With a stethoscope in one hand and a rucsac in the other

Hello all! And welcome to my blog. Take a seat, get comfortable and come exploring.. 

As most of you know, and as an introduction to those who don't, I'm heading off to work as a volunteer doctor for a fantastic charity called 'Floating Doctors' in the depths of rural Panama. They have an information packed website under the same name if you fancy taking a closer look. The basic idea is provision of joined up sustainable health care and education to the rural, mostly tribal, people of the Bocas del Toro region. This, in reality, involves a lot of time and effort working with the local Elders, shouldering backpacks, filling up boats with kit and heading out to extremely rural hilly coastal rainforest to provide outreach clinics for those who can't get to the static ones. I imagine there will be many muddy boots, river crossings, moments of improvisation, moments of desperation, tears of frustration and tears of joy.  But most importantly there will people. People who don't even have the very rudimentary basics of modern western healthcare. (At this point I think it's important to point out that I'm under no illusion that dragging these people into a Western environment or life is in any way better than their own, but dying from simple treatable diseases in this day and age just because your country hasn't developed an accessible enough health system seems tragic and unnecessary). 

As I head off into the unknown I hope to take you with me and offer you a glimpse of the world through my eyes: stethoscope in one hand, rucsac in the other.