During our elective a typical day commenced with a church meeting at 8am. The service was conducted in Tamil, the local language, and attended by VTC students and all staff. Despite being unable to understand, we thoroughly enjoyed this start to the day and could really feel God working in Vada. 

An action-packed time table meant that we spent time in each of the hospital departments and were able to experience the multi-disciplinary care that is essential in the effective management of the disease. Leprosy is a condition was is virtually unheard-of in the UK and therefore not covered in our undergraduate curriculum.
 

We were able to see many patients at all stages of the leprosy disease spectrum, from the initial diagnosis to the management of complications such as ulcers, deformities, reactions and blindness. We valued the opportunity to take skin smears and diagnose Leprosy ourselves using laboratory microscopic techniques - a skill which doctors do not experience in the UK.  We gained an insight into the devastating social stigma associated with the condition and witnessed varying reactions to the diagnosis by sufferers, their families and the local community.

We enjoyed participating in ward rounds and contributing to patient care through the daily dressing of ulcers which were much more severe than those we had treated at home, commonly affecting muscle and even bone. We can safely say that returning from India we are much less squeamish!

We have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the TLM community at Vada. The placement provided more than just valuable clinical understanding. We were welcomed into a culture which we had never experienced before and have gained many lifelong memories. 

We have enjoyed completing our elective with a Christian organization in the developing world and have gained insight into life as a doctor working in a mission hospital.