- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
I participated in a study abroad trip to India through Child Family Health International. During this time, I rotated with various public health organizations and medical providers to learn about the Indian Healthcare system while also immersing myself in the culture!
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
My time in India allowed me the opportunity to immerse myself in the Indian healthcare system. Going into the program, I had a limited understanding of the extent to which culture, location, and religious practices can affect access to and delivery of healthcare. As I rotated through various cities and towns, I had the opportunity to interact with a variety of individuals with unique backgrounds and experiences. It was interesting to see how physicians adjusted their care plan or method of treatment based on the patient’s vocation, socioeconomic status, and religious beliefs to address their needs better. Although I had heard plenty about holistic care and individualized care, it was incredible to see it in practice.
Initially, I had a large misconception that public health initiatives are largely government-centered. During our initial week in Delhi, rotating through public health initiatives, I was surprised to see the large role public support and volunteer-based work played for these organizations to be successful. This fresh perspective on the cooperation between the government and its people for the common interest of our health is one that I am excited to share with my peers to inform those around us to take the initiative to support changes in our community.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
I learned more about the delivery of holistic care during my time in Mussoorie at Landour Community Hospital. Located at a high elevation with lots of humid weather at this time of year, patients often face similar health challenges. In discussion with the clinic’s optometrist, he shared that patients are recommended to visit 3-4 times a year rather than the standard 1-2 times due to high incidences of mold in homes, causing severe allergies.
The primary care providers would often diagnose multiple issues at once, but sometimes they would only treat urgent and symptomatic issues. In patients with low socioeconomic status, the doctor would recognize their hesitation in spending large amounts of money on preventive care. Dr. George highlighted the subjectivity with which he often addresses care. Having practiced in Canada, he compared and contrasted Western healthcare with his current practices. He placed a large emphasis on objectivity vs subjectivity. Western healthcare often requires providers to address new diagnoses and treat them immediately, avoiding providers’ liability in the event of worsening health in the future. In India, he explained, this liability is reduced in the way the healthcare system is set up, ultimately allowing increased subjective care. I witnessed very meaningful and trustworthy patient-provider relationships during my time, and I believe this was due to the more holistic approach to treatment. Patients felt comfortable sharing their concerns and opened up to providers honestly.
During my time in Delhi, we had the opportunity to visit a drug rehabilitation center for young boys. This was a very enlightening experience for me as someone with limited knowledge of how certain public health initiatives are brought to life and sustained over time. Meeting with the staff and students-in-training who were working at this center allowed discussions that helped me better understand the collaboration of NGOs, the government, and individuals looking to serve a vulnerable community.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.
I believe my time in India has helped me develop both professionally and personally in preparation for medical school and a career as a physician. This was my first time visiting the country my parents called home for half of their lives independently, making my own connections and memories. It was a beautiful experience to be able to walk into another country and be able to communicate with and share pieces of culture with people living there. I have been doing henna for over a decade now and in India I did henna for the women and children at our homestay and got henna done myself. I caught myself nodding along to music in the malls like I do at home except this time it was Bollywood music that had never really heard in a public setting like this before. This study abroad was an opportunity for me to experience life in India, not quite like my parents did, but in my own way exploring my interests, with my peers, in new cities!
This experience transformed me academically and professionally as well. Being able to witness the delivery and access to care in another country allowed me to see how healthcare translates around the world. Seeing physicians delivering holistic healthcare that allows them to treat patients not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well was a unique experience. I saw many of the core competencies that US medical schools teach in practice, and I hope to deliver that caliber of care in the future myself.
