My name is Sarah Berry, and I am a junior studying General Engineering with an emphasis on pre-medical studies at the University of Mississippi, and this summer I was awarded the Freeman Internship Grant by my university and the Freeman Foundation. This competitive grant is given to students who are able to secure an internship within their fields of study in an Asian country. Upon being interviewed by the Shanghai General Hospital internship director, I was offered an intern position, and the Freeman Grant was able to cover the costs of travel and living expenses of my internship. On May 28, I attended the program orientation and began my first day at the hospital.
I chose to complete an internship at this hospital because I wanted a diverse perspective of the medical field. During my two month internship, I shadowed physicians in nine departments including: anesthesiology, gynecology, urology, traditional Chinese medicine, rehabilitation, the medical laboratory, pathology, and the International Medical Care Clinic. I hoped that learning about the cultural and economic differences between China and the United States would allow me to further understand how these factors relate to effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare systems in both countries as well as how these differences influencethe quality of healthcare provided to patients. My time in the hospital allowed me to develop this understanding and recognize that Chinese medical care is extremely efficient, and its high quality of care is reflected by the prestigious doctors』 work and patient interaction.
Another goal for my time in the hospital was to incorporate my academic knowledge with clinical practice while continuing to develop a greater understanding of cultural differences in regards to healthcare. While watching surgeries, doctors diagnosing patients,or even conference calls, I was able to broaden my knowledge of healthcare and reinforce my years of university education. The surgical procedures conducted and the overall approaches to patient care in China are very similar to American methods, yet China focuses more on efficiency and cost. By realizing these differences, I hope to bring this knowledge to my own practice when I become a doctor in the United States. In addition to learning more about how Chinese traditions influence physicians』 approach to patients and procedures, I was able to witness how culture shapes a doctor’s education and approach to public healthcare issues. For example, the United States faces an opioid crisis where many Americans are becoming addicted to prescription and nonprescription drugs as a result of the high availability of these drugs. Opioids are frequently prescribed to patients in the United States, and when there was an American patient in the international wing, I was able to experience the disagreement between the hospital staff and the patient on the appropriate dosage of pain medications. The cultural differences present in this situation made it difficult for the hospital staff to accommodate the patient’s wishes, and this also made the patient less willing the cooperate with the hospital staff. Despite the minor conflict, however, the hospital staff was able to provide the highest quality of care for the patient, and this instance related to cultural differences exemplifies how these differences may cause adisconnect between people, and therefore make healthcare more difficult to provide. As a doctor, understanding differences of culture is crucial to working in the medical field, hence why my experience in China has been beneficial to my future career.
My ability to visit the different departments within Shanghai General Hospital has also assisted me in finding aparticular field of medicine on which to focus and pursue. Because of this experience, I will continue to shadow physicians in the United States that workin the same fields as my interests, and I will be able to further develop my education specifically in those fields. In addition to this, my time indifferent departments has allowed me to experience how the role of each individual department contributes to the efficiency of the hospital as a whole. My internship at Shanghai General Hospital has expanded my knowledge in so many areas of the medical field, provided me with life-long connections and supportive people, and prepared me for my future in the medical field. Thank you to every one and every department that made my experience amazing. I hope to return to China soon!