staying alive to stay involved

This class has been highly didactic for me. I had no idea how complex the health care system is in the US untill I took this class. Being a physician in my country, I always understood how medicine is practised, but had no idea how healthcare is delivered. Right from how a bill comes into the making, to how it becomes a health policy this class has been very interesting. I particularly enjoyed the class discussions and our visit to LA Care. I have been reading the news with more comprehension of what they say . I think I am more critical now in evaluating the current policies being envisioned. It was very easy to critisice our current health care system with half baked knowledge of its functionong. Now I can truly understand the intricacies with a keener eye.

The US being such a diverse nation, no doubt the task of health care reform is huge and each one of us has a role to play. We can truly be a part of this change and YES WE CAN only if we understand the challenges we face. Educating others and helping them understand how our system works, lobbying for universal health care and actively participating in grass root level efforts are going to be my means to contribution. And lastly keeping abreast of the literature has to keep pace with any realistic effort.