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.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to return to South Korea, my home country, for the first time in nearly five years. This experience allowed me to reunite with my family and engage in meaningful cross-institutional research in veterinary ophthalmology and clinical training in veterinary clinics uniquely shaped by the culture.
This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to the Tha Yang district of Thailand and volunteer for three weeks with Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. I spent one week each with the wildlife hospital, wildlife rescue center, and elephant refuge, and met other volunteers and employees from around the world. The foundation takes in, rehabilitates, and often releases wild animals that have been exploited for human use.
This summer, I had the privilege of participating in Global Programs at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. I flew across the Pacific Ocean with my friend and classmate, Liana Kruger-Moore, to visit the Phetchaburi province of central Thailand. Phetchaburi, translating to “City of Diamonds,” is known for its imposing natural scenery, deep cultural heritage, and characteristic cuisine.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan for my externship project, thanks to the generous support of the Global Program. With the guidance of Dr. Lynette Hart and Dr. Takuo Ishida, I developed a research project to explore the approaches of veterinarians to euthanasia in Japan where euthanasia is a culturally sensitive topic. I had a chance to meet Dr. Takefumi Kikusui who introduced me to several animal hospitals in Tokyo.
This summer I was extremely fortunate to spend 3 weeks at the Animal Referral Center (ARC) in Auckland, New Zealand. During this time I was shadowing Dr. Joon Seo, BVSc, DACVIM, his intern Yi, and the cardiology tech, Penny. I had always wanted to visit New Zealand, and felt this would be a great opportunity to truly experience the different culture that I had heard about.
This summer, I traveled to Taiwan for my veterinary clinical externship, rotating through the departments of Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, Exotics, Surgery, and Internal Medicine at NTU’s veterinary hospital. In rehabilitation, I observed acupuncture, laser therapy, hydrotherapy, and Chinese herbal medicine as common treatment options for geriatric or cancer patients with chronic pain. These integrative approaches highlighted how Eastern and Western practices can complement each other in veterinary medicine.
This summer, I had the privilege of traveling to Cotacachi, Ecuador, to work with the Amici Cannis Foundation. From the moment I arrived, I was warmly welcomed by the veterinary team, the locals, and even the community street dogs.
Cotacachi is a town in northern Ecuador, renowned for its stunning landscapes, artisanal leatherwork, and vibrant Indigenous celebrations.
I chose to complete a 3-week externship with the Universidad CES in Envigado, Colombia which is a town that borders the large city of Medellín. My mother emigrated from Colombia in the 1980’s due to the safety concerns that she experienced at the time. This trip gave me the opportunity to reconnect with my heritage, offering new personal and professional relationships.
As part of my 2024 summer, I had the opportunity to spend the month of July at the Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica. The Toucan Rescue Ranch is a wildlife rescue center committed to the rehabilitation and release of the vast species native to Costa Rica as well as non-native species that have found their way into Costa Rica. These animals are brought to the Toucan Rescue Ranch by environmental government agencies that either confiscate the animals from illegal trafficking/ownership situations or collect injured animals found and reported by locals.
