I have always been interested in working overseas, and when I heard highly about Work the World from other students at my university, it seemed like the right fit, and in retrospect, it most definitely was.

Coming from a regional hospital, my first impression of my placement hospital was that it was a big change, with so many more learning opportunities and clinical presentations.

I picked up lots of tropical disease knowledge, which I don’t get to see much in Australia. In the main hospital, as it was so large, I also saw lots of complex and rare presentations that were once in a lifetime.

I saw a lot of congenital heart disease that I had never seen before: Ebstein's anomaly, and Pulmonary atresia are the cases that really stuck with me.

The differences in healthcare between the local systems and those of my home country came most to light during my Village Healthcare Week. Spending time in the clinic and the district hospital, I got a deeper understanding of attitudes towards healthcare in Vietnam, how access to healthcare is approached, and how traditional and complementary medicine have been integrated into the Vietnamese healthcare system.

There’s so much to do and see in and around Hue, so we visited historical and cultural sites, did a lot of shopping and spent a lot of time enjoying the local food and coffee. We would also discuss our placements, the cases we had seen, learn the language together and go and enjoy the local nightlife.

I’ve seen more new and unfamiliar diseases and treatments in 4 weeks over here than I did in the past year in Australia. It’s provided contextualization for many infectious disease classes, and my understanding of public health and health systems has deepened massively. But, most importantly, I have developed confidence for working in unfamiliar health systems and providing care to patients from diverse cultural backgrounds.

To other students who might be considering undertaking a Work the World placement, I’d say just do it! While it can be daunting to undertake an overseas placement, it is incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable. Additionally, if you have the opportunity for the Village Healthcare Experience, take it! It was the best and most fulfilling experience. I learned so much, and so could you.