Vietnam

This spring I had a fantastic time an intern/student in Vietnam with GEI for 3 weeks. Very smooth experience. The staff at GEI are committed to providing an easy transition and I felt very safe in their hands. They picked me up from the airport and coordinated the travel between various districts very thoroughly. They were really good about making sure I was having an educational but still fun and immersive time in places like Hi Chi Minh and Hue. The itinerary was clear and I felt like I had time in each place to learn enough, but still have a really good mix of different contexts.

I loved the mix of classroom and service learning at various district hospitals and care centres. It felt more meaningful than just volunteering, since we got to work closely with Vietnamese colleagues in order to meet their community needs. I really feel the staff and patients at the hospitals were so welcoming! The hands-on side of things was a massive help in developing practical skills in a cool setting. I had also never done storytelling as part of a public health course, so that was certainly unique. I learned a lot about infection prevention and day-to-day operations of medical facilities in different areas of Vietnam, in a way that complemented my own university education. It was interesting to compare the national health frameworks between Canada and Vietnam. Getting to talk to and work with people in the community was an invaluable experience and I really felt I learned a lot—not just about public health but about life in Vietnam.

The immersion and cultural trips were incredible. I loved the mix of trips relating to Vietnamese culture and Vietnamese nature. The food was amazing!! I really enjoyed how we got to eat some meals with local families. All in all, a great immersive experience.