This past quarter I had the opportunity to study health and health care in Thailand through

the Exploration Seminar Thai Psychosocial and Community Health. Investigating topics such
as health promotion, public health, health coverage, alternative medicine, refugee and mental
health, and substance abuse prevention, in diverse settings ranging from urban Bangkok to rural
Mae Sot and from large scale hospitals to small primary care centers, I got to explore Thai health
and health care in its entirety, allowing me to closely compare how similar issues and topics are
addressed in the U.S. The comprehensive and unique experiences that I have had in Thailand
have profoundly broadened my current perspective of health care, while also shaping my
personal goals as I pursue a career in health care going forward.
As a Biology major and pre-health student, this study abroad has furthered not just my
educational experiences but also my professional goals. Having taken numerous biology,
biochemistry, and public health courses in the past, it was interesting to see firsthand, everything
I learned, put into perspective and applied to real world issues such as clean eating, infection,
disease, and hygiene in a developing country, a topic I will learn more about in the microbiology
courses I take next quarter.
Listening to a presentation on Thai health care at Khon Kaen University, I learned that
one of the biggest underlying issues is lack of access to health care in rural areas of Thailand,
regions where the need for health care is most urgent. Health care providers are opting to stay
within big cities like Bangkok rather than working in underserved areas, an issue that also exists
in the U.S. In 2010, I shadowed dentists at a community clinic in rural Colville, WA, a clinic I
learned was the only non-profit dental clinic serving the Tri County area. As a future health care
provider, I hope to contribute to and continue the work of health care providers such as those at
the primary care unit in the rural Kock Supran District by working and providing dental care in
underserved and disadvantaged communities.
Over the course of these past 4 weeks, I have learned so much about myself and the
importance of my project. Born and raised in the U.S, I have grown up with all of the privileges
and amenities that come with being a U.S citizen. Traveling abroad to a developing country has
challenged all that I have known to true and familiar, encouraging me to step out of my comfort
zone and expanding my views on global health issues. In the process, my experiences in
Thailand have shaped who I am and what I hope to achieve in the future. Learning about
international health systems has opened my eyes to health and health care issues around the
world and the diversity of ways in which they can be approached. As I return to the U.S, I will
strive to not only remember what I have learned and gained from this project, but also to act
upon my revelations. I hope to do this by sharing my experiences and views with others I meet
and, in my pursuit of a career in health care, perpetuating this right to health care either directly
as a provider or indirectly by instigating change at the policy level through public health.