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me into their hospital and quickly I became part of their Asia, Australia, and there’s always a lot to learn from
family of doctors. other schools and mostly from other cultures.

At TMH I was able to hone the skills in which I had been I will always keep with me the tricks and tips learned in
trained at medical school. In India I had the opportunity harvesting a fibula or other flaps, and why not at the last
to encounter, learn about, and treat a wide variety of year of residency I learned other ways for better suturing.
diseases: sarcomas big as a soccer ball (to have a very But the most important aspect of my professional
realistic idea) or more, last stage melanomas, large experience was the lovely atmosphere of hospitality and
ulcerations in the neck and cheek. Most of Indian kindness of people from the consultants to the residents,
population doesn’t know that it is a tumor: at the nurses and “chaiwalla”, the boys employed to serve
beginning they try to tolerate, then they pray to their masala chai (Indian tea). In Veda, the sacred Sanskrit
gods, they go to a guru, they use natural or ayurvedic tests, is written: “Your mother, your father, your teacher
methods and if all that fails they finally go to doctor for and your guest must be treated as God by you.”
a checkup.
Currently I am living in India with a goal to bridge my
Patients come from the villages from all across India and “western” experience with the expertise and knowledge
sleep outside the TMH; some wait a week to be seen I learned from my residency here. My hope is to educate
by a doctor. TMH is a hospital where different classes women on the breast reconstruction options that are
of people can still come and choose different levels of available to them.
comfort during their recovery, from the beautiful suites
to the common wards on the first floor with 30-40 beds. I will always be grateful to my professor for giving me
But all the patients in the operating room receive the such an amazing opportunity to improve myself not only
same human treatment. from the professional point stance but also from the
human, social, and personal stance. I went to India to
My life in India wasn’t only confined to TMH. I scheduled gain experience in my medical career and I gained that
one trip per month during the weekend: Goa, Agra (Taj and so much more.
Mahal), New Delhi, Kerala, Ajanta and Ellora, Rajasthan.
This gave me the opportunity to understand, and still As you can see, spending six months in India was not as
there’s a lot to learn, a millenary and fascinated culture, bad as most people would imagine.
made of colors, smiles, foods, traditions, gods, temples
and all the ancient world mixed today with the fast Namaskar.
and running progress that this developing country is
brilliantly facing. Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
This experience changed my way of thinking, reacting,
speaking, and living. I believe all residents should have an Conflicts of interest
experience abroad in places like Europe, South America, There are no conflicts of interest.

222 Plast Aesthet Res || Volume 3 || July 7, 2016