I WILL NEVER FORGET MY TIME IN VIETNAM
March 23, 2018
The Green Lion
βThe experience fromΒ Alexandra Thomasβ
My time on the medical project in Vietnam is one that I will never forget. The three day orientation was fascinating and was a helpful guiding hand to our local area and Vietnamese culture.Β
I learnt so much during this project and it was an experience that I feel has enriched my studies as a student nurse. We had the opportunity to choose which wards we wanted to work on, with the chance to change each week in order to gain a well-rounded view of the hospital, Benh Vien Thong Nhat.Β
In my first week, I had the incredible opportunity to observe the OR and was able to visit any theatre I liked. This led me to have the rare opportunity to see open head trauma surgery; something that I would never have been able to seen back in the U.K.Β
During our second week, we shadowed the wonderful Dr Dat in trauma orthopaedics. I found this insightful and interesting to draw similarities and differences between British and Vietnamese health care systems, including reasons why Vietnamese people suffer from certain illnesses and their treatment.
A highlight for me was the incredible opportunity to donate blood to the mobile blood bank. I was thankful for the chance to βgive backβ to thisΒ hospital and the local people, and was an experience I will never forget!Β
Most of the doctors we encountered spoke excellent English and were able to explain to us what we were observing, and were able to translate what patients were discussing with them. However, if this was not the case, our coordinators Peter and Jack were excellent and translating for us.
Peter was an outstanding coordinator during our time on the medical program. His English is exceptional, which made our learning experience more interesting and easier. Furthermore, he was always there whenever we needed him to answer our questions or to give us a guiding hand.
I met so many amazing people on the project and during my time with The Green Lion in Ho Chi Minh, and I miss everyone so much! I will definitely come back one day, and couldnβt recommend the medical project enough!Β
