I have done this mission before, so I know exactly why I want to do it again. Simply is that it gives me satisfaction in what I work hard for in medical schools and years in medical training. Growing up in Vietnam, more than anyone else, I absolutely understand the healthcare disparities that Vietnamese people are facing, especially in rural areas. That’s why volunteer medical services are highly appreciated and valued there. I can’t say enough how it is honorable for me to be able to come back Vietnam and again offer my love of medical services to people who need it.

Going on the mission trip, I want to learn about the healthcare hardship that developing countries facing today and how an ordinary citizen there deals with this healthcare shortage. Besides that, I want to see the types of diseases or illnesses most common in the developing country and its approach to preventive medicine. Also, culture plays a big role in defining medical practice, so I think it will be very interesting to see different aspects of modern medicine in the context of Vietnamese culture.

This particular mission is special to me because it will take me back to my home country. Since I left at a young age, I feel that there is still so much to the Vietnamese culture that I have to learn. Thus this will be an opportunity for me to deepen my understanding of the Vietnamese culture. Furthermore, the severe shortage of medical resources there beckons me to offer something as a way to give back. This is also an opportunity to collaborate with other healthcare professionals and to practice pharmacy in a different setting. I believe this will be a valuable experience for my future career in international public health.

I would like to participate in this program because I believe that missions like this one can make a tremendous difference in someone's life. I strongly believe that some health problems can be prevented solely with proper education and that is one of the main goals of this mission. My knowledge and familiarity with the Vietnamese language and culture would be a great asset in bridging the communication divide. I hope that this experience improves my ability in understanding and addressing people's medical concerns. Mainly, I would be incredibly proud to assist others from my home country.

The journey through medical school is definitely a daunting task. The long hours of study and seclusion have the potential to foster a narrow view of disease and healthcare within students. I wish to participate in this mission to gain a different perspective on and approach to health care delivery and practice. As a future health provider, it is important to know about health care in other countries. The sharing of wisdom and knowledge will only serve to strengthen the medical community as a whole. The fact that this trip is to Vietnam is simply a plus because I have for quite some time been interested in the country and the culture there. While growing up in Sacramento, California I spent over 5 years in a Vietnamese Saturday program immersed in the culture and surrounded by many young Vietnamese American students whom I shared and learned a great deal from. On this mission I would expect to learn a great deal. I want to experience the culture first hand and increase my medical knowledge through the sharing of ideals with the native students and physicians. In addition, I hope to be a positive influence on those around me, to share my views and beliefs, and to leave those I meet and the places I visit in a better state than when I arrived.

In general, I believe that every medical student should have the opportunity to travel abroad for a medical mission such as this one. Having a chance to connect with a local community and learn how to provide feasible, culturally responsible medical care is an essential part of one’s education. I would like to participate in VNMAP in order to work in the rural villages that have been described by the team and interact with a patient population that I want to continue to assist as my career progresses. This mission offers me the chance to further hone my medical examination skills and to experience treating diseases that are unique to the region of Southeast Asia. I believe that VNMAP offers excellent medical assistance in a much underserved area and I would love the chance to be apart of the difference being made.

I have been incredibly blessed to have grown up in the U.S. where people have access to medical care and insurance on a regular basis. Whenever I have been sick, I have been able to receive the best medical care. Additionally, I have only seen medicine from the standpoint of being able to use the latest technologies available for diagnosis and treatments and want to use this opportunity to learn how medicine is practiced in an area where these technologies are unavailable. I have had the opportunity to volunteer in the Philadelphia community and interact with people who have little medical care. Seeing their appreciation to those who take the time out to explain how to deal with issues related to their health is the most rewarding feeling I’ve personally experienced. I want to continue this work abroad in Viet Nam where there are people who have less than I do medically in the United States and experience the joy of helping those who need medical care the most. I want to use this opportunity to use my gifts to help those who need health care the most. I want to use this opportunity to improve my medical and communication skills as a physician while making a difference in the lives of people. Additionally, I want to learn about the Vietnamese culture, experience the challenges of adapting to a different culture and to learn about a health care system outside the United States. I feel as a future physician, it is important to understand other cultures and how medicine can be adapted to the needs of the patient depending on the culture and the opportunity to go to Vietnam will provide an invaluable experience for me.

