Medics on a High
David Peberdy (99-09) on an unforgettable work experience in the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’.
Above: Punakha Dzong Below: Outside the Tradtional Medicine Hospital in Thimphu
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n March and April I was on my medical elective, a period of time towards the end of medical school when students are encouraged to go abroad and gain work experience.
I chose a country that the world and I didn’t know too much about – Bhutan. I’m not sure I can blame Mr Newman (00-04), my Geography teacher, for not knowing much about this inconspicuous country. Although for a small country it has some international accolades to its name. Most notably the use of Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH) instead of GDP as a marker of growth. I think I learned about this concept the same day Mr Scott (05-11) taught us about the Big Mac Index in Economics. GDH is tied in with the country’s strong Buddhist roots – the dominant religion in Bhutan. Famously it was the last country in the world to introduce TV (1999) and, as far as I’m aware, is the only country that is a net carbon sink and has, as part of its constitution, a commitment to keep over 60% of the country forested for all time. Add to this, the name ‘Kingdom of Bhutan’, or if talking to Buddhists, ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’, the country takes on a mysterious quality which makes it a very appealing place to go. The clinching factor in my decision to go was the relationship between
