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I got to see western medicine work side by side with traditional medicine (Traditional Chinese Medicine) to provide holistic care to patients. Western medicine focuses on solving the immediate problem with a pill or procedure while eastern medicine sets different goals for the patient focusing on balance and harmony in their lives. These theories of medicine clash in the U.S. but there is a positive way to make them collaborate as in China. It was also amazing to see how politics and culture can influence the practice of medicine for example, the One Child Policy impacting the obstetrics field. China has many competing interests that vie with each other as the country steps up as a modern economic powerhouse. While holding on to an eastern identity, China is westernizing quickly. The medical problems of the country are rooted in these conflicts between a strong fisted Communist regime, traditional beliefs and a western influence. I also learned to make several traditional Chinese dishes and learned some basic Mandarin! Hung Hao.
The program allowed me to shadow in many medical fields including but not limited to Pediatrics, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Cardiology, Surgery, Oncology, Otolaryngology, PMR, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Neurology, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy. I now have a better clue about what field of medicine my interests are in. Also I have gained a respect for traditional medicine. I would like to be able to integrate a holistic approach to care in combination with western health care and rather than treat the problem, treat the patient. The advances of U.S. health care have made us focus on specific corporeal problems but we need to take a step back and consider that the best medicine is perhaps a change of lifestyle, diet, or social situation.
Andrea traveled with two other Feinberg students, Michelle Gentile and John Nazarian. Pictures display shots of: the Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing, cooking classes to learn traditional Chinese dishes, and cultural discoveries in China.
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