I believe the best and most exciting way to learn and expand my capacity to serve and act upon compassion is to go beyond comfort zones and delve into new situations with an open mind. Keeping in mind the Vietnamese people who comprise part of the immigrant populations in the US, I hope to learn and experience the Vietnamese culture and the health care system to gain insight that will enable me to become a better humanist-physician. One of the main attractants to medicine for me is the opportunity to work in teams composed of diverse individuals and experts in various contexts. I am excited to serve, encourage, and be challenged by other team members of VNMAP. It’s always invigorating and humbling to serve and grow along with people who share a common goal and conviction of providing health care and service. I also aim to further develop as a medical student, gaining direct experience in the field while acquiring, practicing, and honing skills and knowledge. I have training in CPR, HIPAA, and First Aids education as well as a resilient spirit that are ready to be utilized. Most of all, I’m most eager to meet the Vietnamese in their home communities and beautiful country!

One of my future plans is to work around the world, specifically in underdeveloped countries, to provide medical assistance. About six years ago, I traveled to Vietnam with my family for the first time ever. During the trip, I met a lot of memorable people and learned about the history and lifestyle of Vietnam and its people. Learning is always a good experience even though the things you learn are not as positive. This trip opened my eyes to reality, to the fact that the world I live in is not the only kind of life, but that there are people who do not have the same opportunities and benefits that I do. When I saw these people in their condition and the lack of medical services they had, I made a vow to one day soon come back to provide the Vietnamese people with whatever medical attention I could give. The Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program would give me this opportunity to fulfill my vow as well as start my future goal. From this experience, I hope to learn how I might better contribute my time and work to better serve those in need. Most importantly, I wish to meet people of different cultures, such as fellow volunteers, as well as meeting the people of Vietnam and hearing their life stories.

Going on a medical mission to Vietnam is something that I have strived to do since beginning of my college career. Being Vietnamese, I feel that being able to serve and help my own people would be one of the most rewarding things I could do. This summer, I had the opportunity to return to Vietnam for the first time in nine years and found that the country was rapidly developing. At the same time, I realized that many of these people were living in poverty; lacking health care, food and other essential elements that they needed to survive. I can only imagine that this must be worse in rural areas, where access to hospitals and healthcare facilities are limited. I feel that it is my responsibility to help these people and by participating in this mission, it will give me the chance to help my fellow Vietnamese, learn how to interact with patients, and have the opportunity to learn and experience firsthand what medicine is like in practice.

I have known some members of VNMAP and was invited to be an MC for the fundraising banquet for VNMAP in March 2008. VNMAP has helped the poor in Vietnam improve their health and build a better life for themselves and their families as well as given opportunities to professionals and volunteers from the US to exchange cultural values. I like the program very much and wish to make some contributions to its noble goals.

I would make a good volunteer, translating Vietnamese to English and vice versa, explaining differences in cultures for both. I would learn about some common diseases and medications to treat them, so this would be a very good experience for my future career as a pharmacist and an educator.

As a future physician, I find it disheartening that there are people in Viet Nam who are lacking basic medical care. Living in America has been a sheltering experience, allowing citizens to take for granted simple things such as over-the-counter medications. I want to become a physician because I want to make a positive impact on peoples’ health, regardless of financial means. I want to participate in this mission because the people of Viet Nam need, and deserve, this medical care. At the same time, I would be enhancing my medical skills, working on immersing myself and understanding a patient’s culture, and interacting with other people who have a deep passion for medicine.

I believe that medical professionals, whether students or doctors, have a duty to use their training to help those in need and I believe that this mission does just that. In particular, I hope to engage in medicine outside of a traditional setting. I also hope to gain an appreciation for using less than optimal conditions and resources to provide excellent medical care. In addition, I am eager to experience a new culture and interact with people whose history, beliefs and lifestyles are so different from my own.

A large part of the reason I want to participate in this mission relates to my desire to work with an underprivileged population abroad. I believe that getting more exposure to conditions in foreign countries and the health issues that are faced there is an invaluable learning tool in developing my future goals. It will provide a deeper understanding of social, economic, and health-related situations that are difficult to grasp without first hand experience. In addition, I have always loved experiencing and learning from different cultures. As a physician, it is especially important to be familiar with a wide variety of world-views that people may hold about life and about healthcare. Southeast Asia is also a part of the world I have wanted to go to for a while. It is a region I am considering serving in the future, so I would love to gain an initial first-hand experience. Finally, I believe this experience will grow me as a student of medicine and prepare me to become a better physician, especially in terms of caring for patients who are difficult to communicate with, who have financial challenges, and who hold different cultural values.