Time for Thailand!

I honestly can’t believe this is finally happening. In a little over a week, we’ll be making our way to Thailand. While there, we’ll be learning about how their pharmacy practice and education differs from ours, and we’ll also have some time to explore the country. There’s so much to look forward to, I can’t even think about it all clearly. I should probably read the itinerary (sorry Dr. Katz…).

My first experience with international pharmacy was at my grandmother’s pharmacy in the Philippines. I visited the pharmacy many times when I was younger and they were well known for compounding topical creams, but other than that, I never paid attention to details like how patients obtained medications or the types of medications that were dispensed. Now that I’m studying pharmacy, I’m definitely curious to see how it’s practiced in other parts of the world. I’m also interested in the different therapies and drugs used. Any time I run into a relative or an exchange student carrying a medication that isn’t approved in America, I’m immediately on my phone trying to look up more information about it, so I think it’ll be cool to see what kind of unique pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments are available in Thailand.

Other than that, I’m excited to explore and learn more about Thailand. As one of the student exchange liaisons for our IPSF chapter, I’m looking forward to meeting with pharmacy students at Chulalongkorn University. Along with meeting people, I’m hoping to experience Thai culture, learn some of the language, and of course, eat A LOT of the food. I’ll be updating regularly throughout the trip, so expect a large number of (potentially food-related) entries and pictures in the future.

Just a THAI-ny Bit Excited!!

At work, I sit next to a pharmacy technician who is originally from Thailand. Her stories from her time spent in Thailand continue to build my excitement to go and create some of my own adventures.  Her accounts along with travel sites and friend recommendations have given me a list of things to do while in Thailand, but I am most excited to experience the unique culture for myself. One of my favorite things to try while in a new country is food. I love food, but I am nervous that I will accidentally order something too spicy and get sick or get sick from eating something not cooked properly. I am also very excited to see the famous transgender culture but I am also concerned with being approached by someone unfriendly late at night.

One of the Thai pharmacy practices that the technician told me about was the fact that most medications do not require a prescription (except for controlled substances).  I find this practice very confusing and wonder how chronic disease states are managed if seeing a doctor is not required for a prescription.  I am also curious to learn about herbal medicine practices.

Overall, I expect that this trip will be unlike any other trip abroad I've had and will be very culturally shocking. I hope to gain knowledge of the unique pharmacy, cultural, and social practices as well. 

Ready for Thailand

I am so ready for Thailand! I have been spending my last summer in pharmacy school working basically every day, and I am ready for a vacation and an interesting culture shock. This will be the first Asian country that I visit, and even though I am excited about all the places we will go and all the people we will meet, I am so thrilled to try all the food there. I'm always interested in trying new foods in other countries  that simply do not compare to anywhere else.

Also, this experience will certainly broaden my perspective on health care and probably give me a new appreciation for what pharmacists can do in America (since my impression is that they are limited in Thailand; maybe this impression will change to some degree).

The only concern I have about visiting Thailand is the sex industry there. For instance, is everything and everyone very forward and "in your face" or is it just in certain areas or sort of "underground"? I wonder if it'll be uncomfortable as a young female, or just entertaining.

No matter what happens or what we see, I know this trip will be amazing and I will learn things that you can only learn by immersing yourself into the culture. I've learned so much from my travels in the past and I'm excited to see how Thailand changes me as a person.

Sawatdeeka (Hello) Bangkok!

     First off, my parents were born in Thailand. Therefore, I am Thai. I've previously been to Thailand about 5 times prior to this trip. It was all to visit family and travel to the different parts of Thailand and Asia. The main reason I ever stepped into a pharmacy in Thailand, prior to this trip, was to buy some delicious chrysanthemum tea in the outdoor refrigerator like I do many times while I'm in Thailand. The only other time I'm in the pharmacy was when I was sick and needed some Amoxicillin.  Other than this, I have never really paid attention to the pharmacy in Thailand or how the infrastructure is.

               Some questions I don't yet have the answer to:
                        Do pharmacists need degrees in Thailand?
                        Do the patients ever need prescriptions?
                        Is the pharmacy just past down from generation to generation?

