Conference Talk - By Lisa Bryski

It’s Week 2 of the CHKV Medical Mission to Vietnam. It’s been an intense but fun trip. The CHKV crew returns well rested from a weekend off and are ready for more teaching and learning. The staff here is a dedicated crew, and have thrown themselves whole heartedly into any teaching moments we’ve provided.

The teaching goes both ways though. We’ve been humbled by the hospital staff’s willingness to include us in their rounds about patients they are managing. Despite our obvious language barriers as Canadians, we have been treated with great respect when we try to understand or join in a medical discussion. It has taught us the true meaning of collegial professionalism and hosting.

The hospital staff have a wide range of cases to deal with. Their beds are full and their workload busy. Their resources must be doled out carefully to where the need is greatest and the greatest good can be achieved. It is a difficult job they do, much more difficult than what we are used to in Canada. They do it with great grace, however. Each family we have come across in our patient discussions is treated with respect and dignity despite the limited space and resources.

In our conference teaching sessions, it’s been a great privilege to watch the participants grow in both knowledge and in confidence. The first day was full of timid interactions by teachers and students alike. We’ve encouraged each other and have found how much fun it is to be together while we learn. It’s a true joy to see the students now run through resuscitation tasks and codes with confidence. They are also teaching each other as they continue to practice. It’s a great sign that the knowledge has taken, and they will continue to grow once we are gone.

We have only a couple of days left to continue to share learning with the conference participants. We’ve come to know them as individuals with great senses of humour and a strong thirst for knowledge. It will be tough to say goodbye on the final day. We hope to return some day for another conference. We’ve made so many connections and friends within this hospital.