Geography is destiny.

by Madhusree Singh (2011-11-08)

I trained in Medicine in India and now practice at the Veteran's Hospital in San Deigo. The Internal Medicine residents at the University of California, San Deigo travel to Maputo, Mozambique for elective Global Health training. I was talking to one of our residents who thought that the most important requirement to have a meaningful rotation there was to have a colleague that you could talk to about your work day experiences. Another resident, recently back from Maputo, when asked what he learnt from his rotation there, simply said-never get sick in a poor country. I am conflicted about Global Health rotations. They provide a great learning experience but there is a whiff of hypocrisy about them. Although, theoretically the same rules apply, practically underserved medicine makes do with what is available. I hope students and residents come back with a broader understanding of Life, if not of Medicine.



ISSN 1911-2092