It has truly been an amazing month in Thailand, filled with unique educational and cultural experiences that have taught me so much. The Thai health care system is a great example of how universal health care can be utilized along with the pros and cons compared to a private payer system such as the U.S. Before traveling here, I did not expect Thai pharmacists to have as big of a role on the health care team as the U.S. I was quickly proven wrong as pharmacists have many of the same responsibilities, such as patient consultation at outpatient clinics and interprofessional collaboration with other health care professionals. Many medications in Thailand do not require a prescription and can be bought at a local pharmacy, such as antibiotics for an infection. Because of this, community pharmacists play a crucial role in drug selection and counseling to make sure the patient is being appropriately treated.
Throughout the trip we did many cultural activities and visited some amazing places. We visited several temples, traveled to the floating market, attended a Thai cultural show, and enjoyed a variety of delicious food. In addition to our planned activities, I spent a lot of time exploring the cities we were staying in, finding lots of markets and places to eat. One of the main takeaways I have from this trip is a sense of adventure and a willingness to go outside my comfort zone more. I hope to continue these traits in both my personal and professional lives upon my return to the U.S.
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