     I don't have a clue. I do know that there are Faculties of Pharmacy and there are programs that pharmacists can undergo. However, I don't know if everyone who owns a pharmacy must undergo this training. There's still much that I need to learn about pharmacy and about my own heritage.

     I'm really excited to go this time with some of my friends so they can see the beauty of Thailand with the architectural masterpiece "Wats" (temples). Most importantly, I'm really excited about the food. The street vendors are my favorite. I especially like the fruit carts, they cut up the fruit you want and give you a little dipping seasoning for only about 40 cents! Especially in Bangkok, the city that never sleeps, there's delicious food around the clock to try! Last time I was in Thailand, I was gone for a month and gained 10 lbs... let's hope I don't do that again.

    Lastly, I can't wait to practice my Thai and say phrases like 'Taow Rai Ka?' or 'Lot Noi Dai Mai'? :) You'll have to look that up yourself! You can be sure it has something to do with shopping.

Almost time to go!

Right now, I am sitting in my room trying not to forget stuff I will need in Thailand. I am going to fail at this and forget one or two things. I don't care though!

Supranee and I are going ahead of the main group to enjoy Thailand an extra 10 days. We fly out tomorrow morning around 6:30 am. We'll be staying with her aunt for those 10 days.

I am excited about the food I will get to try in Thailand and compare it with the 'Thai' restaurants here in the states. One of my favorite activities to do is try new foods.
The one thing I am most excited are the sites of Thailand. Since I will be there for quite awhile (almost 3 weeks!), I figure I can spend most of that time seeing what Thailand has to offer. I like to explore places on foot and plan on doing just that with my time.

After the rest of the students and Dr Katz gets in country, we'll be moving to the hotel and finish Thailand up with the main group. We have so much planned that I won't go into detail (even though I don't know the details myself)! All I know is that I joined this trip to learn about pharmacy at an international level. I am eager to learn the differences of the practice in Thailand to how it's practiced in the United States. Things that a pharmacist can and would do in Thailand compared to a pharmacist in the United at the hospital level, retail level, and even education level are all things I am looking forward to experiencing.

I will, of course, be posting my adventures on here and keep you updated with pictures and whatnot. I haven't chosen what I want to focus on for this blog and will probably post things at the end of the day for what I think was exciting.

Until then, I will pace my mind hoping not to forget my toothbrush, or my socks, or my book.

Later!
Chris H.

Excitement Continues to Grow!

In nine days, I get the amazing opportunity to travel over 8,000 miles to Thailand to learn more about how pharmacy is practiced in a country outside of the United States. Traveling and experiencing new things are two of my favorite things to do so I had to take advantage of this experience. Not only am I participating in this trip to learn about pharmacy practice in Thailand, but also to understand the culture, people, food, and popular attractions there. I think it's extremely important as a healthcare provider to understand how your profession is practiced not only in your own country, but globally.

Some of my specific goals for the trip are:

• Learn about the different opportunities for pharmacists
• Understand the health insurance system as a whole
• Become enlightened about the daily life of Thai people
• Make new friends and network with people along the way
• Learn some common Thai phrases and expressions
• Try as much food as possible; the more exotic the better

Last year, I was a member of the group that traveled on a trip similar to this one visiting Japan. I know there will be many differences between Thailand and Japan, but this is also something that I'm looking forward to. In Japan, we made a new friend, Mai Yokota, who is a student pharmacist at Kobe Gakiun University and I'm extremely excited that she will be joining us for round two in Thailand!

Overall, I have been looking forward to this trip all summer and can't wait any longer! We will be posting updates on this blog throughout the trip so stay tuned for more.

What I'm looking forward to

Traveling is my hobby and I love to travel by air. Before I started pharmacy school, I traveled to Europe. When I came back, the first thing on my mind was my future vacation’s destination; I wanted to visit Asia. My dream is coming closer to reality as we approach August.

My goal of this trip, aside from learning about the pharmacy field from an international perspective, is to learn about the Thai culture, eat real Thai food, and maybe lean a few Thai words.

I’m looking forward to see Bangkok and to take back home an exotic experience.