COM Outlook Spring 2020

20 | DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE India Initiative While Ahwa, a rural village in Gujarat, is known to be one of the most economically distressed districts in India, I couldn’t help but admire the residents’ content- ment regarding their way of living. “We boil our laundry water once. We boil our water for food twice,” is their rule of thumb. Upon arriving, we were told that bottled water and Pepto-Bismol were our best friends, and that even brushing our teeth with tap water could be detrimental to our health. Ironically, as we cruised around the steep hills of Ahwa, children jumped out of their houses to greet us with the biggest grins on their faces. During clinic downtimes, I spent time talking to local citizens. Gujarat residents are very conservative and family oriented, much more so than what we experience in the United States. As patients told their stories, I could see their eyes sparkle as they spoke about their children. Body language and hand gestures are also a big part of their lives. Shaking their heads could represent “yes,” “no,” “thank you,” or a simple acknowledgment of your presence. This cultural experience not only provided me with insight on their ethnic inclusive- ness, but it also showed me how they still emanate kindness during the most arduous moments. EXPLORING RULES OF THUMB BY MICHELLE X. WU First-year student Michelle X. Wu checks a patient’s heartbeat. + “Upon arriving, we were told that bottled water and Pepto-Bismol were our best friends, and that even brush- ing our teeth with tap water could be detrimental to our health. Ironically, as we cruised around the steep hills of Ahwa, children jumped out of their houses to greet us with the biggest grins on their faces.” —MICHELLE X. WU