I was the first intern to work at this placement as a Medical Social Worker, so it took some time to feel out what my role would be. As I mentioned, my supervisor gave me space to work independently often, but was also available to check on the progress of my work, as everything was conducted in Spanish.

... my time spent in the hospital reduced the stress on the doctors in a severely understaffed hospital, and made a positive contribution to the people of Palampur. I helped perform tasks such as assisting geriatric patients in and out of their beds, taking blood pressure and vitals of post surgery patients...

The small hospital waiting room was crowded––full of patients from the surrounding villages seeking medical treatment. The doctor and medical staff hurried to and fro, despite the stifling heat, to treat the overload of patients. This was the scene in Karan Hospital, just outside of Palampur, India, every day. The doctors are heroes here, working endlessly to observe, diagnose and treat the plenitude of patients––a job of at least five doctors in a Western medicine facility. This is what medicine, the pursuit of helping people, is all about.

This program takes place in an orthopedics hospital in which we would rotate, from day to day, between the many different departments it has to offer. My personal favorites were radiology and surgery, but there are also wound care, rehabilitation (mostly for patients that have had a stroke of children with various physical disabilities), acupuncture and traditional medicine departments.

Some tasks that I performed included removing acupuncture wires and needles, administering B12 or antibiotic injections, cleaning extremely severe wounds, as well as observing and shadowing surgeons. To be able to participate in this project, one should be warned that you will see extremely shocking wounds, and a ton of blood... On the other hand though, if you are ready for it, this project taught me so much, and really opened my eyes to third-world country care and how different countries work. I loved every minute I spent in the hospital, soaking up the miles of information that was available there, even just by observation!

It was quite the eye opening experience to see how efficiently very little resources could be used to yield the maximum care for the patients.The best part of the volunteering was actually being able to do procedures and assist the nurses in their daily activities. I had already been trained in how to do many of the skills, so it was as simple as the nurses showed me how to do them in the Vietnamese way and off I went. The hands on experience you get through Gnarly Troop is second to none.

It was truly an amazing experience. The coordinators were very friendly and accommodating and I learned a lot during my stay. Even though it was crowded, overall the program was great and I would recommend it to anyone. I’ll surely miss everything about Vietnam from its rich history and culture, food, friendly students, to the patients in the hospital who kept asking me if I’m Vietnamese. I’ll especially miss the lifelong friendships I had made.

I was able to help the nurses in their daily rounds; giving injections and medications and setting up IV\'s. All of these skills were learned right at the placement site. Our assistance was really beneficial to the nurses in their daily jobs. 

The actual program itself was also amazing. They kept our group busy the entire 3 weeks we were there, and always kept the schedule engaging, professional, and fun. My favorite memories include getting to really know the vibrant, big-hearted people of Cusco through medical campaigns and our fun excursions to Machu Picchu and other scenic areas on the weekends!