Medicine - INDIA Volunteer Stories

2 Week Special, Medicine in India - Charlotte Bonner

Known for its delectable cuisine, complex culture and extensive religions, it is no surprise that India is considered to be one of the world's most multidimensional and intriguing countries. Home to more than a billion people, India is 'exotic and chaotic'. This is a typical opening in a travel guide and whets your appetite, but the only real way to know what a country is like is to immerse yourself in its culture, soak up the atmosphere and get amongst the people. This is exactly what Projects Abroad allows you to do as you are not seen or treated as a tourist, but as a member of the community.

One of my main motivations for undertaking a project abroad was to fulfil the residential section of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. Visiting new places is one of my passions and I have been fascinated with India for a long time. I chose a medical project as I hoped it would give me an opportunity to help other people - as it turned out, my two weeks special assignment far exceeded all my expectations.

First impressions can be very moving and this was the case for me when I arrived at Chennai (formerly Madras) airport after a 12 hour flight - the heat, sights, sounds and smells that hit my senses were unlike anything I had experienced before. Even at 4am the airport was bustling with life and it was great to see the Projects Abroad sign amongst the many people there. After a short rest in a hotel, we embarked on the first of many experiences in our cultural journey - a 9 and a half hour train ride to Madurai, in the southern province of Tamil Nadu. The train was so crowded and hot but so exciting - there were vendors walking up and down the train selling hot and cold food and drinks, people standing or lying in the corridors, others trying to sleep anywhere they could! It was so surreal! We arrived in Madurai and then had a few hours bus journey to Sivakasi, a small town where the Projects Abroad office is. Our rooms were modest yet comfortable and we slept very deeply that night.

The following morning, we awoke to a typical Southern Indian breakfast consisting of 'dosas' - a South Indian crêpe made from rice and lentils, and 'idlis' - a savoury cake made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented lentils and rice, it was delicious! Once full, and after our introductory briefing, we started our programme of working in a variety of different clinics and hospitals to understand the range of treatments being offered. The 'Ayurvedic' clinic was our first destination; set in a beautiful area where we took part in yoga/meditation sessions, elephant rides in the back garden and a 'conference' type question and answer session at a local school where they sang to us and appeared to be so intrigued by our stories - it was very emotional and moving. When we left the Ayurvedic clinic, each of us were given a shell with our names on - they were so friendly and made us feel so welcome in their college.

The next placement was in a hospital and it was here that one of my most memorable experiences took place - my roommate and I visited a Gastroenterologist and we were allowed to observe an Endoscopy and another surgical procedure. I am quite a squeamish person and am unlikely to pursue a career in medicine but on that day it became very clear to me why people become committed to Medicine and are driven to help people in need. All of the volunteers who were interested in Medicine before the two-week special, left feeling more enthusiastic about pursuing this as a career.

During the weekend in the middle of the two week special we stayed in a lovely hotel in Kerala, where we trekked in swamps with leeches, went on a boat ride, visited a spice plantation, rode on elephants and enjoyed some retail therapy (shopping, Indian style!); it was a great weekend and really cemented the growing foundations of friendship that had started to build.

In the following week, we visited paediatric and gynaecology clinics, a government hospital and a leprosy mission - we saw some amazingly moving sights that pulled at every emotion. Some people suffering great hardship but still with the capacity to laugh and feel optimistic about their lives - it was inspirational. Not only did we get great insight into different areas of medicine, we really felt as though we were helping out the doctors with the patients.

It wasn't all hard work - in the evenings we enjoyed local food and were able to play badminton at some nearby courts as well. I was lucky enough to be able to stay on after my two week project and travel round some more of Southern India to scratch the surface of what this wonderful country can offer.

Overall, my Projects Abroad experience was marvellous - I have many vivid memories which I can treasure and I made some amazing friends whom I am still in contact with six months later. India is a beautiful country and I hope to visit Sivakasi again as soon as I possibly can perhaps to take part in another, maybe longer, project abroad.

Charlotte Bonner