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Summer Fellowship
Kapsowar Hospital
Site Address:
Kapsowar Hospital
Kapsowar
,
Elgeyo-Marakwet
99999
Kenya
Website:
https://kapsowarhospital.org/
Location Details
Description
Kapsowar Hospital is a 140-bed faith-based facility set in a rural and largely agrarian community in the highlands of western Kenya. Located 7,500 above sea-level and about 50 miles from the Equator, the village of Kapsowar is predominantly populated by the Marakwet people, a sub-tribe of the greater Kalenjin tribe, who are most known internationally for their prowess as long distance runners. Most individuals are subsistence farmers, with the hospital acting as the district’s largest single employer. The hospital serves as a local catchment for 300,000 people and draws patients from throughout Kenya and neighboring countries. Founded by Christian missionaries in the 1930’s as a healthcare dispensary, in recent years it has grown into a regional referral center whose staff is comprised of both national and expatriate physicians and surgeons. Surgical specialties represented at Kapsowar include general surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology as well as internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine services and dentistry.
Student Role
The purpose of this summer internship is to provide interesting undergraduate experiences with comprehensive exposure to healthcare practice within a rural African setting. As such, the majority of volunteers’ time will be spent in a clinical setting. Volunteers will round with physicians on patients, shadow in clinics and scrub into surgical cases. Volunteers will stay with the same medical team for 1-2 weeks at a time, cycling through the different specialties present at our hospital, including general surgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, OB/GYN, internal medicine and pediatric medicine. Students assigned to surgical services will help prepare patients’ for surgery, including transporting patients to and from the operating room, sterilizing equipment and cleaning the theaters between cases. Students will be encouraged to observe surgeries and may be invited to scrub into cases. On both medical and surgical services, volunteers will be expected to join for rounds and scheduled clinic activities. In both medical and surgical environments, students will be exposed to the breadth of healthcare pathologies affecting rural populations in a low-income country, the barriers to accessing care, and the vast opportunities available to serve patients who live with limited resources. Flexibility in scheduling can encourage interested students to invest in other community outreach opportunities, including at our local orphanage (Kapchesewes Children’s Home) and with the local expatriate children.
Work Schedule
Workdays begin with a teaching from the Psalms and prayer time at 8 AM on the mission station and, once weekly, a chapel service at the hospital. Following this, volunteers will join the surgical or medical team to which they are assigned. Working with the medical or surgical teams overnight is not expected, but students who choose to do so will be excused from work the following day. Volunteers will be excused in the afternoon to pursue outside interests and there are no expectations for students to work on either Saturday or Sunday.
Orientation
Orientation with the physician supervising the student will occur weekly prior to the initiation of new rotations. At this time, expectations specific to each service will be presented. Students will be supervised and trained by qualified professionals prior to assuming any responsibilities. Longitudinal weekly check-ins will be coordinated with a designated, long-term worker for a time and place that is amenable to both student and mentor.
Housing Information
All housing is provided on-site at the Kapsowar Hospital mission station. .Students will live in single-sex apartments, hostels or dorm-rooms and may have one or more roommates. Roommates may come from anywhere in the world and from any walk of life. All houses have electricity and water capabilities, although access to both can be sporadic. Internet access is most reliable through cell-phone service plans which can be purchased immediately upon arrival in country. Grocery essentials are best purchased in Eldoret, a more modern city that is located three hours away, although simple essentials can be purchased in the local market. Guests are expected to maintain clean quarters and to refrain from smoking and illicit drug use. Parietals are enforced.
Spanish Language Proficiency
N/A
Drivers License
Not needed; students placed outside of the United States are not allowed to drive.
Student Preferences
Teachable, self-motivated and flexible. Most important among these being teachable. Students will likely see things that they have never seen before; we hope that what they encounter challenges them to consider their vocation and their place in the world carefully. To that end, we are most excited to host teachable students whose hearts and minds are willing to be humble. Additionally, like most places in Africa, our setting is often unpredictable and does not have the same rigid structures in place that are typical of western environments. Therefore, the most successful student volunteers at our site will also be those who are self-motivated and flexible.
Start And End Dates
Any eight consecutive weeks between May 17 and August 13, 2027. Students must choose the same 8 weeks.