When you join your workplace, you will first have to submit your appointment letter given by the DOHS. You are also required to write a letter requesting to allow to attend the health center. The first problem I encountered was writing a letter! 6 years of med school really took a toll on my letter-writing skills. 😑
Thankfully, our hospital staff helped me out. I kept a picture of my first letter - yes, written by somebody else. Well, here is a sample for everyone who might face a similar situation.
Your first day at work will consist of doing the official work and attending a short welcome program - which they might or might not organize. All my friends posted in the rural have had varied experiences. Well, to my surprise, my hospital staff had organized one for me. It doesn't come as much of a surprise now, having spent 2 years there. It is a common practice to organize welcome and farewell programs. Now to think about it, I should have been expecting one! Anyways, I was utterly unprepared. I vividly recall how I fumbled to say 2 sentences in Nepali. So if you are among the ones who aren't able to speak out impromptu, plan ahead!
Apart from that, Day 1 is pretty chill. You are not expected to work! Talk to your colleagues and staff, and figure out where you are going to stay. You will have 2 years to know them. I wouldn't stress much about making first impressions. In such a long stay, it is how you present yourself every day and your work that will speak for itself.
If you are curious, the first impression that I made was as such - I had just taken a 4-hour ride from Dharan early morning at 7 with just a bowl of cereals and a full bladder (I slept during the toilet stop). The first thing I asked was where the toilet was. I looked disheveled as ever, and that is how I attended my welcome program. Hopefully, your room will have already been decided when you get there, and you will get a chance to freshen up ahead, unlike me.
Good luck with a start of a new journey!
Contact Information of Beltar Primary Healthcare Center
977-35-440164
phcbeltar.udpr@gmail.com