Study Abroad Vietnam: Holistic Medicine Course, Educational Review

   

     Studying abroad is an opportunity everyone should take if they can. My course was six weeks long, long enough to get used to life in Vietnam. This country has an interesting history, culture, and tradition. The focus of my study was Traditional Holistic Vietnamese Medicine, a field that views health through a spiritual and accessible lens. We also had language classes to help us acclimate, although I will admit I was really bad at them. 

       We started in Ho Chi Minh, also known as Saigon. I personally had been to Vietnam 4 times before and was happy to be back in the bustling environment. I met my group at the hotel where we were all staying. We stayed there together for a few days before moving in with host families. Everyone had randomly assigned host families, but one of my old bosses applied to a part of the host family program, and I stayed with her. My classmate's host families were all ridiculously wealthy, and many of them had housepets, indoor swimming pools, and rec centers!

    We went to classes at the Univerisity of Medicine and Pharmacology. Our coursework included theoretical lectures, practical workshops, and field visits, providing a comprehensive understanding of this holistic approach. This is where I will admit my greatest disappointment with the course. Our translator and chaperone assigned to us were very bad at translating. She was also very argumentative with the lecturers and with students regarding the kinds of questions we were asking. She would often bypass the information being told to her by lecturers and tell her own stories (she has never been a medical professional). Those who spoke Vietnamese in the group confirmed what she was saying was not at all accurate and would try to help translate it correctly. Because of this, I don't think I got very much out of the lectures and Q&As. Aside from this, though, it was awesome!!

                                     

    I learned the most through observation and through the visits we made to medical sites. We went to a wide range of medical businesses, not just holistic ones. We went to pagodas, western-style hospitals, traditional medicine hospitals, and the medicine street. The streets are often organized by trade, so all medicine is on one street, clothes are on another, food is on another, etc. We were also required to interview with locals and NGOs. I learned more from host families than I did at the university. We got to practice doing acupuncture, massage, meditation, and making herbal pills. We also got to observe procedures being done on patients, mostly acupuncture and consultations. This was another source of culture shock for our group, as Vietnam does not have privacy laws or HIPPA. We were all shocked that we could observe without the patient's permission. Most of them did not seem to mind. Privacy is viewed differently in Vietnamese culture, especially in the city, where there are so many people. Often, families live several to a room. 

    We explored historical sites, enjoyed traditional music and dance performances, and participated in local festivals. Ho Chi Minh has a traditional medicine museum, as well as several war museums. We also traveled around the country quite a bit. We took a vist to Vung Tau, which is a beach town. This was just a fun excursion with no educational intentions. We also went to the Can Gio mangrove forest, where they grow a variety of food and medicine. This forest was destroyed during the Vietnam war and is now mostly grown back. We got our drinks stolen by monkeys, paddled out to see bats, and fed alligators. We also visited Dalat, which is in central Vietnam, and Ben Tre, which is in the Mekong Delta. In these towns, we visited more hospitals. 

    I enjoyed being able to go as a student and not to work. I was able to immerse myself more in the culture. By the time I had to go home, I really didn't want to leave. Hopefully, I will be back soon!