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The New York City Hospital Setting

Good Essays

In the New York City hospital setting, you will encounter many individuals of Indian

descent as both health care providers and patients. Being knowledgeable and sensitive to cultural

differences will assist health care providers in delivering exemplary care. According to the U.S.

Census, India is the second most populous country in the world with 1.2 billion people. Many

expatriates now call the United States of America home. Needless to say, cultural differences

exist within so many people. Accurately describing all these norms and unique social practices

would be nearly impossible. However, learning that diversity exists and respect should be

forthcoming. “Diversity has long been viewed as a tool to enhance education, and research has

shown that thoughtful, strategic diversity efforts can lead to improved cognitive and social

outcomes among students.” (AAMC, 9). The goal here is to inform as much as possible by using

generalizations. These generalizations should not be applied to all people of Indian descent;

rather it should be used as a guideline that one may use to address cultural differences within the

Indian community. As stated by Dr. Abbato, “However, it should be noted that people do

not fit into a pre-determined cultural box or stereotype, and there are certain risks in

summarizing particular cultural issues and belief systems. (Abbato, 1)”

To fully understand Indian culture and customs, India’s long history is used as a

foundation.

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