In June 2008, our own student Bao Nguyen, a freshman at George Mason University, embarked on a 2-week internship with the Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program (VNMAP) where he traveled with them to Khanh Hoa, Vietnam.
As a medical student-to-be, traveling with a team of seasoned medical students, as well as real doctors and pharmacists, was an exceptional experience. His peers in this opportunity provided Bao with the support and motivation he needed to perform clinical duties for eight or more hours a day, as everyone shared the same goal: to help as many patients as possible.
The main purpose and mission of the trip was to treat patients who were fighting with malnutrition, anemia, arthritis, and malaise. Other illnesses they saw, but may not have treated were goiters, blood diseases, leprosy, and heart conditions. It was also incredibly encouraging and rewarding for Bao when he saw how happy the patients were to finally receive the proper care and medicine needed for their health and wellbeing.
“Though the transition from one clinic to the next made it hard to adjust to the environmental conditions, treating the patients was our top priority and we all knew that instinctively. The humidity, mosquitoes, and lack of working space were the least of our worries, as we carefully tended to one patient who had a very slow heartbeat and respiratory rate. This was one particular moment that reminded us all of why we are doing what we’re doing and why we feel how we feel.”
“The trip opened my eyes to the basic needs that were lacking in Vietnam, needs that we as U.S. citizens often take for granted in America.”
