COM Outlook Spring 2019

24 | DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE attention of the team that more than one translator was often necessary to facilitate a smooth delivery of care. Second-year student Aakash Trivedi boldly stepped into the dual responsibility of being both a care provider and a translator. Trivedi not only speaks English and Hindi, but also the local dialect Guajarati. This multifaceted responsibility led him to play a crucial role in assist- ing in an emergency case where a 10-year-old boy had to have his foot amputated because of a motorcycle injury that turned septic. “Giving bad news is tough no matter what language it’s in. However, I think being able to speak their native language helped build their trust in us,” he said. “They seemed to find a sense of comfort in being understood.” Having patients feel comfortable and under- stood by their physicians is paramount in a human- istic perspective of patient treatment. First-year student Isabella Dreyfuss felt privileged to witness the true definition of a humanistic approach to medicine throughout this trip. “I’ll never forget the patient who presented with a lion-like facial appearance, which I quickly learned was leprosy. The physician I was working with at the time showed courage and selflessness by providing hands-on care despite leprosy being a highly conta- gious disease,” Dreyfuss said. “I also recall one of our OMM patients—a woman suffering with severe pelvic somatic dysfunctions from working as a housekeeper and fieldworker her entire life,” she added. “Opportunities like these made it so hard to leave in the end. I believe we made an extremely positive impact, because we solved many people’s issues, even if they were minute. In health care-deprived areas like these, even a common cold can escalate quickly into something much worse.” Joshua Berko is a first-year KPCOM student. Clockwise from right: First-year student Joshua Berko provides osteopathic manipulative treatment to a patient; class of 2022 student Taylor Smith (left) administers osteopathic manipulative medicine treatment to a patient, while B.S.P.H. student Misha Brahmbhatt translates for both Smith and the patient; class of 2022 student Marisa Mastropasqua performs a dental exam in the busy clinic. INDIA INSIDE