The main reason why I came to Santiago was because my study abroad organization has a program called the Clinical Observation Seminar. Since I'm one of those "maybe-I'll-just-go-pre-med-because-I-have-no-idea-what-else-I'd-do-with-my-life" students, I decided it'd probably be a good idea to observe some doctors and interact with patients before I do a full-blown commitment to med school (aka... a commitment to taking biochem and physics at Grinnell). Although I haven't yet made a definitive decision one way or the other, I've learned a lot about Chile's healthcare system and my own limits when it comes to doctor-y things. Like needles. Apparently they're not my best friend.
We started out the class with theory lectures about how private insurance and public healthcare works in Chile. There are basically two options: FONASA, the public insurance that is funded by taxes which 75% of the population is signed up for, and the ISAPRES, the private insurance an individual can buy based on their own health needs. Because of this system, and this is a huge generalization, the insured population is divided between the young, healthy, and rich that can afford Isapres and the old, sick, and poor that sign up for Fonasa. If you have Fonasa, you can only go to public hospitals and clinics unless you can pay for private centers, which boast low wait times for surgeries and better quality healthcare overall. Public hospitals suffer from a lack of resources and are often understaffed, sometimes leaving people waiting days in the emergency room and months for surgeries.
For the practical part of the seminar, we go in pairs to spend Thursdays with different medical centers. First, my partner and I went to a dialysis center where we learned about how the blood is filtered when the kidneys no longer function.We talked to many patients about their experiences with the clinic and about life in general. The day was going splendidly until the time came for one of the nurses to stop the dialysis for one of the patients. Standing by the machine and realizing that soon the nurse would be pulling out the needles from the mass of scarred veins and arteries made me... just a tad dizzy and nauseous. I thought I was just suffering from lack of sleep and dehydration (excuses?).
The next week, we visited the maternity ward. We changed out of street clothes and into scrubs (they are SO comfy!) so that we could observe some live births, an emergency surgery, and a C-section. We observed an anesthesiologist perform an epidural. Almost fainted. Then we observed some nurses working with a woman who was about to give birth. Almost fainted. At the end of the day, we observed a C-section. What happened? You guessed it. Almost fainted at the end of the surgery. I'm glad I know my body well enough so I can sit down as soon as I know it's getting bad... otherwise I would have become a patient instead of an observer! If this trend keeps up for my observations for a family clinic, emergency room, and a cardiac surgery, I think it'd be safe to say that I should pursue a career in medicine that doesn't involve being a doctor.
Apart from learning my physical inabilities when it comes to clinical work, I've learned a surprising amount about the Mapuche culture from the seminar. The Mapuche are the
largest remaining indigenous population in Chile; 85% of the indigenous
people are Mapuche. I've been learning a lot about them in many of my
classes; their religion in theology, their basic anthropological
information in Native Cultures, and how intercultural exchange occurs
with medicine in the seminar. We had the opportunity to visit a Mapuche "ruca", which is a hut in an
area about the size of half a block in Santiago where the Mapuche can
practice their
culture, festivals, and traditional medicine. Anyone can consult a
machi, the Mapuche healer, as an alternative to western medicine.
Learning from a professor and a machi (the mapuche healer) about the benefits of intercultural dialogue and practices has made me realize how valuable this experience has been for me as an individual potentially entering the medical field. A lot of people study medicine because they love science. You study ochem, physics, biochem, and learn about all the metabolic pathways and which drugs are used to treat which illnesses and how analgesics work in the brain to stop pain. What about sociology, psychology, and anthropology? What about understanding the various social, economic, and religious reasons for why people will seek healthcare for certain occasions? Often times these are added on as an afterthought and differing perspectives aren't fully understood and therefore are less respected. But the necessity of recognizing that not every individual operates under the western, scientific medical paradigm that dominates society and suffocates the system is SO important. Reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down in high school introduced this topic to me, and now I actually can apply it and see it in action. Study abroad kind of rocks.
Kind of rotating to a different topic/afterthought that's still a little relevant...
The discussion about the importance of intercultural dialogue and listening to other perspectives made me realize how much my internship this summer has prepared me for this trip. I spent the summer interning at the Christian Conference Center in Newton, IA, the place where I attended church camp for 10 summers. Being able to step back and grow in my faith and listen to other people's journeys was such a valuable experience looking back now.
I got much more involved in and passionate for my denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Being a disciple, to me, means being open-minded and recognizing the importance of listening to other perspectives on God and religion. Only through listening will you be able to expand your own knowledge about God and your role in the world. Reaffirming that my own point of view is one tiny sliver of the truth about God has been an important lesson I've learned and developed through this summer and this study abroad experience. I've learned more about how other people contribute to my life and how they add to my rich experience with God and the world around me. It's refreshing to understand that there is not one truth; rather, a messy but beautiful web of experiences and beliefs between people that form my faith in God.
Thanks for reading my hodge-podge thought pensieve. :)
Til later,
Chao!