Summer Medical Mission 2019 VnHOPE Alliance

1st Pre-Mission Meeting: 3/9/2019

It is more than a medical mission

● Established in 2006 by Mr. Nguyen Duc Quang and Project Vietnam Foundation and now continued by VnHOPE Alliance

● Provide medical, dental and vision services for poor, rural Vietnamese communities

● Mentor, nurture and train the next generation of humanitarian health professionals who will aid Vietnam along with the rest of the world

This is a great opportunity to ● Explore a medical career● Learn a new culture● Learn or practice Vietnamese● Help people in need● Function as a team member● Mature and assume leadership

responsibility

For 2 weeks, you will● Dedicate yourself selflessly to the mission● Take care of your health – eat healthy, hydrate, use

sunscreen, bug repellent etc...● Take care of your team members● Take care of the patients ● Bring all the tools you will need for work to VN● Be ready to work every clinic day- always be cheerful and

smile to everyone (bring your own pens too!)● Work hard during clinic days● Rest at night to save your energy for the next clinic day

● Your parents are making you

● You want to avoid problems at home

● You want to do something wild that you cannot do at home

● You don’t respect authority or don’t like to work in a group structure

● You are preoccupied with boy/girlfriend, college or medical school applications

● Cannot focus solely on the mission for 2 weeks

You will not be allowed to work with this tourist visa

● Complete description of visa process can be found on this link : https://vnhope.org/visa-2/

You must have this business visa – DN – doanh nhan

Business Visa:● Business visa is required for everyone to participate

in the medical mission

● VnHOPE will obtain business visa for all volunteers via an agency named Titan Travels

● This business visa will allow us to work for at least 1month in VN

Business Visa:● Per Titan Travels: for the same fees of $68

(you’re paying $65) all our volunteers will be receiving the following visas

● Non Vietnamese volunteers: 1-month single entry BUSINESS VISA dated June 15-2019 through July 14-2019

● Vietnamese descendant volunteers (surname, first, middle or birthplace is Vietnamese on the passports): 3 month single entry BUSINESS VISA dated June-15 through September 15-2019

VISA disclaimer

VnHOPE only provides you with a single-entry business visa for the summer mission.

You must initially enter Vietnam using your business visa to work at the clinics.

If you plan on travelling and re-entering Vietnam more than once or remaining in Vietnam beyond 7/14/19 (for non-VN volunteers) you will need to apply for an additional tourist visa.

If you have visa problem while in VN● Always make a copy of your passport and store it in multiple

sources : email, cell phone, cloud etc..● If you lose your passport, contact the consulate in Saigon for

replacement (you can google the consulate phone, address...)● If you lose your visa, or you need to stay longer or need multiple

entries etc… please go to any travel agency in Saigon, tell them you lost your visa and ask them to help you obtain a new one

● The cost will depend on how fast you need it and if you need it replaced over a weekend

● If you have a 5 years Vietnamese visa, you can come and go any time and stay up to 6 months.

Mission Structure volunteers from US

● Mission management team

● 5 student teams : 79 students this year

● Team W- Adults and health care professionals

12

Mission Structure volunteers from US

Management teamMission Director: Dr. Kim ThaiVice Mission Director: Dr. Diane Truong Patient Registration: Ms. Tiana Ho and Mrs. Bich QuachTreasurer: Mr. Duc TranMission Physicians: Dr. Oliver Nguyen and Dr. Nguyet Vuong Directors of Student Affairs: Timothy Nguyen, Kimi Taira, and Andy Duong

Camp structureTeam W-Medical team/adult team

● Primary care● Pediatrics● Nutrition● Gynecology● Dental

● Optometry● Pharmacy● Patient education ● Gifts● Registration

Our professional team is organized into 5 specialties: Primary care, Gynecology, Pediatric, Dental, and Optometry

SUMMER MEDICAL MISSION 2019TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Tentative Schedule June 23- July 8-2019

● Each clinic will take see at least 250 adult,150 pediatric and 100 gyn patients

● In order to make appropriate preparations, any interested volunteers must sign up ahead of time to:○ work in soup kitchens○ visit orphanages○ participate in the field trip to the Mekong Delta

River. This is mandatory for all student teams – Team W members please sign up ahead of time if you want to go. An email was sent out from Dr Ho recently

www.Vnhope.org

● Videos of clinic in vnhope.org medical mission 2017 to see what kind of work we do

● https://vnhope.org/our-projects/

Team W Medical professionals

● Prepare to perform professionally under more difficult conditions with less resources

● In your hospital or your medical practice in the US: a patient’s care is driven by his or her needs

● In a medical mission: a patient’s care is driven by our resources- what we have to offer, what screening programs we can provide

● H&P focus on chief complaints and screening protocol

● We cannot do a comprehensive medical check on all patients

Team WNon – medical members● Everyone on team W will be assigned

tasks for the whole mission. There will be no rotations

● You will be given written instructions regarding your task

● Please discuss with the mission management if you need help in performing your task

Professional students: Medical, RNP, PA, Dental, Pharm, Optometry students

● Come to the mission only if your primary goal is to selflessly serve the underserved who don’t have access to health care.

