Trish Lai - Vietnam
Dual Focus: Clinical & Research
This past summer, I received the Global Programs Feline Health Fellowship Fund and went to Vietnam to learn how to molecularly characterize and study the epidemiology of an emerging tick borne disease, babesiosis in domestic cats. Throughout this experience, I collaborated with local veterinarians, practiced and improved my Vietnamese, clinical, and laboratory skills, and became exposed to the unique challenges and opportunities in infectious disease research and management within a different cultural and environmental context. I believe that this experience enhanced my veterinary education and also equipped me with skills and perspectives that will transcend into my future career as a veterinarian.
Despite being of Vietnamese and Laotian descent, I had never been to Vietnam before and this trip was monumental for my personal growth. Immersing myself in Vietnamese culture, traditions, and history offered a deeper understanding of the different facets that have shaped my identity. It also instilled in me a sense of pride and belonging with a part of my heritage that has been distant yet deeply cherished.
This experience increased my cultural awareness because I realized that I had preconceived notions and assumptions about what the veterinary medicine field would look like or what the attitudes of the local people would be towards animals. For example, Vietnam is a small yet densely populated country and I had personally simply divided the country into just the North and the South because I previously knew that the way people spoke and the food were different. When in reality there are so many more regional differences contributing to the diversity and complexity of Vietnamese culture and experiences. Additionally, Vietnam has a rich agricultural history and their reliance on animals has led the people to have very strong bonds with their animals and this is exemplified in many of the folk stories, intricate drawing and carvings of animals on art and architecture, to the parent and child-like relationships I witnessed at the clinics.
At the same time, I also had no expectations for how this experience was going to go as international travel plans hardly come without any bumps in the road. However, I believe that because I had no expectations, I was open to trying everything, learning as much as I could, and creating a welcoming and friendly environment for everyone. I am very grateful to the UCD SVM Global Programs Office for giving me the opportunity to exchange ideas and expertise about veterinary medicine, animal welfare, One Health because it has broadened my perspective and enhanced my ability to address veterinary issues on a global scale.
