CDPC Alumni meeting in Dar es Salaam: Brenda's view

During the CDPC meeting that took place in Dar es salam, we decided that in order for us to remain in touch and keep track of each other’s progress (past trainnees), we should keep bloging…… fast forward, two months later I am still wondering what I should write about in my blogs!

Let me start with how I have progressed since the CDPC training, that is October 2008.

When I got back I started studying, am doing a Master’s of Medicine in Microbiology. The course runs for three years and I have done two years so far. I think the progress has been quite ok.

I have written a research proposal, which I defended before the IRB last week, the experience was quite interesting. What was most interesting was that I am the principal investigator which sometimes I look at as a “big title”, but well I guess that is all part of the training. Also in developing this proposal I learnt that one can not take it for granted that people will read the proposal, when you want them to give help in one way or another. I don’t know yet if the proposal passed or not, I will know the answer next week so wish me luck.

I was glad to hear that Richie Forde is in Kisumu under CDPC. I met him when I trained at Beaumont Hospital in the Immunogenetics lab, I hope I meet him at some point…

I would like to use this opportunity to tell the CDPC executive and the organisers of the Dar es salam meeting that I had a wonderful time both in Ireland and in Dar, thank you very much for inviting us and and for looking after us when in Maynooth.

For now that is all I have to say, may be I will have more next time I write.