Kelly Anderson gives insight into studying abroad in Vietnam

O’Neill student, Kelly Anderson, gave us some insight into her time in Vietnam last summer.

This past summer, I participated in O’Neill’s Study Abroad Program, Advancing Vietnam’s Healthcare System – the first Healthcare Management and Policy focused study abroad to date! I loved every second of my time in the program.

My favorite class memory from the program was meeting with the World Health Organization’s Vietnam branch. I loved learning about what the WHO is doing in Vietnam and how they are trying to support the evolution of Vietnam’s healthcare system. My favorite activity outside of classroom sessions was staying with a Homestay in Mai Chau. We all got to experience the Vietnamese countryside and see how families live and work outside of the city centers. It was so lovely to get to connect with individuals on such a human level. We got to eat homemade Vietnamese cuisine and even got to participate in traditional Vietnamese dance!   

If I were to offer a piece of advice for any students considering or hesitant on applying for this opportunity, I would want to let you know that you will NEVER regret going. While it can be intimidating and very overwhelming to apply for and accept this opportunity, it will be beyondworth it in the end. I remember being so anxious purchasing my flight to Vietnam and even more anxious getting on that flight! However, the minute I met everyone in the Hanoi Airport, all of that anxiety fell away, and I seriously began the trip of a lifetime. I would not change my experience for the world.

While educating yourself on healthcare systems outside of the US is important, this experience will provide you with so much more than just an educational advancement. It will provide you with an understanding of the world around you. Diversity is something to be celebrated, but it is also so important to realize the basic human characteristics we all share. There is so much to be said for the similarities of individuals and communities. Being exposed to those basic similarities will facilitate the growth of compassion and empathy, which our world always needs more of.

I hope you all decide to consider applying to O’Neill in Vietnam! I can promise you it will change your life!