Hands on Learning!

This program was unlike anything I expected. Khon Kaen is a rural city in the North East Isaan region of Thailand. It is quieter than the big cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai and has significantly less tourism. You really get a feel for the real Thailand in Khon Kaen as you are almost always the only foreigner. This also forces you to use the Thai you learn in class--which is both fun for you and for the local people. My favorite part of this program was the fact that we got to plan and execute our own research project stemming from community visits. After staying in a rural village, my partner and I decided to go back and implement a project about breastfeeding habits. We interviewed community members, met with the village headmen and head of the health promoting hospital, presented findings at a community meeting, and prepared a successful and sustainable intervention. The program also provided us with a lot of free time, which was a cherished break from a normal semester in the US. Everyday after class I ran around a lake near the Faculty of Public Health. We also planned many trips and I was able to travel to 5 neighboring countries as well as throughout Thailand.