Scoliosis camp

Today was a field trip day!! We asked to attend the scoliosis camp which is basically a scoliosis screening program in several parts of Nepal. We had to travel for about 1.5 hours outside of Banepa along a really narrow and bumpy road in a really decrepit bus. At one point I thought we would bump off the side of the cliff. But we had wonderful views of the valley and of the Himalayas. I will really miss seeing mountains daily when I leave Nepal. We finally arrived at the school and then we had to screen approximately 600 students of all ages for scoliosis. They are conducting an incidence study of scoliosis in schoolchildren. So far, the rate is quite low. But I think these screening camps are great because they are able to catch other things. Many of the students today leaped at the chance to talk to a doctor about their aches and pains and it was a good thing for some because the doctor suspected osteosarcoma in one and in another had to figure out if it was leprosy or not. I really enjoyed this camp although it was over too soon! I really wish my placement involved more community based evals and treatments.
Only 5 more days until Christmas!!