Monday Jan 30 2012

I received and interesting phone call last night from my sister-in-law. She is a postdoctoral research scientist at Vanderbilt university in Nashville TN. She is in my opinion one of the sweetest girls on the planet and not to mention the brightest. Her call was really quite an unexpected surprise for me as usually ill chat with my brother on occasion and when we are talking if she is around he will pass the phone and I’ll chat with her briefly. Her call was out of her concern for my India Field study this weekend. As she started off with her concerns regarding my proposed trip she outlined what would not be the usual concerns of a loved one when they are trying to convince you to not do something. Instead of her telling me that it might be dangerous or that the change in diet might kill me, she went off on how the kind of research that I would be doing in India would not be up to par or even close to the standards of scientific research that we can do here in the states. She was concerned that if I went and did some sort of hypothesis based research in India that I might come back with a stain on my resume instead of a positive experience.

As I listened to here opinion I realized that she had missed the entire point. She didn't know that I would be going to India to do a form of anthropological/medically-based research. My goal was to not document the protein structure of a particular vaccine. It was to go and see maybe how people feel about vaccines in general. Are they of any use to the people that I will be serving? Do they see westernized medicine in any for as beneficial or do they want to stick to their traditional medical practices? I found myself defending this opportunity that I have to do something great and I fell in love with the idea of effecting a change in the way that we view the people and culture of Tamil Nadu or Chavadi. 

Friday, Jan 27 2012

I spent about an hour last night researching a new medical code, or document that I found to be very interesting. I stumbled upon it after following up on a comment made by rem. He wanted me to look into Ayurveda. Here is what I found.

After looking up the Wikipedia article I spent some time on the library's database searching for articles and sources for the Ayurveda and I came up with some interesting facts that might help with the thought process behind the type of research that I want to do.

The first thing I came across was a stat behind how many people practice the Ayurveda.

According to the Britannica Encyclopedia 80% of the Indian population practices the Ayurveda.

That seems like a very high percentage and some of the studies that have gone into the medical methodology seem to be ambiguous at best. I feel like if I were to parallel the use of modern medical perception next to a more traditional method and see what people do in regards the their health to stay health might be a good direction to go into for a more specific project.

Wednesday Jan 25 2012

I have been pretty enthralled by our Tamil class that takes place every Monday Wednesday after the prep course section. Venkat is our teachers name and he is really a great man. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning the basics of the language and the basics of his culture as well. In my opinion he is a great choice in an instructor due to his high desire to have each of understand everything. 

I find myself focusing to much on the logistics of what I am going to do this summer more than planning for the impact that I am expecting my self to make. This is due to my nature as a more pragmatic and logically based individual. I feel that I need to focus more of my time defining my research methods and out lining what it is that I want to do on the ground in Chavidi more so that how I will get there and live when I’m there.

Monday Jan 23 2012

Our last class with Ashley was where we did the group discussion based on the readings that we were to do had me thinking a lot based on the project Ideas and the validity of how our methods in the field would support out proposal on paper. I walked away with such a feeling of uncertainty. Most of what I want to do is very scientific by nature. I have to re-evaluate the direction that I want to take my proposed project idea.

Some of my thoughts include the following,

-As I move to focus on the medical perceptions of the people in the Tamil Nadu region, maybe I should include an analysis of an anthropological aspect of their understanding or interpretation/definition of preventative medicine.

-Maybe it would be wise to do some sort of data collection other than just a survey. When drawing lines between the criteria that I have outlined it might be better to use observations of the people in health oriented locations such as hospitals and clinics.

-It might be wise to also use other sources of medical attention to outline my work. Asking the locals what is their first line of medical attention or whom they trust for medical tips and advice might also be very telling as to their perceptions regarding medical attention.

Friday Jan 20 2012

Today as I was searching through Google looking for an article to analyze i came across some interesting facts about India. In lieu of the lesson that we had last week showing us where we should be staying I got curious as to the history of India and what some of the standards of living are right now in India. I was led to various websites in pursuit of a greater understanding of the area and the websites I came across ranged from www.indiaplease.in to wikipedia. I really enjoyed reading the wikipedia article surrounding the demographics of Coimbatore. Here is an excerpt from that article...

