check out the new subscription link

I figured out how to put a subscription link on the blog (thanks for the suggestion, Heather) so you can put this on your email or home page pretty easy. Cool, huh? Just click on the antenna like thing to the right.

Okay, perhaps studying isn't that boring

Well, it is, but I got distracted today. Check this out.

http://www.kakophone.com/

You geeky myspacers have probably already found this, but it's fun.

What to say....

There's really not that much exciting to talk about when you're studying for the boards. However, I can share that if you're planning on poisoning your guests at your Halloween party, you should use phosphorous, because it causes your BM's to smoke and you to barf luminescent vomit, which might almost be worth the lawsuit you'd get.

from sea to shining Lake Michigan

Just got back from my taste of America tour, which included such quintessential American treats as sausage on a stick, steak on a stick, fried Coke, etoufee, and singing country songs about Mexican liquor in a Korean karaoke bar with my Puerto Rican friend. It really doesn't get any better than that, maybe it will take care of my homesickness for awhile....

On the downer front, the Gates foundation turned us down the weekend, so we're back to square one on projects for Zambia. Still brainstorming on that one. It's back to studying for the boards and trying to figure out the best way to ship a bunch of dishes overseas.

too much talking

The Glittering Eye » Blog Archive » Sub-Saharan Medical Braindrain

The Glittering Eye » Blog Archive » Sub-Saharan Medical Braindrain

A similar topic was published in the NEJM over the past year. Part of the reason to go over there, but also raises questions of how we can be more sensitive to our brothers in Africa by the policies we have in the US.

Africa later....and earlier

I have found out that my departure date will be pushed back a week to Nov 21st, so it looks like Africa is looming a bit later than originally anticipated. On the flip side, though, on my drive into Fort Worth, the temperature outside was 98 degrees, so I'm getting used to it a bit earlier....

gas prices in Zambia

As I was driving home today from Colorado, I passed a gas station in Childress, TX that was selling gas for $1.94/gallon. I tried to remember the last time I had seen gas under 2 bucks. One of the missionaries in Zambia was talking about gas being over 7/gallon over there, and I was reminded about how we're all in the same boat, and what's an inconvience here has completely shut down things like transportation or generators over there. And then I was struck about a comment I'd made (and have heard others make, too) about how it might be good to have gas prices stay high for a while to pressure the economy into building more fuel-efficient cars, etc. I was chagrined at my lack of perspective on the problem. For better or worse, what we do here has far-reaching impacts overseas as well, even in things that we might not think about.

So I'm not hoping for high gas prices for a while. And if you want some cheap gas, go to Childress.

What I'm reading now, part deux

You may not have realized it, but the road to Zambia leads through Boone, NC, or at least it does for me. I spent the past three days in North Carolina visiting with some of the members of Samaritan's Purse who are helping me get overseas, but unfortunately the Holiday Inn's evil empire prevented me from telling you about it while there. So now that I'm back in the freedom of the west (this is Clayton, NM) I can get you up to speed, on the many things I've learned, like what OCC stands for at SP (a good 15 minutes spent on deciphering acronyms) and how best to butcher an elephant for the meat if you have to (use an axe, although you're still not allowed to hunt them anymore in Zambia, so I doubt this will come up). I did have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Jim Foulkes, who was out at Mukinge for more years than I can possibly count, and had a great dinner with him and his wife.

For the way home, I got a copy of Sword and the Scalpel, a biography of Bob Foster, the missionary that started the hospital. The book takes an overwhelmingly rosy view of the missionary life, but I was struck by a line that his sister says early in the book: 'It seems like my life has been full of goodbyes.' Almost exactly the same thing was said by one of the missionaries in Rwanda when we were leaving as well, and I was struck by how transient so many of the relationships that you make are overseas, as people get transferred in and out, you move on to other things, or circumstances change. Another book recommended to me by one of my old residency classmates, The Dressing Station, ends with the author basically isolated and alone and moving back to England to have a more normal life after he'd travelled the world with all of these great adventures.

This is all to say, not that I'm dreading going overseas, quite the contrary, but that I'm grateful for all the friends and support that I have already. If you're reading this blog, you're probably already near and dear to my heart, and I thank God for all of you. And I can't wait for all the people that I'm going to meet along the way in Africa, too!

updates

Hey all --
my email address is changing today -- don't send anything more to my
comcast account or it will get bounced. As always, my permanent
forwarding address with yale will still work (matt.cotham@aya.yale.edu)
or my gmail account (mattcotham@gmail.com)

Also, my address in Texas until I leave is:
325 Rivercrest
Fort Worth, TX 76107
303-393-1786 still the same.