● You need to take time to do an adequate H&P, making an assessment, then present to your mentor. All patients treatment plan must be signed off by the mentor. This is not a race to set a record as to how many patients you can see in a day. You might get excited about an interesting case but remember to treat patients with dignity and respect.

● Dental students: remember the poor children might see us only once, so all of their dental work must be excellent. Dr. Rose is a great teacher, she will evaluate your ability and guide you to do what she thinks you are capable of in giving your patient the best care.

Professional students: Medical, RNP, PA, Dental, Pharm, Optometry students

● Your secondary goal is to learn as much as you can.

● Work with your doctor mentor, don’t hesitate to ask questions. Don’t hesitate to volunteer for more responsibility. The doctors will let you do what they feels is appropriate and in the best interest of the patients.

Professional students: Medical, RNP, PA, Dental, Pharm, Optometry students

● Your third goal is to be the role models for the college and HS students.

● Therefore, interact with them, share your experience and conduct yourself at the highest standard at all time including no drunkenness, no staying out past curfew time, work hard, take charge of problem solving and no whining.

● Remember, many of them are trying to get into professional school so they look up to you. You must be nice, polite, professional and avoid being arrogant or condescending.

● You might be asked to take on more responsibility or to work independently – it’s a chance to spread your wings in a supportive environment – so take a deep breath and do your best.

Camp rules1. Observe camp schedule – Always be on time - Follow team leader’s commands.2. Always wear your name Tag while attending mission activities. Long pants are obligatory for females during clinic.3. Notify team leader 1 day ahead if you need to be excused from scheduled activities. Mission management is not responsible for you beyond our formal scheduled activities.4. Always be cheerful, polite, friendly and helpful. Bad manners, language, fighting and quarrelling are not tolerated.5. Illegal substances are prohibited.6. Don’t enter the rooms of the opposite gender volunteers after curfew. 7. No driving , riding or even sitting on motorcycles.8. Do not bring people into the camp without approval from management.9. Non married couple under 25 years old are in student teams and will not be assigned same hotel room.10. You must stay in your assigned hotel room through the whole mission. Must inform camp management if you stay with your family.11. You must sit with your team assigned bus, team W cannot sit in student team bus and vice versa.

Camp rules● Camp rules are strictly enforced

● Team W member will be on patrol duty with a breath analyzer

● First violation will land your name in the BLACK BOOK

● results in individual or team penalty

● Second violation in the BLACK BOOK will lead to expulsion from camp and sent home on the next flight

● Even if the second violation occurs on the last day, an expulsion will be on your record and you will not be eligible for a Letter of Recommendation

*Some general guidelinesLetter of Recommendation

● You might need LOR to apply for school, residents might need one for job applications

● Let Dr. Kim Thai know ahead of time

● Try to learn and get as much exposure to various experiences as possible

● Must write a report or post mission essay about your experience after the trip

● Multiple volunteer experiences with increasing level of responsibility prove your passion, dedication and leadership

How to write a post camp essay● DO

● Describe what you did, give a specific incident or story that showcases your problem-solving skills

● What you learned

● How you improved

● What your educational and career plans are

● Notify Dr. Kim Thai ahead of time when you need your LOR with all the info of where/when/who/whom/how

● DON’T

● Tell me what I did/thank me or how you admire me

● Tell me that you need your LOR tomorrow

● “By the way, I have an interview next week, can you put in some good words”

Preparation needed at this time

Each volunteer are asked to bring :

●As many used but in good-condition stuffed animals as you can collect

●4 bottles of Solaray chewable multivitamin tablets (120 tab bottle)

●50 pairs of sunglasses from 99 cent store

●6 bottles of eucalyptus oil

Pack all of these items in a size large Home Depot brown box and bring with you for the medical mission

Preparing for the Trip

Send in your:● Flight itinerary

○ A list of all volunteers travel itinerary will be shared by email

● Final balance○ Click here to submit the remaining

balance

Travel arrangement

● Arriving early in Vietnam for vacation or sight-seeing prior to camp is discouraged. You might get sick and bring it to the camp.

