Homework for India? Yes.

So my pre-depature all-day orientation is coming up this Saturday, August 20th, and believe it or not I had some homework that had to be done and was due last night. I had to answer questions about Pop culture, politics and issues regarding the country of India and the people who inhabit the 3.29 million square km chunk of land. The country is 1/3 the size of the US, but has 3 times as many people....What am I getting myself into?

Background Information and some straight-up fun facts!

a) Population

1,189,172,906

b) Geographic Area sq. km

1,147,949 square miles (3.29 sq. km)

c) People per sq. mile

954 per mile

d) Country Code (Phone)

+91

e) Electric Voltage

240 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second

f) Exchange Rate

1 US dollar to 45.36 rupees

g) Emergency number to call (i.e. 911)

100

h) Time zones away from home

12-14

i) Main Cultural Groups

Ethnic Make-up: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)

j) Main Religions

Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5%

a) Year of Independence

August 15, 1947

b) Type of government

Federal constitutional republic.

Characterized as a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic.

c) Current Ruling Party

 Indian National Congress and  Bharatiya Janata Party and

d) Head of Government

Prime minister Manmohan Singh

e) Head of State (if applicable)

Pratibha Devisingh Patil of the Indian National Congress

f) Top Domestic Issues

Overpopulation

Pollution.

Poverty.

Newly developed domestic policy:  "Agenda for a Proud, Prosperous India." The main thrust of this program lies in speeding up economic reforms. The economic initiatives include privatization, financial reforms, encouraging foreign investment, and liberalizing trade restrictions.

g) Top International Issues

India has formal diplomatic relations with most nations.

h) Next Election Date

Presidential election- 2012

General elections-2014

i) Major Political Parties

India has a multi-party system with a predominance of small regional parties. Some examples include, Indian National Congress, Bhartiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Communist Party of India

POP CULTURE

a) Popular Sports

Field Hockey is the official national sport in India, but cricket is the most popular. Other popular  sports include chess, badminton, field hockey, tennis, association football and golf.

b) Popular/Local Teams

India has eight gold medals in Field Hockey

Cricket:

The Indian cricket sports team

Football:

East Bengal Club and Mohum Bagan AC

c) Local Celebrities

Bollywood superstars:

Current examples, Gracy Singh, Kajol, Marnta, and Shamita Shetty

Favorite celebrity couple- Kajol and Ajay Devgan

I hope you enjoyed that, you learn something new everyday!

I was also asked to answer a few more questions about my goals, american vs. cross-cultural patterns among other things that will better prepare me for my three month journey to India.

Even though I laughed at the idea of having to do homework, I am glad I did. After rummaging through website after website I know I learned even more than I already did through this assignment. 

Who knew cricket could be so exciting?

I'll report again soon,

Shelane

Headlining Youth and Epilepsy "success stories" website!!

Happy Monday all!

A new week, a new post and some pretty exciting news!

I found out a few weeks ago that I would be headlining a new website the Epilepsy Foundation of America would be launching early August. Well, the time has come-- the website just launched and as expected it is a picture of ME! How cool is that.... and to top it off, pretty soon I will be debuting my life story/ success story on the website. It is not up yet,  so make sure to check back later and read my story. It is an honor to be a apart of this launch, I have been a representative for the Northwest division of the Epilepsy foundation since last year; and this surprise has only escalated my passion for the program that much further.


Basically I am famous--- okay not really....

Youth and Epilepsy 

Feel free to check out the main webpage to learn more about Epilepsy and the every day struggles and success of millions of americans battling Epilepsy!


Photo credit to the wonderful Tiffany of MAMALOVE photography!

It is my first day trying to blog and I am already messing up. Cool.

So, after re-reading my first two posts I discovered I didn't actually explain what I am doing in India and why I am going there.

Most of you know all of the details already, but for those of you who don't...

October 1 2011- December 20, 2011 I will be in India for a once in a lifetime  medical Internship. I will be spending ten weeks in a country I have never been to practicing medicine and participating in two different 5-week clinical rotations. Really I am not sure what to expect, but I will do my best to give you a sample of my near future

The first stop Dehradun

In Dehradun I am doing traditional medicine rotations.  What better place than to open my eyes to non-western medicine than India. I can receive a bachelors of Science anywhere in America, but spending 5 weeks with professionals who are both medical doctors, and also accupressure/Reiki/aryuvedic masters can be found no where else but India. I have read about practicing yoga at dawn and dusk, and spending days studying naturopathy and homeopathy. I cant even imagine the wonderful things that are in store for me. My highest career aspiration includes opening an east meets west medical facility. I hope to use this experience to incorporate an open-minded western practice in my professional future.

