Sooyoung Lee - South Korea

This past summer, I had the immense pleasure to visit my home country, Korea, to participate in a 2 week & externship at the Ophthalmology department at Seoul National University (SNU) and 2 week rotating externship at VIP Animal Medical Center (AMC), Seongbuk branch. While I was born and raised in Korea, most of my veterinary experiences were from the United States, which led me to pursue this experience to get exposed to the veterinary culture in Korea. During my time there, I shadowed veterinarians across different specialties, including Ophthalmology, Internal Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Surgery, and Radiology.

At SNU I gained in-depth knowledge of ophthalmology, particularly diagnostic tools, such as slit lamps and fundic exams, as well as treatments, such as gonioimplantation surgeries and medications. At VIP AMC, I observed a wide range of cases, from anaphylactic shock, myxomatous mitral valve disease, to splenectomy and diuresis.

Through this experience, I not only gained valuable experience in clinical settings but also had the opportunity to explore the similarities and differences between veterinary medicine in Korea and the United States. For instance, due to the popularity of smaller dog breeds and different environmental factors in Korea, the prevalence of certain diseases and diagnostic tools differed from those commonly seen in the United States.

I also observed that cultural beliefs and societal norms significantly influenced the decision-making process around procedures like euthanasia and enucleation; topics which were often less frequently discussed with clients in Korea.

Through conversations with local veterinarians, I was able to refine my communication skills in Korean, learning various approaches for discussing sensitive topics like euthanasia and enucleation, while respecting differing cultural perspectives.

This experience not only enhanced my ability to navigate culturally diverse environments, but also broadened my understanding of how to share medical knowledge across different cultural and linguistic contexts. With my goal to overcome obstacles commonly encountered in veterinary care, language barriers or cultural differences, this valuable Global Programs experience has taught me how to become a veterinarian who will be able to encompass the differences and provide the best care for both the animal and the client.