have on developing physicians. She was determined to make
the student’s dream of going beyond borders a reality. She
coordinated all the complex logistics for the 18-day trip and
then accompanied nine medical students.
They spent three days in remote villages in conjunction with
the NICE Foundation, a nonprofit that provides health care to
underprivileged mothers, children and newborns through on-site
treatment. They participated in the school health program in
which physicians go into the schools to directly provide care.
“Seeing firsthand how medicine is practiced in remote villages,
we were able to see the high impact that education can have,
and how, over time, they’re changing mortality outcomes,”
Dr. Alikhan explains.
During their journey, the students observed hand surgery on a
leprosy patient and toured a leprosy rehabilitation home, visited
an HIV hospital, spent an evening in a charity clinic, and worked
with local medical students and residents in a teaching hospital.
“This was an inspiring journey that will shape the students’
careers,” Dr. Alikhan believes. “They gained a greater
appreciation for the health care services we have but also learned
that there are things we can glean from the experience as we try
to serve our own underserved areas, like South Texas.” Because
of her understanding of Indian culture and Western medicine,
she taught the students context and perspective for the
challenges faced by a nation trying to provide health care at a
ratio of more than 1,700-to-1 (patients-to-health care providers).
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