Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Cassie Scott, Nursing Student

To begin this adventure, we started our day having Dr. Taplin and Mrs. Morse show us around Phnomh Penh which is where we will be living out of the majority of our trip. It also gave us our first dose of what the Cambodian heat would do to us. We got to see such sights such as the Royal Palace, the Tonle Sap river, and many of the surrounding stores. This was also our first dose of the Cambodian culture and interactions with the Khmer people. We happened to arrive during a national holiday, the King’s birthday which meant that most of the city was in celebration mode. We passed by the Prime Minister’s motor escort twice during our city tour. We took our first tuk tuk ride back from this walking tour which was an adventure. That was nerve wracking since Cambodian traffic has no rules and you feel as if everything is going to hit you, but overall a great experience. It’s a good way to watch the people interact in the city while getting a nice breeze to cool you off for a few minutes.

Another one of the big events we did our first day was visit Tuol Sleng prison. A little history about Tuol Sleng: this was one of the main torture prisons used by the Communist movement, the Khmer Rouge, to interrogate “suspicious” traitors through violent means. This was our first emotional hit for our group. Viewing the prison cells and various torture weapons was an eye opener. The biggest impact was seeing the faces of these poor souls as they were entered into the prison. These head shots portrayed many faces showing different emotions such as fear, terror and confusion. It is very hard to describe the feeling of looking at those many picture eyes staring back and imagining the horrors they suffered. We also had the honor of meeting one of the seven survivors of this prison, Chum Mey. He still lives today and advocates to keep Tuol Sleng a place of education and awareness of this history of the Khmer Rouge. Personally, this was the hardest part for me. His face lit up speaking to me and showing me the picture of him being liberated from Tuol Sleng. Looking into his eyes though, you could see age that came with enduring the cruelty of imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge. It was truly an eye opening visit creating an appreciation for what the Khmer people went through and humbling you to how lucky we are as Americans to have not seen such genocide in our own country.

I am excited to begin clinics and start bringing healthcare and love to these people who deserve so much of both. So far they have been a blessing and being in their country has been a great experience!