India Study Abroad

Introduction to Traditional Medicine

Introduction

This program is offered to students with an interest in traditional medicine. The program explores ancient Indian methods for healing and maintaining good health. These include yoga, meditation, “drugless” treatments through alteration of diet and lifestyle incorporating mind and body systems.

The philosophy of most of these systems is based on healing the entire body and mind through yoga, meditation, simple natural treatments and controlled vegetarian diet. The program requires a degree of commitment to learning about traditional medicine as it involves changes in diet and lifestyle which can take time to get used to.

Students learn yoga, meditation, shadow doctors in the outpatient clinics and observe the treatments such as hydro therapy, massages, and panchkarma (a detoxification technique in Ayurveda.)

Program Overview

Application Fee	$45.
On Acceptance:	On acceptance: $900 for 2 weeks and $200 for each additional week.
How long can I come for?	2 weeks only. Can be combined with "Clinical Rotation in Mumbai" or "Rural Health Program" for full traditional and allopathic medical experience.
Items included?	Pre-departure orientation and support, airport pickup, transport to placement, work support and monitoring, 24 hour emergency support, personal cellular phone.
Items not included?	Daily local transportation. Air ticket to India, visa fees and any travel insurance will be the responsibility of the student. Airport drop at the end of the program.
Accommodation	All included. On sharing basis in volunteer guest house.
Meals	All meals included. (Vegetarian Indian cuisine)
Activities	Daily yoga, meditation, lectures, shadowing doctors to learn about traditional remedies, and observing treatments being administered to the patients.
Eligibility

Program Details

A typical day begins with yoga and meditation. Students attend all yoga and meditation sessions. The rest of the day is spent in OPD, lectures and observing treatment methods of hospital inpatients. Students observe the different treatments offered to patients. Patients come here for treatment of various diseases like heart disease, arthritis, asthma, digestive disorders, hypertension and some forms of heart diseases, diabetes mellitus, skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis, obesity and various gynecological diseases. All ailments are managed by simple procedures and diet control and Ayurvedic treatments.

What do I do on the program?

Sample Schedule for the day:

7:15 Yoga

8:30 Breakfast

10:00 Meditation (minimum 3 days)

11:00 Lecture (lots of possibilities please see notes below on video lectures)

1:00 Lunch

2:00 to 5:00 OPD with doctors

5:00 Tea

7:00 Evening meditation

8:30 Dinner

Free Time

(Thursdays Closed)

NOTE: There are lots of video lectures that can be scheduled for students: (Lectures are supported by question answer sessions with relevant persons)

Also time to be arranged for an introduction to following departments:

- Pharmacy to see manufacture, packaging of medicines

- Medicinal garden

- Patient case histories and profiles for students to go through to understand treatment options/methods/duration in detail.

Student Project: We encourage all students to take on a short project. This can be decided on arrival once the student is settled into the daily schedule and familiar with all activities.

Where is the program located?

The program is spread across several rural locations outside the city of Mumbai. Locations include Pen, Lonavala, Kamshet, Malvali and Karla. All these are located between Mumbai and Pune which are two major metropolitan areas. The settings are idyllic with hills, valleys, historic sites, Buddhist caves, lakes, dams and popular trekking routes. Most of these areas are conveniently located and well connected with Mumbai, Pune and Goa.

Where in India do I arrive?

*Please book your flight to arrive into Mumbai international airport.

Who can participate?

This program is ideal for pre-medical, medical, nursing, naturopathic and osteopathic students and other allied health professionals. Individuals interested in Nature Cure and traditional medicine systems are also welcome. Individual or groups of students can apply.

No prior experience or other training required. Participants must be over 18 years of age easygoing and flexible. Students must be open minded, willing to take initiative to contribute and learn from their environment and be respectful to their surroundings.

The students should be able to adjust to inconveniences caused due to disturbances in power supply and water. Students need to respect the local beliefs and norms of the community they stay with and be careful not to disturb others in any manner. Everyone on the program must follow the diet, yoga and other activities as listed on the schedule. The changes in diet and lifestyle take at least a few days to get used to.