Testimonials
Feedback for the electives has always been very positive. Here is what some of the students had to say:
Anna Morris (Warwick Medical School, March 2008)
Thank you to everyone at the hospital, and the support staff, for their friendliness, teaching, advice, and willingness to spend time arranging activities of interest for us at very short notice.
Jennifer Morgan (Warwick Medical School, March 2008)
Thank you for such an amazing elective, so much more so than I was expecting!
Gaj Sivadhas (St George’s, University of London, January 2008)
This elective was brilliant. Loved the mix of clinical and community medicine. The location was ideal, serene, tranquil and very spiritual. The doctors here were very friendly knowledgeable and above all exceedingly helpful. They explained the patient’s problems to us and translated where necessary.
Bethan Davies (St. George’s, University of London, January 2008)
I’ve had a brilliant experience; everyone has been extremely friendly and welcoming and made my stay very enjoyable. It has been a unique opportunity to work with the Adivasis and learn about healthcare in a completely different context. I also especially enjoyed learning about the political and cultural aspects of the area and how ACCORD came to be founded.
Serena Sodha (UCL, January 2008)
The doctors have been really brilliant, not only teaching us extremely well, but also including us in social occasions like dinners at their house, pongal etc. which have been really lovely. I’m very sad to leave! The experience has surpassed my expectations and is one that I will remember always.
Georgia Belam (UCL, January 2008)
I’m certainly glad that you decided to run the MSE program. It’s a real privilege to be able to come and see this wonderful unique program and to see how the adivasis live.
Alice Knowles (Imperial School of Medicine, October 2007)
Wonderful food, amazing scenery, some of the most friendly people I have ever been lucky enough to spend time with, all this plus a fascinating insight into medicine in India and the world of the NGO. I had no idea that there were so many people out there who were so devoted to helping others. I wish I was back there now, I fully intend to visit again when I have completed my training.
Michael Partridge (University of Edinburgh College of Medicine, October 2007)
My five weeks in Gudalur could not have been better.
Anna Tilley (Imperial School of Medicine, October 2007)
I have had a wonderful elective here that has exceeded all my expectations. Thank you everyone!
Chris Campbell (Peninsular Medical School, September 2007)
In ASHWINI, they put together an excellent package, including teaching sessions, clinical skills sessions, out patient clinics, ward rounds, theatre sessions, field visits as well as fun things like a trip to a tea factory! However, the timetable is really flexible and you can do on-calls, audits etc. The week in Mysore was very good, we had lots of free time to explore Mysore in between visiting projects. Again, the accommodation is excellent and the food second to none! There is plenty of flexibility to travel before and after the elective, as well as at the weekends, we went to Jungle Retreat on safari and to Ooty (a large-ish town). I would strongly recommended this elective to anyone who wants a safe, well organised and enjoyable elective.
Luke Ferrari (King's College London School of Medicine, September 2007)
The teaching I received, formally and on ward rounds or in clinic was of the highest calibre and it was interesting to learn about, see and manage patients with conditions that are less common or not at all seen in the UK. Of the routine days, I most enjoyed the on-calls, as this was when I was responsible for managing patients and delivering babies: I delivered two healthy babies, a boy and a girl… For me, India was a great opportunity to experience the limitations of developing world medicine, both as a visitor to high altitude and as an observer of a wholly different culture. I know that my confidence in clinical medicine has improved, sometimes through necessity rather than choice, and I hope to carry this with me throughout my future training.
Colin Chu (University of Oxford Medical School, March 2007)
The hospital and the whole ACCORD project are both truly inspiring and it was fascinating to see just how health provision differed. The clinical skills of the doctors and the teaching we received was exceptional. It was essentially a month of one-on-one consultant teaching seeing some incredible cases, from TB to Ricketts, pyloric stenosis to hydrocephalus to unbelievably loud mitral stenosis...
Rebecca Phillips (Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Sept 2006)
The hospital didn’t have most of the equipment and even blood tests usually used in an outpatient clinic. I had to rely mainly on my history taking and clinical skills alone and I feel this greatly improved my clinical mind
Louise Shovel (UCL, Sept 2005)
The course content more than lived up to my expectations. I loved every second of my time here and I‘ve not only learned loads but also been lucky enough to meet probably the nicest bunch of people I shall ever meet…It was great the way we got shown how to do procedures and then got the chance to do it ourselves. We will now go back to England with a self confidence clinically that we haven’t had before. Field visits were great fun- they are one of the things that made this placement extra special.
Rebecca Hope (Aug 2005)
I felt this elective was truly the ‘holistic’ elective- where else would you cover not only a vast range of medicine and surgery but also public health, development, economics trade politics and a fair amount of cooking, music and massage thrown in for good measure!
Simon van Lieshout (University of Edinburgh College of Medicine, August 2005)
Everything I hoped for and far more- professors and consultants for teachers, opportunities to practise clinical skills, a good variety of cases.
Kevin O’Brien (Aug 2004)
In my opinion, GAH offers the broadest educational experience possible – from an introduction to Adivasi life, to the management of a hospital with limited resources, and from a crash course in the part played by global economics in healthcare to tasters of Indian cooking lessons and yoga. … Thanks a million for everything!