As per the 2001 census,[46] Coimbatore had a population of 1,250,446 within Municipal Corporation limits.[1][2][3] The 2011 census data for post-expansion city limits is not available and only the population of urban agglomeration is available - 2,151,466.[4] In the urban agglomeration, males constitute 50.08% of the population and females 49.92%. Coimbatore has an average literacy rate of 89.23%, higher than the national average of 74.04%. Male literacy is 93.17% and female literacy is 85.3% with 8.9% of the population under 6 years of age. The Sex ratio was 964 females per 1000 males.[4] In 2005, the crime rate in the city was 265.9 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.2% of all crimes reported in major cities in India. It ranked 21st among 35 major cities in India in the incidence of crimes.[47] In 2011, the population density in the city was 10,052 per km² (26,035 per mi²).[8]

The native language spoken in the Coimbatore city is mainly Kongu Tamil, a dialect of Tamil language. The city's population is predominantly Hindu, along with a sizable Muslim[48] population. Christians, Sikhs and Jains are also present in small numbers.[2][49][50] Coimbatore also has a large number of Malayalis,[51][52][53] mainly from Palakkad, Telugus[54] and North Indians,[55] mainly Gujaratis,[56] who are engaged in trade and commerce. During the 1970s the city witnessed a population explosion as a result of migration fueled by increased economic growth and job opportunities.[45][57] Around 33% of the city's population lives in slums.[31]

Some things that stand out to me from this article are first the relativity small size of the city of Coimbatore. As a point of reference, metropolitan Salt Lake City has a population of 1,124,000 people. New Delhi on the other hand has a population of more than 13 million, that’s more comparable to an LA or a Houston/Dallas TX conglomerate. The populations are outstanding.

Wikipedia also had an entire section on the Healthcare in Coimbatore. I will paste it at continuation but in the mean time it is interesting to note that the nearest large city to where we live, Salt Lake City is comparable in size and it will be interesting to compare and contrast the two healthcare systems that the cities have in place as well.

The size of the Coimbatore health care industry has been estimated as 1500 Crore (150 million) in 2010.[150] There are nearly 750 hospitals in and around Coimbatore with a capacity of 5000 beds.[151] The first health care centre in the city was started in 1909. In 1969, it was upgraded to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH). It is a government run hospital with a bed strength of 1020 and provides free health care.[152] Including the CMCH, corporation maintains 16 dispensaries and 2 maternity homes.[31] The city also has many large multi-facility private hospitals like the PSG Hospitals, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital(KMCH), KG Hospital, Coimbatore Kidney Centre, G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, Sheela Hospital, Kongunad Hospital, Gem Hospital, Ganga Hospital, Aravind Eye Hospital, Sankara Netralaya,Lotus Eye Hospital, Ashwin hospital, Vikram ENT hospital, Coimbatore Cancer Foundation, G.P.Hospital, Diabetes Care and Research Centre. The city is also a major centre for medical tourism.[150][153][154] The city remains the preferred healthcare destination for people from nearby districts and also from the neighbouring state of Kerala.[155]

I’m not sure but I would imagine that the number of Beds here in Salt Lake is fewer than what Coimbatore has. I feel that as I focus more and more on my topic I want to focus on the practice and methods practice in healthcare in India.

Wednesday Jan 18 2012

Since my last post a lot has developed on the path to India next summer. I finalized all of my paper work and yesterday Margaret informed me that I am officially accepeted into the program. This was no small feat. It took a lot of consideration and I feel more at peace now with my decision than ever before. It feels good to be commited and to know that there is no turning back.
Steve and I also took some of Margaret's advice and we have already been looking for flights to India. With such little time between now and then it has become imparitive that we start working towards a smooth transition. Flights are just a part of the big picture. We are also looking at the type of shadowing that we will be able to while over there. There is a huge disparage between the amount of work that needs be done and what we have done.
List of things to accomplish includes,
-199R
-Scholarship Application
-Prep Course Assignments
-Research Proposal
-Passport
That is to just name a few. It will be interesting to see how that list changes over the course of the semester.

Friday Jan 13 2012

The reason for this Blog is to track progress and thought processes on the road to the 2012 BYU India Field study that I will be going on this Spring and Summer Semester. As a student abroad I will be representing the University in carrying out a research project, which will be designed and carried along the way by me and a faculty mentor here at the school. I will use this Blog to track my thought process and to help me better associate myself with what it is that I want to do while abroad. 

The first thing that I recognize is that I am currently without a definite project idea. My first intention and the one thing that motivates me to want to carry out a research project is the desire that I have to reach the future goal of going to medical school and ultimately practicing medicine. I recognize that whatever kind of research I perform in India it must be based on the two following criteria,

1. I want to focus on helping people. This means that what ever type of research I end up doing, I want it to have meaning full impact on the people that will either use it in consideration of new or depend understandings of the people in Tamil Nadu. I want to carry out something that will ultimately help said individuals by increasing knowledge and understanding regarding their circumstances and place in life.

2. I want to have it focused in some way on something medical in nature. I plan on shadowing doctors and working closely with clinics in the region surrounding KG Chavadi. I know that defining something within these parameters might prove difficult at first but medicine is the overarching reason that I will use to guide my project while in the field.

This is my motivation and my drive comes from my sincere desire to do my best when attempting to serve those around me. 

Wednesday Jan 11 2012

This my first ever-official Blog post! Thank you BYU Field Study for this wonderful opportunity. I will be chronicling my progress in preparing to go to India next spring through the medium of this blog. I hope that anyone who might stumble upon it will be thoroughly pleased with what they find.

Good Luck!