I attended my externship at Pajaro Health Center in Freedom, California. I am Kenyan by roots and traveled to the USA for this opportunity. I am glad I sought this opportunity.

My first day with my preceptor and the staff did not seem like a first day. Everyone was very receptive to me. It seemed as if I had been part of them. So I quickly rolled in and my experience began.

My preceptor, Dr.F.R., has a natural skill of teaching. He is a very dedicated and passionate intensivist, who gives his patients time and is utterly patient with them. He has interesting patients, I must say, whom they have developed a good patient-doctor relationship with.

I also enjoyed interacting with the medical assistants at the facility as we exchanged knowledge on different areas of medicine. They were very helpful and went out of their way to help with suggestions of what I could do during the weekends. I am glad that I was able to perform procedures such as aortic scans, bladder scans, ABIs, and ear cleaning amongst others. I noticed differences between the health care system here in the U.S. and my country at large and spent time writing about them. I must say, the experience was an eye-opener for me as i got to explore other opportunities in the medical world.

I did have a social life. During the externship, I had time off during the weekends. I visited Napa Valley where I got to see vast lands of vineyards and I did wine tasting. I went to San Jose, the home of technology and got a vibe of the city. I also visited a number of restaurants in San Francisco. I also enjoyed using public transport (trains and buses). This got me straight into immersion. I learned about people and cultures, and I can brag that I speak at least 5 words in Spanish.