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#Turning worry about a new environment into confidence in taking on challenges #Understanding foreign medical environments and cultures #Memories of expanding my perspectives in Ho Chi Minh
My First Medical Volunteer Experience in Vietnam
Hello. My name is Park Ye-eun, and I am currently on a leave of absence after completing my third year in nursing school. I have always been interested in the medical field and have dreamed of participating in overseas medical volunteering one day.
During this break, I wanted to gain various experiences in a new environment, which is why I joined the Ho Chi Minh medical volunteer project. While studying nursing, I wanted to experience different medical environments in real-life settings, not just in textbooks or labs. I especially wanted to meet healthcare workers and patients in a medical environment that is different from our country.
I have always lived in familiar surroundings, so I also had a strong desire to challenge myself and grow in a new place. I wanted to spend my break meaningfully, and I believed that this experience of medical volunteering was the right challenge for me. What I wanted to change most during this gap year was my attitude towards new environments.
I had not placed myself in unfamiliar situations much because I had always lived among familiar people and environments. So, this time, I wanted to adapt flexibly to new settings and meet various people to gain a broader perspective. As a nursing student, I also wanted to expand my view of the medical field.
I hoped this experience would allow me to reflect on what kind of healthcare professional I want to become beyond just doing volunteer work. Honestly, before leaving, I had a lot of worries. This was my first time living abroad for a long time, and I was most worried about adjusting to an unfamiliar environment alone.
There were language barriers, and I also thought a lot about how to handle unexpected situations or if I got sick. Before leaving, I made sure to carefully prepare things like my passport, plane tickets, and insurance, and I researched local life and culture as well. I also packed necessary medicines and checked my health through a hospital visit.
As I prepared, I felt nervous, but I also had high expectations for the new experiences ahead. The accommodation and living environment were stable, and I was able to adapt to local life without much difficulty. There was systematic guidance from before leaving to local activities, and overall, I could conduct activities safely.
The project was run relatively systematically. During weekdays, we would go to the hospital for medical volunteer work, and during our free time, we explored the local culture or spent time with other participants. Besides volunteer activities, I had even more meaningful time to experience local culture and various places.
At the hospital, activities were guided by staff, and I was able to observe patients closely and experience a variety of medical environments. If I had questions during the activities, I could ask healthcare staff or coordinators, which was very helpful. At first, it was unfamiliar, but as time went on, I became accustomed to local life, and the days passed quickly.
Through the project, I spent much time not only with local medical staff and hospital officials but also with fellow volunteers. Everyone came from different backgrounds, with different ages and majors, but we shared the common goal of seeking new experiences, which was inspiring.
It was particularly interesting that each of us had different reasons for choosing a gap year, and it was a time to glimpse various paths of life. The best part was being able to experience an overseas medical environment that is often hard to access. Even in the same medical field, I learned that the way things work can vary depending on the environment and culture, and I was impressed by how healthcare workers interacted with patients.
I also reconsidered that volunteering is not something grand, but simply taking the time and sharing your heart for someone else. Most importantly, I discovered that I could adapt better than I thought while living with new people away from my familiar environment.
After the volunteer work ended, I was able to explore many parts of Ho Chi Minh City. My favorite route was walking from Ben Thanh Market to Saigon Square. I could feel the local atmosphere up close and met various foods and people as I walked.
In the evenings, sitting at a café near District 1 to watch passing people or strolling along the Saigon River was enjoyable. I remember it more because I could see the daily lives of the locals rather than just searching for fancy tourist spots. If you have time, I also recommend visiting the Reunification Palace and the War Museum.
It helped me understand Vietnam's history and culture and deepened my understanding of the people and their lives whom I met during the medical volunteering. As a suggested itinerary, I recommend visiting tourist spots in the morning, enjoying the local atmosphere while resting at a café in the afternoon, and taking a walk along Nguyen Hue Street and the riverside in the evening.
I want to say that you don’t need to try to prepare perfectly.
While there will be many worries, you will adapt better than you think once you get there. Since you are going for new experiences, remember that mistakes are part of the journey and participate with an open mind. If you make an effort to actively communicate with locals, you will gain much more from the experience.
I believe this experience holds 9 points in changing my life. I can't say my life completely changed in such a short time, but it made me reflect on my attitude towards new environments and my future direction. Most importantly, gaining the courage to 'just give it a try' was very meaningful to me.
Before participating, I was more worried about the new environment. However, after joining, I gained confidence that even if I wasn't perfectly prepared, I could still take on challenges. My perspective on the world has widened a bit, and my desire to understand the lives and cultures of different people has grown as well.
This gap year had more meaning for me than just a simple overseas volunteer experience. Before I left, I had many worries and felt anxious about whether I could do well. However, as I lived locally and met people, those worries slowly faded away.
Especially when preparing for the overseas volunteering while attending the hospital, my supervising doctor once told me that she always goes abroad to volunteer whenever she can. For me, it was a challenge that required great courage, but it was striking to realize that for someone else, it was just a natural part of their life.
This experience led me to think that volunteering is not just for special people, but something anyone can steadily practice from where they are. My first time living abroad for a long time while participating in medical volunteering was a great challenge and opportunity for growth. I was able to broaden my view by directly experiencing diverse medical environments and cultures that I could not learn from textbooks.
Going forward, I want to remember this experience and keep challenging myself to explore a wider world. Thank you for your care and support from before I left until the project ended.
I had many worries since it was my first time, but thanks to you, everything went well. I think this experience will stay in my memory for a long time. Thank you. 😊
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