● If you get sick, you will be isolated and not allowed to participate in camp activities until you are completely well to prevent spreading the illness.

Preparing for the Trip (Vaccinations)

Vaccinations:

● Tetanus booster (every 10 years)● Hepatitis A vaccine● Hepatitis B vaccine● Typhoid vaccine

Transportation inside Vietnam

● Travel as a group by bus to clinic locations, hotel and field trips

● Use taxi- the fare is reasonable● Use only taxi with company name and meter● Write down the taxi company and number of

the taxi whenever you take a ride – in case you lose something or the driver give you trouble , you can call the company call center for help.

Security● It’s pretty safe● You are more likely to lose something

yourself than have it be robbed or stolen from you

● Always take precaution● Go out in a group and let your team

leader know where you are going● HS students will go out together with a

chaperone

Meet your Student Directors

Student Directors:Kimi Taira

Andy Duong

Kimi Taira

Tim Nguyen

Camp Organization

● Student volunteers are led by 3 Student Directors● 79 students: HS, college, & professional interviewed by

student & camp directors● Students divided into 5 teams: A,B,C,D,E ● Each team is lead by 2 Co-Team Leaders ● Each team will rotate through different work stations at

the clinics: Vitals, Labs, Vision Screening, Dental, Pharmacy, Patient Education, Crowd Control, and shadowing doctors in Primary Care, Pediatrics, and Gynecology.

Camp Organization

First 2 days are dedicated to training students on their tasks at each station and clinic flow.

Professional students are dedicated to their corresponding stations and don’t rotate with their teams.

To promote team bonding, students will eat meals, ride buses, and participate in activities with their assigned teams.

Students must participate for the full 2 weeks of the mission. They must not come late or leave camp early.

Student Teams

Student Teams are assigned: A,B,C,D,E

Preparing for the Trip

Flight Information/Travel Arrangements

● Check online for available flights and price quotes (early April tickets range between $1300-$1500)

● Save money by being flexible on your arrival and departure dates. Arriving early and paying 1-2 extra hotel nights ($45/night) in VN can still be cheaper than flying in on the exact date

● Purchase your ticket early if you can to save money!

Travel Arrangements● From LAX, popular group flights are red eye flights early

Saturday morning 6/22/19 on EVA and China Air. You will have plenty of company on those flights. There will be VNHope representatives leading the groups

● If you are taking a red eye flight, make sure you’re arriving on the correct night! ○ For example, you should arrive at the airport on Friday

evening if your flight leaves on early Saturday morning

● Avoid using Vietnam Airlines if possible, you may have trouble with oversold seats on your departing flight.

Travel Arrangements

Make new friends on the way to Vietnam!

$1200 Land Cost

● During the 15 days of the mission, the $1200 will cover:○ Hotel accommodation○ 3 meals a day + closing Banquet○ All the water you need to stay hydrated○ All VnHOPE related transportation in Vietnam○ Travel & Health insurance○ An excursion on our off day○ Your contribution to the operation of the 6 clinics

(medication, glasses, and gifts)

Things To Bring:

Things to Bring

2 color copies of Passport

Some hotels may require that we turn in our passport and/or Visa when we check-in (Keep your copies safely in the room safe or luggage)

Install Google Translate or similar app to help you learn your Vietnamese.

Things to Bring

Sun Protection:

● Hat/Sunglasses/Sunscreen

Dust Protection:

● Eye drops/Mask/Allergy medication

Bug Protection:

● Insect Repellent: DEET 30%-50%● Long Sleeves & Long Pants● Hydrocortisone/Band-aid/Neosporin

Things to Bring

Stomach Protection!

● Pepto Bismol/Imodium● Drink ONLY bottled water● Sensitive stomach= avoid tempting street food!

Personal:

● Regular daily medicines, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, baby wipes, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, money for use

Essential Equipment

Carry a Backpack! Unlock your Phone or buy a phone in VN

Phone & SIM

● Bring your own unlocked phone● Purchase a local SIM card and email your family your phone

number ○ Most phone companies in VN offer 30 days unlimited data

for roughly $10 USD (200,000 VND)● In VN, it does not cost you minutes when you receive a call,

only when you call out ● You can also install Viber on your phone

Phone & SIM & laptop

● Your family, Student Directors, and Team Leaders must know your number if you have a phone

● Your number will be kept confidential ● Phone is the best method for us to locate you outside of clinic ● Laptop is not required; wifi can be slow in the hotel

Other essential equipment

● Voltage converter and electric adapters ○ A good converter:

https://www.amazon.com/Simran-SMF-200-Converter-International-Countries/dp/B000W9DJ1Q/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1522989874&sr=8-8&keywords=voltage+converters+for+travel

● Ear plugs (roommate might be a snorer!)

