What local food/beverage did
you like most? |
Cassava pudding |
| What local food/beverage did
you like least? |
Slippery Cabbage |
| Mobile
phone services |
| If you brought along a mobile
phone, which services did you successfully use? |
- |
| Comments? |
- |
| Money
matters |
| - |
| Comments? |
- |
| Working in Solomon
Islands |
| How did you usually go to
work? |
walk |
| Where did you work? |
NRH Medical Ward (plus some OT) and Kilu'ufi, a bit of
everything, but mostly O&G |
| What was your occupation? |
Medical Student |
| What were your working days and
hours? |
Anywhere between full days to half-days |
| What was particularly difficult
in regard to your work? |
Feeling as though I should know so much more |
| Did you feel accepted by the
locals? |
yes |
| What did you usually do in your
spare time after work? |
Hung around with local friends, visited a few villages
and...naturally, a bit of the touristy stuff too |
| Questions
for medical trainees of all levels (students to
registrars) |
| How was the supervision? |
adequate |
| Comments |
- |
| How was the teaching? |
very good |
| Comments |
- |
| Leaving Solomon Islands and
looking back |
| When did you leave Solomon
Islands? |
January 2008 |
| How long was your stay? |
6 weeks |
| How do you judge the length of
your stay? |
too short |
| What did you learn from the
locals? |
All about the Solomons - langauge, cooking, history, way
of life... |
| Your advice to prospective
visitors? |
Be open-minded and always find ways to get involved |
| What did you miss most when
back at home again? |
The people and...simply, the beauty of the Islands |
| What did you enjoy most when
back at home again? |
Home is family - so spending time with family...and of
course, no more cold showers! |
| Would you go back for another
stay? |
Yes |
| Estimated total cost of your
stay (including travel costs)? |
AUD 4,000 |
| Additional comments? |
If you're going to the Solomons for your medical
elective, you will definitely enjoy it! Do go to the
Provinces - everyone has had a great time at which ever
Provincial Hospital they have chosen to go to. |