And finally, my address in Zambia will be:
Matt Cotham
c/o Mukinge Hospital
P.O. 120092
Kasempa, Zambia

Don't have a Zambian phone number yet.

Hope you all can make it either tomorrow or Sat to hang out. The dance
floor is looking good.

Matt

last days!

Hey to all of you! Last week in Denver -- wow, couldn't go out with
better weather, huh? Not quite the fall spectacular of Telluride, but
perfect for sleeping in the hammock for a few more hours.

To help me see all of you and also to get rid of my last remaining
stuff, I'm having a garage sale this Fri and Sat. I'd love to have you
all swing by during or after to help me polish off my liquor supplies.
Also, if there's anything of mine that you want, come claim it for free
before it gets sold! I'm still looking for a home for my golf clubs,
the wireless internet set-up, the subwoofer, DVD player, not to mention
a bunch of crap like heaters and ironing boards and plants and camping
equipment and my old Texas flag. Tell me someone wants to give my Texas
flag a home.

So anyway, the sale officially lasts until 3, the sangria will probably
start flowing around noon unless I need a few shots to help me haggle
with old ladies about the price of my sundae dishes -- then it's every
man for himself. :) There's plenty of good dancing room on my mostly
empty wood floors.

I officially board my plane after church on Sunday!

Hopefully I'll see all of you (those that are in town, that is) before I go.

Matt

The Last Days

In Denver, that is. Official Denver good-byes are this weekend as I step on a plane first to North Carolina, and then Texas. I did get to experience the best of Colorado this weekend, at least, with friends in Telluride in time for the first snow and the aspens changing. I'll put on some pics in a bit.

Still no word yea or nay from Gates. I am now the proud owner of at least 5 lbs of review books for the boards, however....

NEJM plug

For those who get it, the editorial in this week's New England JOM is about the Gates Foundation's effect on international giving and focus and how far short we still fall. It's at least as interesting as the articles about fingolimod or echinocandins or the radiographic appearance of lanthanum, that is. How can I be this far out of date only 6 years out of med school?

Go ahead complete!

I got the go ahead from Mukinge to submit to the Gates Foundation. So the preliminary step will be submitted tomorrow. Apparently they are not wild about organizations that have religious affiliations, so keep your fingers crossed....

What I'm reading these days

From No Picnic on Mt Kenya:
"So unexpected was this sight amid the savage scenery of Batian, that I could not help thinking 'It is too beautiful. Do I deserve to experience it?' and unconsciously my thoughts wandered to the simple character of the Humpback of Brazil who, as Guido Rey relates, having climbed Matterhorn with the first party from the south, knelt down and thanked God for having created such a marvellous universe."

Pictures from Yellowstone.

A call for seeds

One of the things I'm hoping to do is bring some seeds with me when I
go; if you've got some good varieties that you think would do well in
Africa save them for me or send them on. No zucchini!

Donation information

I put this in my last email, but here's the info as well on the blog. You can follow the links on the side to WMM or SIM.

To donate to my account it is through World Medical Mission, account #003220. I can use these funds to help with ministry related projects while I'm over there.

As most of you know, I am being fully funded through the World Medical Mission Post-Residency Program. If you'd like to contribute to help docs go overseas in a similar fashion, it's account #13765, also through WMM.

If you'd like to donate to the hospital, it's best to donate to Serving In Missions, with attention to Mukinge Hospital.

Finally, if you'd like to help fund a project or have an idea in mind about how you'd like to get involved while I'm there, let me know and we'll talk.

Last days in Colorado

Hey!
The time is drawing nearer! 1 month left before I leave Colorado for
good (at least for awhile). The tentative Colorado schedule is as follows:

Wyoming Sept 5-13
Denver Sept 14-19
Telluride Sept 20-24
Denver Sept 25-Oct 1

Then it's off to good old Texas to get some studying in. For all of you
in Colorado, let's get together before I split for good!

tuesday is D-day

Dog day, that is. The final bittersweet parting between me and the smelly, matted Saint next to me, currently snoring as I write this. A final pic to remember her by....

Getting ready for Zambia...Colorado style