Going to another country or region of the world can open one's eyes to the tremendous impact of culture on the understanding and practices of healthcare that seem so common in other areas. of the world. When a person lives in one country all their life, they may not realize how different their life is from that of a person living in a foreign country. If a person is to receive treatment from someone from a different culture, they should be expected to receive treatment that respects their own culture. The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, which has such a diverse student body, has its own definition of cultural competence which states "communicate effectively and comfortably across cultures with patients from different backgrounds, considering aspects of trust in order to adopt mutually acceptable objectives and measures. ". In the book Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa by Katherine Dettwyler, questions of culture and health are very present. Katherine Dettwyler herself traveled to West Africa as an anthropologist and her horizons broadened when, during her research, she came into contact with the impact of culture on health care and daily life. Some cultural differences may not seem like a barrier. but within a country, language can make or break a relationship. In Mali, where all of Katherine Dettwyler's research takes place, language is very important to them. Malians instantly believe that any toubabou, a white person, can only speak in English, which quickly surprised them when they discovered that the Dettwylers in fact know how to speak Bambara, their mother tongue. Being able to speak their language made it easier...... middle of paper ...... becoming malnourished. Topics related to medicine are influenced by culture in all parts of the world due to the great cultural diversity. Being narrow-minded and not being able to consider a situation from another person's point of view can interfere with many life situations. Culture varies from person to person, from province to province and from country to country. It's important to be adaptable so you can make adjustments to things like healthcare to fit someone because of their culture. Cultural differences will be apparent in all hospital settings, regardless of where you travel, so being aware of them will go a long way to ensuring that treatment is carried out correctly and with cultural competence. Although health care may seem like the most important time when culture is sensitive, as Dettwyler finds during his time in Mali, culture affects all aspects of life..