"Whatever You Like"

As we get to know the hospital better and better, Donna and I have sort of realized our roles. Essentially, we have the freedom to do whatever we like (aside from actually treating patients). Our badges let us go anywhere, look at any medical records we like, and interact with all the patients and doctors. Patient confidentiality in India isn't nearly as big a deal as it is in the United States.

Our job description is limited to "Observer," which means that we spend a lot of time watching surgeries and clinics. However, that only goes so far before we start to get bored of this. Thus, we decided to start taking a more active role in what we do. Instead of simply observing, we decided t start working on our research project. We started flipping through medical records (which are at our disposal--no questions asked), and then went up to the library to further our search of a decent topic. While we're still not sure what we'll end up doing, we will probably end up focusing on something unique to India or specific to India.

The lack of patient privacy laws here in India is, I believe, indicative of a larger sentiment among Indians. India is simply not a very individual country. There is simply not the idea of "rights" in the same way as there is in the United States. If you're the sort of person who values your personal space, India would feel claustrophobic. There are simply people everywhere. Because of that, I think Indians sort of take the presence of other people (even complete strangers) for granted. Thus, I can walk into an exam room and the patient barely gives me a second glance (and even then, it's probably more because I'm white than anything else). For Indians, privacy just isn't an option, because there are just too many people living too close together.

It would be interesting to see how this translates into the Indian feeling of self-worth and individuality. In a country where marriages are still often arranged, your caste determines your lot in life, and your next door neighbor probably sleeps about 10 feet away, where do you find the drive and motivation to find the "Indian dream?" Quite frankly, it just isn't there in the same way.

We're finding the different ways that the Indian and American cultures differ, and I think a lot of that boils down to the fact to the vast number of people in India. Because Hinduism, practiced by four out of five Indians, is a very accepting religion, there seems to be an implicit trust of strangers, which seems to simply manifest itself as indifference. Because of that, Donna and I can walk in and out of an examination room without any formal introductions with anyone. No one minds. Likewise, we're free to walk into any operating room and watch the operation going on there. The rigid structures we're used to in the United States simply don't exist here, and it's going to take quite a bit of getting used to!