Lan To

My eight-week internship in Vietnam was honestly one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. I learned so much, not only about radiography, but also about myself, the Vietnamese culture and my own roots. It is an experience I will never forget! 

Since my roots are Vietnamese, I was really excited to discover what life in Vietnam is actually like. This internship meant a little bit more to me than just going abroad. It felt like going back to my roots and getting to know a part of myself that I hadn’t really experienced before. I could speak a little Vietnamese, which was really nice, although I have to admit that the Hue accent was sometimes quite difficult to understand!
 

The accommodation really felt like a second home. The staff were so lovely and welcoming, and they were always there whenever you needed something. You never felt like you were on your own. The food was also amazing, and coming home after a day at the hospital to a nice dinner that was already prepared. Even the security at the house were always ready to help you with anything, even little emergencies like a bug in your room. Those small things really made the place feel like home.

My birthday was while I was in Vietnam, and the staff and everyone surprised me with some presents and cake, it was really special! I am so grateful!
 

During my internship, I got to experience different hospitals and spend time in their radiology departments. Everything was very well organised. I had a supervisor who guided me through the planning and asked me what I was interested in, for example CT, MRI or X-ray. I really liked that they took our preferences into account. 
 

Our hospital supervisors checked in regularly to see how we were doing, and whether we felt comfortable. Work the World’s team also came to visit us at the hospital to check how everything was going, it made me feel really safe and supported. The hospital staff were also very welcoming and friendly, which made it easy to feel at home in a new environment. 

Of course, experiencing healthcare in a different country also means getting used to a different way of doing things. I learned so much about Vietnamese culture and the healthcare system. Some things were quite different from what I was used to in the Netherlands, but that is exactly what made the experience so interesting. 

The placement hours were from 07:00 to 11:00 and 14:00 to 17:00, which I personally really liked. We had plenty of time in between to relax, have lunch or just enjoy some free time at the house. And honestly, after a long morning at the hospital, having some time to rest before going back was really nice!

There was also so much more to do besides the internship itself. There were lots of fun activities, which made the experience even more special. Every Monday and Tuesday, we had Vietnamese language classes. On Wednesdays, the chefs gave us cooking lessons where we learned how to make traditional Vietnamese food. Thursdays, we visited the children at the oncology centre, followed by a fun BBQ evening. Sometimes, we also had clinical lessons at the accommodation.
And then on the weekends, we were free to explore Vietnam with our friends, and I absolutely loved that. I visited Hanoi, Ha Giang, Hoi An, Da Nang and Bach Ma National Park, and of course, I explored Hue as well. 
 

During the last week of my placement, I did the Village Healthcare Experience, and at first I wasn’t excited to go because I really loved the house. On arrival, I immediately changed my opinion, I really loved it there. The place, the food, the nature and everything was just so chill and relax. It almost felt like a dream. The hospital staff were very nice too and it was very interesting to observe rural healthcare delivered. We stayed with a family and we did some karaoke, playing around with the kids, paddle boarding on the water, watching the sunrise, making traditional cakes with grandma and biking around. It really felt relieving.

Every place was so different and beautiful in its own way. Sometimes it felt unreal to experience all these places. I loved travelling around Vietnam, trying new food, discovering new places and making memories with the people I met along the way. I didn’t want to leave because I had so much fun and I loved it so much there. The memory will always be by my heart! The hardest part was to say goodbye and pack my stuff.

Looking back, I gained a lot of experience in radiography, but I also learned so much about Vietnamese culture and got the chance to reconnect with my roots. I met amazing people, made beautiful memories and experienced things I would never have experienced. I am so glad I did this internship, I couldn’t wish for anything better! 

If you are thinking about doing an internship in Vietnam, I would definitely 100% recommend it! It is a once in a lifetime experience! My biggest advice would be to go into this experience with an open mind, be curious, and just go with the flow. Not everything has to happen the way you are used to, and sometimes you just have to take a step back and understand why things are done differently.