Abigail Zipfell

I wanted to travel abroad to witness and support hospitals with less money, time, and resources than the NHS. 

I wanted to learn about Vietnamese hospitals and the differences in healthcare practices. Learning about the culture and people was important to me, too. Meeting new people who lived differently from me turned out to be my favourite part of the trip. 

I was initially nervous about my placement, but I quickly settled in due to the friendly staff. The Work the World team also took me on a hospital tour and introduced me to all hospital staff before my placement started.

There were fewer supplies than at home. For example, if the breast screening machine was broken and the hospital couldn’t afford to fix it, they had to use ultrasound instead. This meant they knew how to examine breast tissue in a way that was totally new to me.

One of the main differences between how things were done in Hue and the UK was that in Hue, staff were trained in MRI, CT and plain film, then rotated through them on a week-by-week basis.

These rotations were great for my placement — I got to pick what I wanted to do and how long to spend in each area. It gave me more of a variety of opportunities than at home. I got lots of time in fluoroscopy, too. All I had to do was let Work the World know what I wanted to specialise in, and they tailored my experience to me. 

Our supervisor was so helpful. She tested our knowledge and gave us loads of information about local practices.

I spoke to her about my third-year subjects, and she helped me get a head start on them. We’re still in touch, and I’ve updated her on my progress throughout my degree!

She even took us to a pagoda to see some beautiful temples after placement one day. Then, she took us to try some local ‘sweet soup’.

I learned many new skills, like adapting to unfamiliar situations and communicating with patients who didn’t speak English.

My most memorable case was probably a little girl who was being tested for epilepsy. She was brave and spoke very good English, which surprised me given her young age. She asked for a photo with me to show to her English teacher. She was very sweet.

We travelled to places like Phong Nhã on weekends to visit the caves. I travelled with my housemates — people I met on the first day and had only known for a week.

But that didn't matter; I felt completely comfortable, as everyone was so lovely and welcoming. 

It can be scary and a big jump if you’re anything like me and haven’t travelled alone, but you just need to do it!
 

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