Formal Wear

Arriving in Vietnam

Where to meet in VN

● On Sunday 6/23/19 we will all meet up in the morning at Tan Son Nhat Airport (even if you arrive early before 6/23/19)

● Do not fly into Vietnam on a late flight in the afternoon or evening of 6/23/19. We can’t wait all day for you at the airport. Our buses will leave from the airport to go to the hotel by 1PM.

● We can’t accommodate late arrivals, if you are late, you will have to make your own arrangements to join us at the hotel

Where to Meet in VN

● Look for VnHOPE representatives after you go through customs and exit the Arrival terminal

● We will take attendance and break up into pre-assigned teams to board the buses at the airport. Team leaders will be ready to take charge of their teams

● Should check into the hotel and get room assignments by 2 - 3 pm

Tân Sơn Nhất AirportSouth Vietnam

Everyone here? Let’s hit the road

Hotel

Hotel

Hotel Amenities

● We typically stay in 2-3 star hotels depending on the area we operate in, and the price we can negotiate. Expect the worse and be relieved when it’s not

● By pure luck some rooms may be better than others. Keep in mind that you are on a mission not a vacation

● We try our best to find a hotel which can accomodate our group of 100 people

● Students will get a complimentary roommate● Nightly turndown service AKA curfew room check by team

leaders. Violation will be noted on your service record

Hotel Amenities

● On working days, breakfast (AYCE) and dinner are at the hotel. Lunch is at clinic

● If you aren’t the adventurous type, pack some nutrition bars for the trip

● Laundry service is available. Prices range from $0.50 to $2.00 per item. To save money, hand wash your VNHope shirt and hang dry in bathroom

● Swimming pool may be available

Hotel Information

Le Duy Grand HotelAddress: 82-84 Cach Mang Thang Tam, District 3, Hồ Chí Minh City, VietnamPhone: +84 28 3930 3089

http://leduygrandhotel.vn/

At Clinic

Clinic Attire● Wear closed toe shoes (No open toed shoes or flip flops!) ● Scrub pants, capri pants, or long shorts (around the knees), no short shorts ● Wear your badge at all times

How to Beat the Humidity

● Avoid 100% cotton!● It’s a state of mind!

Accept the fact that you’re going to sweat constantly and your deodorant may not work. Every day is a bad hair day

● Remind yourself everyone else is just as sweaty, dirty, and messy.

Typical Clinic Schedule

6:00-7:00am – Eat breakfast7:00-8:30am – Get on bus and go to clinic8:30am-12:00pm – Set up / work clinic12:00-1:00pm – Eat lunch in shifts1:00-5:30pm – Continue with clinic5:30-7:00pm – End clinic / travel back7:30-8:30pm – Eat dinner8:30-9:30pm – Sorting/packing medicines on some nights9:30-Curfew – Free time to explore

Sample Clinic Flow

Female Adults

Children

OptometryPrimary CareGynecology

Registration

Vitals

Lab

Dental

PediatricsOptometry

Pharmacy

Gifts

Health Education

Adults

Clinic Responsibilities

● On clinic day, each student team is responsible for setting up and operating the station that it is assigned to ○ Carry required equipment and supplies from the truck

to the assigned station ○ Rearrange the furniture, open all windows for

ventilation, and verify operations of fans and lights ● Get your station ready to receive patients as quickly as

possible ● Clean up your station at the end of the clinic day. Don’t

leave trash behind

How to get through clinic

● Get enough sleep! Don’t stay up past curfew time

● Easy on the alcohol● Stay hydrated● Keep your

electrolytes up● Plenty of potassium

How to get through clinic

● Work as a team. Cooperate with team leaders and student leaders

● Learn the drug list used at clinics to prepare for your shadowing opportunities

● When things don’t go as planned, just relax and go with the flow

● Take little breaks when needed! Don’t overwork yourself

Some Camp Etiquette

● Don’t neglect your family back home!

● Email/text frequently so your family knows you’re alive

● Keep your social media posts tasteful. Always remember to respect our patients. ○ Do not post anything

political● If your parents are on the trip,

keep them informed when you go out: they shouldn’t come to us to look for you

Most importantly, have a good attitude & have fun!

Let’s ALL make it home safe and sound

Any Questions?