Next stop Pune

The next and final five weeks I will be a part of child and maternal health rotations. Spending my days in an advanced medical facility specializing particularly in child and maternal health care. This is where I expect to get my hands dirty. From what I have been told this is where my experience interning in the OHSU emergency room and cadaver dissection skills AKA proper use of a bone saw, scalpel and needles for suturing will come in handy. The girl who went previously helped amputate a foot, and I hope I am as lucky!!! I have seen a live birth, but who knows maybe I will get to assist in one here. Keep you fingers crossed!

When it boils down to it, I honestly don't know what this whole experience has in store for me. What I do know is that I will be packing SEVERAL boxes of latex gloves, suturing needles, my stethoscope, and a heart full of adventure.

I don't think I have been more eager to do anything in my entire life. I just want to dive right in, be of assistance where and whenever I can, and most importantly, get my hands dirty!

August 20th is my official orientation so stay tuned for the juicy details...

T-minus two months

I'm sure I could type for hours, and still not touch on half of the thoughts that have been crossing my mind lately. Therefore the best place I can think to start will just be with some recent events.

Friday, the 29th I met the girl who I will be traveling with on my journey to India, her name is Taylor and to put it bluntly I am SO happy she is not weird! She is awesome, and I can already tell we are going to have a blast together. We may even have a little too much fun- she is outspoken, I am outspoken, she likes to shop, I like to shop... this could be an explosive mixture! YES, exactly what I was hoping for. However I have much more than corner street markets to be excited for, she is going to India for polar opposite reasoning. She is studying public health at Oregon State (yes, she is a beaver) and wants to gain experience in the public health and alternative medicine aspects of our journey. I expect it to be a huge learning experience for both of us. It will be nice to travel with someone who will be paying attention to, and mid-banking completely different details than I will. We sat down and chatted for a few hours and even with our different career goals and expectations from the program, we both recognize how much of an impact this internship will have on us, and our future aspirations. Overall we want the same awesome experiences- and I expect nothing less than that.

Fast forward 24 hours...

Saturday, the 30th was my official graduation party. It was a wonderful night filled with laughs, friends, 'special watermelon' and good times. I couldn't have asked for a better day, even if I did indulge in a little too much turkey and cake. Thank you to everyone who attended and even to those who couldn't make it.  I seriously cannot be more thankful for all the well-wishes. I have noticed the more I fixate on my graduation, and reflect on the past five years, completion is quickly becoming more of a reality. It is especially becoming more real with every passing "congratulations" and the ever so pressing question: "how does it feel to be done?" What is my answer to the question you ask.... well, technically I am not done because I have India to look forward to. Therefore, until I return on December 20, 2011 I am STILL a student who is living the dream one day at a time. 

So now its Monday, August 1 and crunch time begins, in T-minus EXACTLY 2 months I will be touching down in India, beginning my three month journey... WOW! I had a passport, but needless to say, through the numerous moves, vacations, and several required proof of identity times over the years-- it has been lost. Not good. So of course, now I am on the path to getting a new one, I shouldn't have any problems, but they don't make this easy. I am going to turn in the paperwork and get it expedited on Wednesday. I am not so worried I wont have it in time, but still not having it in my possession makes me slightly nervous. After I get it back in the mail (about 2-ish weeks), it is time to apply for my India visa, and then its time to PURCHASE MY AIRLINE TICKET!!!

As far as recent events goes-- that's about it.

Upcoming events-- so much more.

I will be heading down to Eugene to begin my vaccinations this Friday. After talking with so many people about side effects, regional prevalence, usefulness and my personal favorite, cost ($1700 total to be exact, if I get them all) I am still in the process of selecting which vaccinations are right for me. I am slightly torn on a lot of them.

Example: Japanese encephalitis

$750 for a three shot series

low prevalence in the areas I will primarily be in

vaccine side effects: none or myocarditis, nausea, vomiting, and peripheral neuropathy to name a few

disease symptoms: death, coma, seizures, permanent memory loss, brain damage

I certainly don't need any more brain issues....  so you see my dillema? 

For now though, I have a week to make up my mind, many more people to consult, and much more research to do. I will be sure to keep you updated about my decisions. 

That is all the randomness I have for now, as departure still seems so far away... 

-Shelane

The perfect way to start my new blog.

Shelane's University of Oregon Video Slideshow 2011


Lucky for me, my first post is easy. What better way to start my blog than with a video. This video compilations was put together by the amazing Tiffany of Mamalove Photography. She is a phenomenal artist of photography and editing! I spent several days with this lady while she took pictures of me, my graduation and my family. This is probably one of the best graduation presents I have received so far. A memento of my last few days of being a University of Oregon Student. It is kind of long but if you have the time, watch it or at least go through the pictures. The pictures get really fun towards the end. Latex gloves, anatomy labs, library adventures, and me playing Vogue: University of Oregon style basically.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!