International Issues: On the localization of saintly neurology: A neurology elective in India

Abstract

Armed with the knowledge that I had passed my Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery examinations, I left for my elective in neurology in India. Little did I know that the next 10 weeks would be some of the most inspirational weeks of my medical training. I landed in the lush modern utopia of Chandigarh (figure 1), the capital of the 2 states Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh displays meticulous urban planning with Le Corbusier's sectorial design. It was also the first Indian city to become smoke-free in public places. I visited Shri Nek Chand's Rock Garden (figure 2) on my first day; a remarkable 18-acre space devoid of flowers but full, instead, of sculptures made from recycled bric-a-brac. The innovative, yet humble, Shri Nek Chand is a radical: he was recycling on a large scale in the late 1950s, well before the wheely-bin culture took off in the West. Figure 1 Chadigarh's welcome: The open hand monument Figure 2 Shri Nek Chand's Rock Garden: Dolls made from recycled bangles My medical experience began with wearing my hitherto unused long-sleeved white coat, banned in the United Kingdom, owing to the bare-below-the-elbows infection-control policy practiced there. I am now able to appreciate my course tutors' comments of how useful the coat pockets are for keeping medical equipment, pocket textbooks, and jottings. I shall miss wearing the coat, which was cleaned regularly, and allowed for easy identification of the doctor among the mass of patients. The neurology department at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER, colloquially called “The Pig” by the residents) comprises only 5 consultants, about 20 senior residents (sitting the DM examination in neurology), and a handful of junior residents (sitting the MD examination in Internal Medicine). PGIMER has recently published the largest series of patients with ophthalmoplegic migraine in the world literature1 and their Molecular Laboratory has published encouraging results on the herb, Bhrami, purported to be …