By Dr. Laura Bishop, OB-GYN physician and vice president of medical staff, Baptist Women's and Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, teaching faculty at University of Tennessee, member of a five-physician private practice Ruch Clinic, and REI Short-Term Medical Team Volunteer to Vietnam
When I first met Lien Ngo on my sixth trip to Vietnam in May 2023, it was part of my ongoing journey to connect my two worlds. I had been traveling to Vietnam for 15 years, building partnerships and friendships, and each visit deepened my appreciation for the culture and the incredible healthcare professionals I met along the way. Lien immediately struck the group as someone who was deeply interested in improving the healthcare for her patients and was seen as a leader by her peers in her hospital.
Lien was the first midwife we brought to the United States; prior to getting to know her, we had focused primarily on doctors. Our last trip to Vietnam introduced several labor and delivery nurses from the United States to our partners in Vietnam, and everyone quickly recognized the potential impact of Lien's knowledge. We brought knowledge of several aspects for helping patients who were delivering that was unique to those nurses and midwives in Hanoi, but now they will also greatly benefit from the experiences Lien has had in the United States. This exchange of information is just as exciting as when the U.S. nurses first brought training to Vietnam.
During her first two-week stay with me in Memphis, Lien immersed herself in labor and delivery every day. She observed various processes, learning how we ensure the safety of mothers and babies during both vaginal deliveries and cesarean sections. We discussed protocols such as watching patients bleeding and safety in the operating room. Our discussions were rich, filled with shared insights about practices that could enhance care back in Vietnam.
But it wasn’t just the medical conversations that made our time special. As we cooked dinner together each evening, our bond grew stronger. We talked about our families, our lives, and the dreams we held for the future. These moments of connection transcended our professional relationship, allowing us to share our cultures and experiences in a way that was both personal and profound as she continues to keep in touch.
After her time in Memphis, Lien went on to Greenville, South Carolina, where she stayed with Jessica Armerding (daughter of REI's president) one of the nurses that had traveled to Vietnam. Techniques they had demonstrated in Vietnam – such as how to control pain during labor – Lien now observed firsthand in the U.S., seeing how the doctors and nurses practice patient care, relating with patients and their caregivers. She gained more knowledge but also strengthened the friendships that come from time together.
This journey of cultural exchange is invaluable, and I look forward to seeing how Lien’s experiences will resonate back home in Hanoi. Each trip to Vietnam reminds me of the power of connection, not just in medicine, but in our shared humanity.
*REI partners with the U.S. State Department to provide J-1 visas for Exchange Fellows who want to come to the U.S. for both professional training and cultural exchange. REI needs to bring a minimum of five Exchange Fellows to the U.S. each year to maintain this partnership and program.
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