Danielle Golan & Bethany Odell

Our university education is based on theory backed by evidence from across the world. However, the vast majority of placement opportunities within the NHS are UK-based. And this is why we wanted to go abroad — to introduce ourselves to a different culture and different approaches to healthcare.

We also wanted to improve our communication skills, especially as our upcoming placements in the UK were communication-focused.

We also wanted to build our confidence as autonomous practitioners. We knew that heading to another country and stepping out of our comfort zone would give us the chance to grow as physios and as people.

Neither of us had any previous exposure to this part of the world, let alone immersing ourselves in local culture. We knew that we were challenging ourselves.

When it came to our hospital placement, the disparity between UK hospitals and Vietnamese hospitals was shocking at first. In particular, getting used to different cultural norms as they relate to practice. But Work the World’s in-country team was so supportive and friendly, which made the transition into the hospital placement much easier.

It was interesting to see the differences in physiotherapy practice across the max, orthopaedic, and stroke aspects of the role. We improved our communication methods when working with Vietnamese patients and consolidated our neurological rehabilitation techniques when working with stroke patients.

We enjoyed the placement throughout. It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss ideas and cases with a range of medical professionals from different international properties. We had the most amazing weekend trips — there was always someone to chat with or do an activity with. Hanging around the pool was great fun too, and there were the weekly BBQ nights hosted at the Work the World house.

Between us, we were involved in the rehabilitation of various stroke patients. We offered support to patients to improve strength in their upper limbs following stroke-induced hemiplegia. We even had patients comment that they had improved range of motion and strength beyond what they had achieved previously.

The most apparent difference between physiotherapy in the UK and Vietnam was that our role as physiotherapists technically didn’t exist within the structure of the Vietnamese healthcare system. There were ‘doctors of rehabilitation’, but they didn’t cover the same aspects of care that we do in the UK within our roles.

After placement in the afternoons and evenings in Hue, we visited the Imperial City, toured a village where they made incense, and explored plenty of the city on foot.

We travelled around Vietnam at the weekends. We went to beaches and night markets, and we tried coffee-making in Danang. We also went to Phong Nha, where we visited Paradise Cave, a duck farm and spent a day at a water park. In Cat Ba, we visited Monkey Island, went on a boat tour and then went night kayaking. In Mui Ne, we visited the dunes and went quad biking… There was so much to do.

If you’re looking for an overseas placement, do it — you won’t regret it. Go with an open mind. If you push yourself out of your comfort zone, you’ll make unforgettable memories and have a newfound appreciation for how healthcare is practised elsewhere.