Dr. Kolkman keeps (very) busy in India

Patient rounds, surgery, and clinic duty are a normal part of surgical residency for Paul Kolkman, M.D.

The sheer volume of patients the fourth-year UNMC resident currently sees in clinic (100-120) or the number of surgeries he performs during the week (20) is not.

Paul Kolkman, M.D., in a Husker surgical cap, assists with gastrectomy surgery on a patient with stomach cancer in India.

Just a few months into a six month international surgical rotation in Hyderabad, India, Dr. Kolkman is impressed and humbled by the everyday challenges the surgical oncologists there face.

“There are numerous patients and very few resources,” Dr. Kolkman said in a recent e-mail. “The surgeons have learned to adapt to what resources are available and how to best use them to benefit their patients.”

He and his wife, Marcy, a pediatric intensive care nurse, also have immersed themselves in Indian culture and hospitality.

“We have been to three weddings, one birthday party, an anniversary party, engagement party and numerous surgical conferences. Along with this we celebrated the traditional Diwali festival,” Dr. Kolkman said. “The welcoming attitude has made the transition to living on the other side of the world quite easy for us.”