Today was the first day at KHMS (Kodaiakanal health and medical services) hospital with Dr. Susheel. Though we do not get to see as many patients as we saw at Pasam, Dr. Susheel shares a lot about India. Instead of going to college after high school, the kids here go straight to medical school. They start taking specialty classes at the age of 16, which pretty much decides what exam they will take and consequently what career. Even though I have wanted to go into medicine since I was in elementary school, making that decision so early in life would be quite daunting. Another major difference, is that entrance into these schools is based solely on the score the students receive on their entrance exams. High school grades and outside work does not have much impact on their acceptance in the school. Dr. Susheel also said that if the family has enough money, the kids can pay their way through school and be guaranteed a seat. I do believe that having strong exam scores is essential to being a good physician, but it is definitely not the most important quality of an applicant. The holistic process in the US that involves clinical hours, volunteer work, and a high GPA makes for better physicians that are committed to and in the field for the right reasons. Beyond the exams, if kids have the same scores, their entrance is decided on their age, and if they are the same age they are given random numbers and chosen through a drawing. Although entrance into schools may sometimes feel like it is randomly chosen, I am thankful for the educational system I am in and cannot wait to continue into my career in medicine.
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