The Journey That Stirred a New Heartbeat

During the same clinical rotation as Hồ Anh Dũng at Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center in Wisconsin (USA) this past October 2025, student Phạm Hoàng Anh (Class of K20) also had a memorable experience—gaining new clinical knowledge, expanding her perspective on modern healthcare systems, and, most importantly, learning how to truly place the patient at the center of care. These experiences have genuinely “changed the beat of her heart” on her journey to becoming a doctor.

On her very first day at the outpatient department as an observer, Hoàng Anh quickly realized something essential: the way doctors speak, listen, and explain to patients forms the foundation of all medical practice. Even though she was only observing, she could clearly see the respect and sensitivity expressed in every question, every explanation, and even in the doctor’s steady eye contact with the patient.

Although she had a decent English foundation and had been exposed to medical terminology early on, there were moments when Hoàng Anh felt “overwhelmed” by the fast pace of communication and the natural linking sounds of native speakers. “They were speaking English, but not the kind of English I had learned,” she said.
Despite this, she remained confident and proactive in communicating with both doctors and patients, helping herself deepen her understanding of each case she was following. Through these interactions, both the physicians and patients grew increasingly fond of her.
 

Hoàng Anh – the cheerful petite girl on the far left

Among the many experiences she had, perhaps the most profound moment occurred in the Obstetrics Department. While following a smooth vaginal birth of a 43-week-and-3-day baby, Hoàng Anh witnessed the incredible moment the infant seemed to “leap out,” met instantly by the swift reflexes of Dr. Karlye Rodriguez-Wisdom. The overwhelming joy from the family and the medical team made the young student’s heart tremble. “It was the moment that changed the rhythm of my heartbeat,” she recalled.

Though only four weeks long, the rotation was, for Hoàng Anh, an extraordinary experience—one that deepened her understanding of the Hippocratic Oath in the context of modern medicine: respect for privacy, confidentiality, cultural humility, and communication—foundations that shape the ethics and character of every physician.

Hoàng Anh and Anh Dũng are the two students awarded clinical internship scholarships under the collaboration between PCTU and Tamarack Health.
To provide students with more learning opportunities and exposure to advanced healthcare systems, PCTU has actively expanded partnerships with renowned medical universities and organizations around the world, including Greenfifth University (Australia), LMU (Germany), Volunteering Journey, AMOpportunities (USA), and most recently, Bond University (Australia) and Michigan State University (USA).

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