In Country Volunteer: Supporting the Next Generation of Speech Therapists in Vietnam

Recently Ms Courtney Lindeman, an Australian Speech Pathologist supported Hải Dương Medical Technical University (HMTU) and Hanoi Rehabilitation Hospital through the Australian Volunteers Program (AVP), with support from Trinh Foundation Australia (TFA).

The goal of the placement was to design university-level teaching materials, guide clinical placements for a full cohort of Bachelor students at Hanoi Rehabilitation Hospital, and strengthen the skills of both university educators and hospital-based healthcare professionals.

In her own words, Courtney provided some valuable feedback to help shape the ongoing development of Vietnam’s speech therapy degree program.

The biggest enjoyments from this experience have been the overwhelming sense of global citizenship and professional custodianship, and the wealth of fulfilment that comes with contributing to something substantially bigger than oneself.

The first two weeks were a little tough with the culture shock, mainly because you're contending with the novelty and initial emotions that come with starting out in a new country; but also in coming to learn the cultural differences in theory of mind (i.e. such as personal reflection and critical thinking or questioning), learning and teaching styles, and broadly speaking what is considered 'professional’.

I think the best part of this experience for me personally, was not knowing anything or having any expectations in advance of arrival. You have to surrender yourself to the Vietnamese way of life, and part of that is abandoning your way of doing things and co-creating the experience together with your new colleagues. My recommendation: just experience it.

It's always been an aspiration of mine to volunteer overseas, and I feel deeply the need to contribute my part to the change I want to see in the world. This experience has also been an affirmation of many things for me, primarily in pursuing what brings meaning and fills my cup. Professionally I'd also love to start exploring the intersection of clinical with international policy and humanitarian aid.

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