Jeannie Banh | Elizabeth Duong | Andra Fee | Cayl Garrett | Uyen Hoang | Diana Le | Shannon Liu | Bao Nguyen | Sean O'Shea | Jamie Roper | Annu Sharma | Brian Tran
I want to perfect my level of medical Vietnamese, and learn more about the culture from which I come. I hope to gain greater insight on medicine, and interact with patients. I don't know what medicine is like in Vietnam, and I would like to help build a better health community, and educated those in need. I've also never had experience in Asia before, and I think it would be a very good way to touch back to my roots. However, my primary reason is to help the underserved people in Vietnam, so they can have better opportunities and chances for a brighter future.
I am 24 years old and I have never visited the country from where my roots lay. Growing up in America, I have heard countless stories from my parents and family members of their childhood stories, the beautiful landscapes, and hardships they encountered. I would love to be able to experience all the things that have been described to me and more first hand. In addition, I would be able to observe and learn about healthcare in Vietnam. I would have the opportunity not only for my own benefit but, I would have the chance to help and meet others.
A semester abroad in college taught me that the world is much larger than the small social circle that up until that time had held me and defined me. A visit to Viet Nam has the opportunity to once again enlarge my circle of family and help me to see medicine in a broader, social context. I'm currently a first year student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and hope to pursue a career in family and sports medicine.
Coming from a Vietnamese decent, I have already be exposed to the culture as well as been to Vietnam a couple of times. I would like to participate in this mission to help the patients in Vietnam medically but also try to advocate the medical concerns and preventions that could be taken to ensure their health. I am also interested in learning about the medical issues that are currently present within the country as well as the different ways the physicians practice and handle their patients. I also want to come in contact with the patients there and understand how the medical issues affect their lives as well as their health. I am interested in the way the hospital, or medical centers are run and the different aspects of the medical staff. I am already familiar with the Vietnamese culture, but I hope to learn more about the culture if possible.
I want to learn how medicine is practiced outside of the US. Medicine is an organic process that requires the medical caregiver to change his approach with every new patient. Therefore, a medical caregiver must work differently in a different country, where the different culture means a difference in patients' wishes and concerns, and a difference in medical resources will mean a difference in how patients may be treated. Observing how doctors treat patients in Vietnam and being involved in a patient's medical care will help me work with people of different backgrounds in the future.
This past summer, I attended a study abroad program in Western Europe, in which we learned about HIV/AIDS and the various health care systems in Denmark, UK, Netherlands, and Spain. It was my first time leaving the country by myself and a very eye-opening experience in which I learned a great deal, not only about myself but also the world I live in (and the world outside of what I know). I came to the realization that outside of my own realm at home, the world is enormous! My own problems, the issues I feel are pertinent in my own life suddenly seemed much more trivial as I explored all of these new countries with my new classmates. I am positive this trip to Vietnam would yield a cultural expansion as I will be immersed in Vietnamese society.
In addition to my desire to learn about Vietnamese way of life, I want to gain experience with various types of patients. The HIV/AIDS target groups I met last summer seemed so far out of my comfort zone. These were homosexual men, injection drug users, and prostitutes. Before last summer, HIV/AIDS and their target groups were only vague ideas that I had heard about but never had any contact with. Seeing such a wide variety of people and patients made me realize that when a physician treats a patient, treating the disease and symptoms is only a small piece of the puzzle. There is a large humanistic factor in treating patients, as one of the most important things is to understand where the patient is coming from and what their background and upbringing are, as it often pertains to their medical diagnoses. If I am selected to attend to medical mission, I will utilize the opportunity to learn about the cultural upbringing of patients, talk with patients, and all with the goal of understanding how cultural upbringing affects diagnoses.
I want to participate because I know my heart and obligation belongs where it is needed the most; where people are suffering from poverty, sickness, and malnutrition. Also, Vietnam is my origin and I find it an equal responsibility to help the country. Not everyone has equal affordable healthcare, therefore it is up to others to compensate for the peoples' needs.
I would like to learn more about Vietnam's healthcare system and feel proficient in an environment where people are less fortunate. I also wish to experience in carrying out a Medical Mission, since it is one of my goals to provide medical aid to unhealthy countries. I want to learn from doctors as well as the patience and grasp the doctor/patient relationship that is established despite them being strangers.
I want to participate in this mission to be immersed in another culture while learning clinical skills. I look forward to learning and developing techniques for communication across the language barrier. I think participation in this mission will help me gain another perspective of what it is to practice medicine. I want to learn about another country's medical system and how they achieve their goals with the means that they have. I also hope to learn about the culture and people of Vietnam. Upon entering an osteopathic medical school I was told, even without medical tools you will always have your hands. I want to see how medicine is practiced without all the newest technology, tools and access to medicines found in the United States.
There are many reasons I would like to go to Vietnam. First, I find helping other people very fulfilling. Secondly, I love traveling and exploring new places and cultures. Lastly, I would like the opportunity to practice many of the skills I will acquire over my first year of medical school. Going to Vietnam will allow me to feel the satisfaction of helping others, while providing the opportunity to experience another culture and explore a new part of the world. In addition, I will be able practice my current medical skills and develop many more skills.
Two years ago, I volunteered for a period of time at a shelter clinic in downtown Baltimore. There, I discovered a passion to serve those who lacked basic care and attention to their health and lifestyle. This mission to Viet Nam is very similar in that it primarily involves providing great attention to communities who do not have adequate access to basic medical supplies and healthcare education. I am intrigued by the continuous collaboration of professionals and students in making a positive change to the unfortunate situation faced by these communities.
In addition, I want to gain exposure and understanding of the joys and challenges of an unfamiliar environment by learning and adapting to the culture. This mission reflects my ultimate desire to practice in underserved communities, and I look forward to gain the experience while training in medicine as a student.
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