Once in a lifetime experience in India

Being surrounded by the public health conditions in the United States, we are pretty familiar with our issues. We are a country with a rising obesity rate, new legal requirements to own health care, and we're falling in love with locally grown food.

But what would we see when we take a step outside our borders?
What about India?

The School of Public Health is offering a Study Abroad course to examine public health in India, and students will compare and contrast what they learn with the public health system of the United States. The trip takes place from Jan. 2 - Jan. 20, 2011, and there are financial aid opportunities available for undergraduate students. The deadline to apply is Oct. 7, but admission could fill up more quickly than that, so hurry! Learn more about the course itinerary, how to enroll, etc. here.

But to give you a more personal taste of what the course is like, The Healthy Turtle connected with five students who went on the trip last year. Over the next three days, we'll post a Q&A series, with a new question each day. Here's the first:

What were you most struck by in India?

"I think I was most struck by how beautiful everything was. I think I expected a very impoverished country with not a lot of things to be happy about. Now, I can only remember how beautiful the people and land were."

"I was most struck by the access we were given at every venue: public health centers, clinics, the homes of private citizens. This access, and interaction with Indian people on a much more personal level than just for travel commerce, allowed me to experience a much deeper level of connection with the country and it's people."

"The food was one of the most amazing things about the trip. Everything tasted so natural and fresh. Before going on the trip I thought I would have a hard time growing accustomed to the new style of food. Lets just say after my first bite, I never wanted to go back to American food."

"On my trip to India, I was most struck by the prevalence of sexual health awareness. As an Indian myself, I've always viewed my culture as somewhat reluctant to address issues like sexual health. And while some of that reluctance still remains ingrained in the culture, I was pleasantly surprised when we visited a rural home and the woman of the house said that she had an IUD."

"I think visiting India is so striking because it is a completely different culture and world there. It is unlike a lot of other frequently traveled countries, so you get a completely different experience. I think it is also an interesting place to visit because their lifestyle, health, religion and culture are so intertwined that when you study one you learn about all the factors."

Questions about the course? Check out the website, or e-mail Dr. Donna Howard or (301) 405-2520.