In Country Volunteer Blog: Professional Growth and Personal Satisfaction

Back in May 2024, our in-country volunteer Sally Howard provided 3
weeks of clinical supervision and mentoring for the BSALT at Hai Duong
Medical and Technical University (HMTU). In her words, Gemma shares
her experiences and what motivated her to volunteer with Trinh
Foundation Australia.

I love travelling and new experiences and Vietnam is one of my favourite
countries. When I saw the volunteer opportunity through the Trinh Foundation
this looked like an amazing opportunity to combine my love of travel and my
work as a speech pathologist.

Speech pathology is a new profession in Vietnam, and it is not yet widely
recognised that speech pathologists have a crucial role in supporting people
with communication and swallowing impairments across the lifespan. With
improved access to speech pathology services in Vietnam it will be great to
see awareness improve.

Capacity building is important for addressing the gaps that exist in an
emerging profession, including training of speech pathologist’s and building
awareness of the scope of speech pathology practice. By recognising the
value of speech pathology and prioritising capacity building, the profession will
grow resulting in improved outcomes for people with communication and
swallowing impairments in Vietnam.

There were so many things that I enjoyed about volunteering in Vietnam. I
enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of the local community and experiencing
working in a foreign health care and university setting and being a part of their
team. I also enjoyed being able to share my 20 years of clinical experience
and supporting students in developing their skills and knowledge.
Volunteering in Vietnam is not only making an impactful contribution to the
speech pathology profession, but you will also experience professional growth
and personal satisfaction. You will meet wonderful people and make
connections for life. It is also an opportunity to see an amazing part of the
world and experience the Vietnamese culture and food. I don’t think anything
prepares you for the reality of the cultural differences of the Vietnamese and
Australian health care setting, however the Trinh Foundation and MCNV are
very organised and prepared in setting up a successful trip.