Christy Wang - Taiwan

Over the summer, I externed at National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital for 5 weeks, rotating through 4 different departments. 

In my first week, I was in rehabilitation and integrative medicine, where I learned about the intersection between eastern and western medicine, such as the use of acupuncture with laser therapy, or prescribing eastern medications in conjunction with western medications. 

In my second week, I shadowed large animals and exotics. This was my first ever exotics experience and I got to see so many different cases, like rhinoscopy in a rabbit, broken wing in a duck, osteomyelitis in a gecko, and routine check up and tagging on a wild civet. 

Then I spent 1 week in general surgery, where I shadowed in ophthomology, neurology, ENT consultations. I was also in the OR where I saw an intestinal endoscopy and biopsy, and a CT scan with anal gland mass removal.

During my last 2 weeks, I was placed in internal medicine and got a head start in learning about my second year courses. I was exposed to the world of oncology, where they performed radiation and chemotherapy.

Something that stuck with me from my externship was how similar veterinary medicine is to the US. I think my expectation was that I would be in a completely different world of medicine, but it was surprisingly easy to follow along with their exams and treatments. Although there were definitely cultural differences in the way staff interacted with clients, or how clients viewed the usage of medicine, it was amazing to see how I was able to blend in to the hospital staff solely from our combined passion for veterinary medicine. 

Because I grew up with a mixture of Taiwanese and North American culture, I never thought about how different the two cultures affect the way people view medicine. This experience encouraged me to look deeper into that relationship, but also showed me how similar we are despite coming from different backgrounds.

I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to explore my own culture further, this experience will stay with me and guide me as I find my path in the veterinary field. I would like to extend my thanks to the donors for funding  the trip, Global programs for helping in planning, my mentor Dr. Richard Pereira for ensuring I am adequately prepared, and the doctors in NTU for teaching me throughout the 5 weeks.