As part of the Global Health Track within my Internal Medicine residency, I will complete a one-month clinical rotation in Chiang Mai, Thailand to gain firsthand experience delivering care in a resource-limited setting. During this time, I plan to rotate through the Infectious Disease, Palliative Care, and Medical Intensive Care Unit services, working alongside local providers to understand how care is delivered across a range of clinical contexts.
As I begin Infectious Disease fellowship this summer and pursue a career in global health, this experience will provide insight into the barriers faced by various populations and differences in clinical practices. I hope to incorporate what I learn into my future clinical work and to strengthen my ability to practice across diverse healthcare systems.
I will be rotating at Chiang Mai University Hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I will be on the Infectious Disease, Palliative, and MICU services. By rotating on these services, I will support patient care while learning from local providers. This experience will also prepare me to better care for vulnerable populations in my future work in global health.
This experience will deepen my understanding of how healthcare is delivered in a setting different from where I trained and highlight alternative approaches to managing complex illness with limited resources. Learning from providers in Thailand will broaden my clinical perspective and inform more thoughtful, adaptable patient care. As I begin Infectious Disease fellowship this summer, I will incorporate these insights into my clinical practice and approach to global health work. I also plan to share key lessons from this experience with my co-residents through a formal presentation during our weekly didactic sessions, extending the impact beyond my individual training.
During my trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, I spent time with patients and staff across the Palliative Care, General Medicine, Infectious Disease, and Traditional Medicine teams. The people most impacted were the patients we cared for, many of whom face challenges related to access, resources, and cultural beliefs within the Thai healthcare system. We had a lot of meaningful conversations and shared experiences and I learned a lot from the clinicians and trainees there about their approaches to patient care. We had discussions around symptom management, different care practices, and how limited testing can affect decisions. These interactions also had a big impact on me, helping me better understand how healthcare systems shape patient experiences and reinforcing the importance of flexibility and cultural awareness in caring for patients.
