Chincha - Day 10

June 29, 2012 The week spent in the PAMS (Peruvian American Medical Society) Clinic in Chincha was totally different from the clinics run in the Sacred Valley. Besides the urban vs rural aspect, the patients came in for more complicated problems for the most part, and lab and radiology backup was available and frequently expected. Many of the patients had previous evaluations, although little information from these was available to us at the time of the visit. Medicines obtained by prescription or from the pharmacist directly (including steroids) were frequently not identifyable because of Peruvian brand names used. That said, the level of medicine practiced in this clinic was higher than that available in the Sacred Valley, where minimal lab and radiology were available. Interestingly, the electronic medical record we employ in the valley would revolutionize the clinic in the city. The staff at the PAMS clinic was very helpful and friendly. I worked with Coco (ask me sometime how she got her nickname), who was awesome in interpreting and providing support in setting up patients. She is a real asset to the clinic. The facilities around Chincha were vastly different from the more austere area around the Sacred Valley. The market here was bustling and crowded, much different than that of Pisac, which was more geared toward the tourists.  The bustling PAMS clinic waiting room I personally preferred the bucolic setting of Urubamba (Sacred Valley) with a slower pace of life and practice of medicine, with opportunities to walk the countryside. I hope by this time that everyone has returned safely, or is traveling safely enroute home. Looking forward to next year in Peru. Bill FIke, CCF Internal Medicine