Thailand International APPE 2017: "Oh the Days of Thailand, They Are Gone

And the time has come for moving on ...
So we'll think back onto these times, and lean on what we learned. For we'll all face life, everyone in his own turn."

While these may be the words to the alma mater of the summer camp I worked at for a few years (with a small change from "summer" to "Thailand" up in the title) it still seems apt as this incredible journey sadly wraps up. Our time here in Thailand is rapidly drawing to a close, and its time for us to move on to Mid-Year, the holidays and our next rotations. But even as we move on past our expedition, the lessons we have learned will prove to be invaluable. Even beyond the obvious pharmacy knowledge that we gained and discussed, this rotation gave us the chance to learn about travel, humility, policy, cultural differences, flexibility, understanding, self-care and patience, particurally as well tried to navigate traffic in Bangkok. This knowledge will serve to make us better pharmacists, but it is also broadly applicable to all other areas of our lives. There are an incredible number of things that can't be learned or taught in a classroom, and can only be gained by experience, and what better way to gain experience then heading to a foreign country and traveling through it for a month? The days spent in Thai hospitals, the nights spent exploring the cities, the hours spent in the vans, the many moments of laughing, chatting, singing, dancing and snacking with friends, both new and old have made this a once in a lifetime opportunity and experience that has taught me more than I could ever imagine. For a small town girl who had never left the country, save for a 3 day conference in Montreal, a trip halfway around the world has proved to be just what I needed to gain a better understanding of myself.

It doesn't hurt that I also gained a better understanding of elephants along the way...

I will finish out this final blog with many more photos, and after hearing great response to my first set of things I learned, I will include another list of more "educational tidbits."

Signing off,
Amanda

Amanda's Extra Eleven Elucidations from Experiences in (South)East Asia

1) The Thai people are increadibly friendly, welcoming and generous. There wasn't a place we went where we weren't greeted with a smile, a sawadeeka, and most of the time a snack. Even when we visiting villages with very little in the way of possessions, the people were always trying to share food and drink and make use feel welcome.

2) Many (Most?) Thai people have great veneration for the US. There is a long history between the States and Thailand that I was really unaware of before this trip. Everywhere we went people asked where we were from, and upon telling them the US they were very eager to talk about our country and hear what things are like there. I think that in many cases our hosts had more questions for us than we had for them (which was still a lot...)

3) A squaty potty in Thailand is not even close to the squaty potty in the US with the rainbow unicorn ads that people love to share on Facebook.

4) Thai people have their full given name, but they also all have a nickname, also given by their parents. Sometimes these nicknames make sense, like the woman we met who's nickname was Song, Thai for second, since she was her parent's second daughter. Other times there is no connection at all, like the pharmacist we met whose nickname was Pooh, or the one whose nickname was Act.

5) Never underestimate the importance of a travel buddy, or a good relationship with the guys who drive your vans.

6) A Thanksgiving dinner will never taste quite as good when eaten out of the country, away from family, no matter how fancy the hotel serving it is.

7) In many ways, the health system in Thailand exceeds our own. Their hospitals may be crowded and busy, but they can perform the same kind of services we have in the States, and at a cheaper price, even for foreigners without Thai insurance who pay cash. Pharmacists can get paid for screening, home visit and clinic services directly, without needing something like a practice agreement, or a location within a Dr. office. While pharmacy in Thailand is still growing, evolving and finding it's exact role pharmacists essentially already have provider status, and they are fighting for more.

8) Pharmacy residency in Thailand takes 4+years to complete, and instead of getting paid, you have to pay for it. This is because when they decided to start residencies here, the government wasn't sure what that meant or equated to, so they didn't know how to recognize them. What they did understand was PhD programs, so Thailand modeled their residency system to equate to a PhD program in terms of length and research expectations. A resident spends 2 years in one hospital, a year in a different hospital, and at least a year doing research, earning the end of their fellowship only after they have their research accepted for publishing.

9) Watching Cartoon Network dubbed into Thai is one of the most amusing ways to spend a quiet evening in. (Just an FYI, there are also many channels that broadcast shows and movies from the States in English as well.)

10) Thai massage is not for the faint of heart. They certainly know which pressure points to hit, but it feels so good after. (Side note: The Thai government wants to preserve past traditions while also becoming more modern. As such, traditional Thai medicine is promoted, often used along side Western medicine, and is paid for under the universal coverage scheme. This means if your Dr says you need massage to treat your ailment, it is covered!)

11) The country of Thailand is an amazing place, full of amazing people, places and experiences. It is fairly accessible to foreigners who don't speak the language, and it has enough to fill an entire semester of travel. I am increadibly greatful to have come here and experienced this all for myself, and it hurts a little bit to be leaving. I can't want to plan a trip back!

Thai Language Lesson:

The Thai word for Thank you is "kob kuhn ka": An increadibly important phrase, as in "Thank you for such an amazing trip Thailand, Am, Noi, UNE and WNE!"

The word for good bye is "La gon ka": As in goodbye Thailand.

Also the ending of all of my greetings has been Ka. This is because I am female. If I were male, it would be Krab. Kind of like how other languages use different forms of words to indicate male vs. female.

That is pretty much the extent of my Thai knowledge, but I'm eager to learn more!

And now for the photos...