Essay Winner:  Sarah Bonczyk

How does inter-cultural experience contribute to the development of a well-rounded world citizen?

           The concrete nature of science is what initially drew me to the field. I figured that, by definition, a fact should carry across cultures and that, for example, regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic status, a healthy heart will faithfully pump blood through its chambers in the same order. I thought the ubiquitous nature of science would make it easy to practice medicine in a variety of countries and thus I set out to become a physician. However, as an undergraduate, my cross-cultural experience in India through ELI quickly changed my preconceived notions and made me realize that, in fact, medicine and culture are inevitably and undeniably intertwined.

            I learned more about the importance of cultural sensitivity, especially in a healthy doctor-patient relationship, in the two months I spent as a medical volunteer in India than I ever thought possible. While shadowing at the Christian Mission Hospital in Madurai, my eyes were opened to how Indian culture directly determined not only what illnesses doctors saw everyday, but also influenced immensely how they treated them. I saw firsthand how cultural changes in India, such as a rising middle class with a more sedentary lifestyle, is currently catalyzing an alarming increase in diabetes across the sub-continent. Additionally, I saw how powerful family dynamics between a woman’s parents and her husband’s family could directly affect the medical care of her prematurely born child.

            Perhaps I had never really noticed the enormous role culture plays in medicine because I always saw medicine practiced in the United States in a way that was familiar to me. While constantly surrounded by my own culture, it became easy to ignore what was different. This particular inter-cultural experience beautifully demonstrated that even the concreteness of scientific fact cannot be held independent from cultural influence. Now, as a first-year medical student, I know my experience in India has helped me understand the importance of a patient’s culture and how it influences the doctor-patient relationship. For example, while in India, I noticed a difference in how patients and hospital staff interacted with me when I wore Western clothing versus when I made the effort to wear a sari. Their appreciation for my cultural understanding and attempted assimilation was so apparent that I quickly packed away my T-shirts and opted for Indian clothing every morning for rounds.

            In our increasingly globalized society, I challenge anybody to find a career that does not involve interactions with other cultures or ethnicities. I strongly believe that a well-rounded world citizen knows that an appreciation for culture and a desire to understand what is different can traverse any border. Furthermore, I believe that these attributes can only genuinely develop via firsthand experiences. Cross-cultural experiences, in particular, instill a level of understanding on how to interact with others that cannot be obtained without being immersed in a foreign culture, surrounded by different beliefs, different people, and different traditions. It is an invaluable education gained outside the classroom that carries benefits indefinitely into any field.

About Sarah

Sarah Bonczyk is currently a first-year medical student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Though she does not know what type of medical specialty she will pursue as a career, she is certain that it will involve working with underserved populations of the international community. Through her experiences in India and her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University as a human biology major, her passions for both foreign cultures and science were solidified. With this scholarship, Sarah hopes to continue her experiences in international medicine through ELI’s medical internship in Thailand program. “My international experiences have been invaluable to me. Not only have I learned important life lessons, but my photos and memories from India serve as a constant reminder as to why I chose to endure years of medical school. My past international adventures and those I hope to have in the future will forever be my source of motivation.”

Runners-Up

Arianne Battersby

Mehwish Zuberi