Volunteer to see patients with residents at the Hue University Hospital. This would include outpatient clinics and also hospital consults. I will also be given lectures on various dermatology subjects. Main goal is to help instruct the residents and young physicians. I have provided similar service in Cambodia through HVO (Health Volunteers Overseas) since 2011. I have also volunteered with faith based groups to Cuba, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Vietnam (different group than HVO).
Hopefully, I can provide knowledge to the residents that they can use lifelong to care for their patients in Central Vietnam.It appears to be a similar experience to what I seen in Cambodia. Residents and students who are very capable and eager to learn. I love their desire to improve medical care for their country.
Hopefully, the skills and knowledge will benefit them not only now , but in years to come. One of the " former" residents in Cambodia paid me a big compliment. She said, "you showed us, there's a lot bigger world". I was truly humbled by that comment.
First and foremost I would like to thank the Doximity Foundation for covering the transportation costs. I have been involved in medical missions work with Health Volunteers Overseas for 15+ years and know that those costs can be a hinderance for many. This also allows healthcare professionals to travel and do the work, which is so desperately needed in the world.
I had the great pleasure to travel to Hue, Vietnam and serve for 6+ weeks. Hue is situated in Central Vietnam. It is the former capital of Vietnam with a rich history. Many of the past emperors ruled from Hue. Presently, it has a population of about 1.5 million. The medical complex is the major referral center for the area.
I worked in the dermatology departments at Hue University, Hue City & Hue Central Hospitals. I consulted on in-patients at the various hospitals in the morning and saw patients in the out-patient clinics in the afternoons. I worked with the young doctors on staff and residents exclusively. Twice weekly I gave didactic lectures in the afternoon. It was invaluable to them since didactic lectures are not a part of their curriculum. I gave 16 lectures covering a wide range of topics from acne to drug reactions to skin cancers. I would also participate in their clinic-pathology conferences, which were usually once a week. During these sessions we would discuss the most difficult cases. We would review the pathology, labs and review treatment plans. The young doctors were also very interested in cosmetic procedures. I participated in a CME course on Neurotoxins (in-person and also one online). Lastly, I held a Hands-on instruction course for neurotoxins.
Dermatology is still growing in Hue. It was wonderful to work with the young doctors. In Vietnam you can become a dermatologist by completing a residency program or by getting a masters degree after med school and completing a specialist program. So I had both groups in the clinics and lectures. The new dermatologists on staff also attended the lectures. They were all so eager to learn and grow their skills in dermatology. The most rewarding thing for me is 'awakening" them to the possibilities in dermatology. The possibility of doing research or pursuing careers in Mohs surgery or dermatopathology were just some of the options discussed. On several occasions they expressed to me that their "world was now bigger". They could take their careers further than they thought was possible beforehand. Personally, I had some mentors, who greatly impacted my career. I strongly feel, we need to encourage young doctors to strive for excellence. I was also able to teach diagnostic procedures and treatment options, which were new to them.
Although quite shy in the beginning they opened up to asking more and more questions as we went along. Some of their initial hesitancy to ask questions was probably due to language. Their English skills were varied. But I always had an interpreter to help me. They also used an app similar to Google Translate also. The combination worked out reasonably well in my opinion. Besides they would teach me new phrases in Vietnamese daily, which really helped to deepen our bond.
On the weekend we had a chance to explore Hue and its rich history. Dr. Anh (chairman of Dermatology) and the young doctors would also take me to dinner at their homes and local places. They wanted me to truly experience their culture. In addition to the ancient history, there is a rich culinary history. The chefs for the royal family were forced to always developing new dishes for the. Hue is still considered the food capital of Vietnam, today.
They had a farewell dinner my last night and presented a video outlining the experience. I was totally surprised. I was truly touched by the words of gratitude expressed by the doctors. This video can be seen on the health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) YouTube channel. I have been in medical missions work since 2011. This has been one of the richest experiences for me. Working with these young doctors and watching them grow.They were so eager to learn everything I had to offer. They also asked me to talk on how to develop a long career in dermatology. They were very interested in issues like balancing family life with career, telling patients bad news, what influenced my career choices. It was truly a wonderful experience. I look forward to returning next year. They are also eager to have volunteers to help them. For anyone considering coming to Hue for Dermatology I can recommend this experience wholeheartedly without reservation!
