I’ll be back....

I can’t believe this APPE rotation has come to an end so quickly! I have had an amazing time exploring this beautiful country and I’m very sad that it is time to leave. 

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be able to become completely immersed in the Thai culture and compare and contrast life here versus in the U.S.  Seeing the way Thailand’s universal coverage system works was very rewarding as it allowed me to see the pros and cons of a very different approach to healthcare, how barriers are overcome, and the access patients have to healthcare professionals.  Although the system is very different, it was humbling to see the length some healthcare providers go to ensure safe and efficacious care to their patients.  

Throughout all of our site visits we were able to experience first hand how accommodating and hospitable the people of Thailand are, not only to their patients, but to our large group of American students and faculty as well.  I will deeply miss Thailand and it is safe to say I will absolutely be coming back to this amazing country!

 

And just like that....

          Its all over. A once in a lifetime APPE rotation is over in the blink of an eye. I don't know where to begin. I am extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture and most importantly, view pharmacy from a whole new perspective.

          It was impressive seeing the pharmacy world ran so differently and how knowledgeable each of the pharmacist and health care staff were. The way they utilized universal coverage so well was something I have never seen before and the Thai healthcare professionals ( from physician to nurse to pharmacist to professor) are all so proud of it.

        This journey would not have been as amazing if it was not for the awesome people I was accompanied with. Sharing the experience with some close friends, creating moments and unforgettable memories that are once in a lifetime. This includes not only my classmates, but the faculty who guided and challenged us every step of the way. I made sure to get the best photos of them as well!

I was sweaty for 90% of this trip. still worth it though

Watch out for ILS when visiting the temples. Jared seemed to have caught it a few times.

 The best pictures are the ones that you have no idea exist.

Sorry Dr. Bose, but the world needs to see this magnificent photo of a professor in the wild.

The face of a man that fires 100 Naplex questions per minute

Hill tribe pants in full effect

Added a few new dishes to the arsenal

no words

See you soon

It’s truly unbelievable that we are back in Bangkok one last time and leaving this beautiful country tomorrow. Words can’t describe how amazing and rewarding this experience was. Being alongside some of my closest classmates made this an unforgettable trip and APPE. 

It’s hard to recount all of the amazing learning experiences we had on this trip. One that will always stick out in my head was sitting in on a physician’s leprosy clinic. We sat alongside other students from around the world and were able to see first hand what the disease presents as. Seeing patients with TB, Leprosy, Malaria, etc really helped put in prospective some of the disease states that we don’t see as much in the states. We had the opportunity to work alongside various healthcare workers and we really got to see how unique Thai healthcare is. While many aspects of pharmacy do differ such as Brand drug names and community pharmacy access, the focus in patient care remained the same. 

The cultural experiences we were able to have is really what made this APPE an experience I’ll never forget. Thank you to all of my classmates, Dean Tanzer, Dr. Bose, and Dr. Copeland for sharing this experience with me! I can’t wait to come back!

Goodbye Thailand

I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to spend a month in Thailand.  All of its hospitality, culture, and compassion was extremely humbling.  This experience surpassed my expectations and gave me better insight on how countries, though so different, also share the same common goals.  Thailand deals with many disease states that for us are considered rare.  Although they face numerous barriers, the health care professionals do a great job allocating their resources for the good of their people.  The pharmacists we met were well trained and very knowledgeable in their specialized fields.  Even though the hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies lacked the fancy new machines and shiny floors, the care being provided to the patients was top notch.  Everyone was eager to learn and gain new ideas from us on how to further improve their care.  Little did they know, we were the ones gaining the most.

I am really going to miss Thailand.  It was great spending this time around genuinely good people who allowed me to learn more about myself.  Until we meet again, thank you Thailand!!

Alfonso Ramirez

What an experience!

As we are ending this rotation I am incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to travel to Thailand for this experience. We were able to see and interact with so many different health providers each contributing to Thailand's larger health system as they promote their citizen's health and well being. One major component that I will definitely take away from this rotation is having a better knowledge of different types of tropical diseases and how to best care for a patient who presents with one.

Additionally, even though there are many similarities between the health systems of the U.S. and Thailand, there are also many differences between them. One of which being that Thai pharmacists seem to be much more involved in their health system than those of the U.S. They played many different roles and had different patient care responsibilities depending on their units, each with a commitment to helping better the lives of others!

Thank you to everyone for making this such a great trip!

Closing time....

Today is the last day of our rotation in Thailand. Time flew by the past four weeks and I’m sad to be leaving. I’ve gained many life lessons and had many experiences that I will remember forever. Here are some of my favorite memories from this trip:  

In addition to the pictures, one of my favorite parts of this trip was learning about Thai traditional medicine. Thai traditional medicine focuses on the body being out of balance which then results in a disease or ailment. I enjoyed the natural medicines course that I took in pharmacy school, so to see it be such a big part of another culture was really cool. I said many times throughout this trip that if I ever were to work in Thailand, I would work at a traditional medicine hospital.

However, I think one of my biggest takeaways from this trip and something that really stuck with me is the dedication and commitment that the pharmacists here exhibited towards their patients. Many of them work long days to get all of their work done and see hundreds of patients a day in their clinics. I know that this attitude is something I admire and I hope to emulate when I become a pharmacist. 

Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible! I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to learn about another country’s healthcare system. 

Lastly, I will finish by saying that no matter what language you speak, a smile is universal and can mean more than words do

To Thailand: Thank you and I'll be back!!

I can remember sitting in class P1 year and hearing about the Thailand APPE that would be offered to us a few years down the road. P2 and P3 year, although stressful, they flew by and APPE year came sooner than expected.  I was fortunate enough to be selected to go on the Thailand rotation I dreamed about for years, I have to say that it has been one of the best experiences of my life.  I have learned so much, from both an educational and cultural standpoint. 

Being able to learn about dengue, leprosy, and HIV in an area with higher incidence rates than the United States has been a true privilege.  Not many students back home can say they have interacted with leprosy patients, seen the varying stages and had the opportunity to palpate their nerves.  Not many students have gone to a dengue specialized hospital to see and discuss real patient cases, treatments, and outcomes.  And not many students have visited an HIV/AIDs specialized community and hospice center.  For these reasons and many more, I feel that the Thailand APPE is unique and educational in ways that no other APPE has to offer.  I have seen first hand that the health system does their best to help its people. We can definitely benefit from taking a few tips from the Thai Health System.

Aside from the lectures, hospitals, and clinic visits, it has been fun visiting the many different temples, taking a Thai cooking class, bathing, feeding and playing with elephants, and having the opportunity to immerse ourselves in Thai culture.  I have learned several Thai words/phrases.  I have enjoyed eating a wide variety of Thai dishes.  I have no complaints from my trip, other than I wish it wasn't over so quickly.

To my classmates and friends, thank you so much for making this trip such an amazing experience!  To the future classes coming on this trip, you won't regret it!

-Jeannette Ramirez