Having completed my exams just prior to arriving in Kerala, I was more than a little jaded with medicine. The thought of immersing myself in the Indian healthcare system for 3 weeks was not exactly the holiday I was looking for and I went away feeling far more like lying on a beach somewhere with a cold beer!
Norman heads off on a ward round with Dr. Tiny Nair
I started my placement straight away and I can absolutely say that all those feelings of trepidation and weariness disappeared immediately. My time spent with Dr. Tiny Nair and his enthusiastic and knowledgeable team has completely reignited my enthusiasm for medicine. Under Dr.Tiny Nair’s tutelage I have been able to interpret ECGs with a greater degree of confidence and learned more about the physiological basis underlying a wide range of cardiovascular conditions. Witnessing at first hand the efficient, understanding and sensitive manner with which he treats his patients has been so humbling and it’s been great to go with him on ward rounds. His style is fairly informal, with patients’ families being included in everything to ensure they are updated on their loved one’s progress.
We’ve also had some great experiences with Dr. Prathap, the interventionist cardiology surgeon. Clinics are busy, numbering twenty per echocardiogram clinic and seventy for each outpatient clinic. Dr. Prathap keeps students updated with regard to angioplasty surgery days, and it’s great to see him and his team work so effectively with precision, dexterity and speed. We’ve also had the opportunity to assist in blue light emergency calls, an amazing experience.
All in all I could not have wished for a more fulfilling and illuminating placement and would really encourage anyone thinking about going to India to book their placement now.
Written by Norman Maciver, fifth year (medical) student at the university of East Anglia.
To read more about our India placements, click on the link! You can also read more about student experiences on our case studies page.
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Tags: India, India medical elective