Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Sarah Hodge, Nursing Student

Today (Sun 5/25) was a great day! We attended church at Phnom Penh Church of Christ.  The church is filled with the most beautiful of souls.  People are so welcoming and inviting.  The service was filled with spirited worship, a baptism, and communion.  I was extra relieved to see Pheap, a friend of Dr. Taplin, who I have formed a friendship with.

We then ventured down to the river that runs through the city to a restaurant known as FCC, a traditional place for foreigners to come and meet.  It was fancier than where we have gone to eat.  The food lived up to the high prices!  It was exceptional.  Comparably, the view over the river and the palace was fantastic.  We were welcomed with a breeze to cool us off. Continue reading →

Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Erin Cantrell, Nursing Student

Today (Sat 5/23) we were warmly welcomed to the Asia Institute of Sciences in order to teach other nursing students:

We were each split up into groups and taught the following topics: SBAR (a communication tool for nurses at shift change), physical assessment, vital signs, hand hygiene, signs/symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as physical therapy techniques.  There were several classrooms full of students eager to learn our topics.  As we finished each presentation, we went to the next classroom to meet more smiling faces.  The students were great in that they had many questions to ask which kept us on our toes.  It was nice to work alongside my classmates and even more fun to work with Jenni Massie, who is currently in the Masters program: Continue reading →

Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Sarah Hintz, Nursing Student

Today (Tue 5/19) was our second and last day at Sonja Kill Hospital. Many of us woke up to the sun’s rays peering through the “mountains of Kampot”; however, less than 12 hours before the break of dawn, we stood under the covering of the star-filled sky.  Certainly, the most star-lit sky I have seen in my entire 21 years of existences.  During our time here we have experienced, that from the moment when we wake up to the moment when we fall asleep, we are surrounded by Beauty.  It is a beauty that goes beyond the word itself because it carries much more meaning than that.  It carries comfort, peace, and humility.  Surrounded by such beauty we are humbled to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.  Just by simply being on the hospital grounds we are in awe of the Creator of the Universe and feel a part of His continued work with humanity.  We have the opportunity to partner with God’s heart, what He is doing, and what He has planned for Hope International (the organization that supports Sonja Kill Hospital). Continue reading →

Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Rachel Finn, Nursing Student

Today (Mon 5/18) marks the end of the vacation part of our trip, and the beginning of the true work we set out for!  Today is our first day at Sonja Kill Memorial Hospital, which is located in Kampot, Cambodia!

They are a charity hospital whose goal is to give affordable healthcare to patients in need.  Payment of services is strictly based upon the patient’s ability to pay; the poor get treated for free while the ones who can afford it pay a fee.  It is staffed mostly by Cambodians; however, many doctors and nurses come from abroad to work and help train the staff.  Our, us Belmont people’s, main mission for this stop is to help further educate the doctors and nurses here, treat some patients, and help in anyway the hospital needs. Continue reading →

Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Aly Webb, Nursing Student

I plopped down, out of breath and sweaty, in the front seat of a friend’s car. It was 5:45 am on the dot. I’m late. I look at my buddy Evan, my right hand man for this kind of stuff, as he turns on the car. It’s clear he knows me too well when he immediately recognizes my visible stress,  “Come on Aly Webb, I got this. I can get you to the airport in ten minutes. Tops.” I give him a disbelieving raised eyebrow.

As he makes a right turn onto the interstate I freak out, “Dude! The airport’s that way!” He tries to not laugh at my obvious lack of confidence in his sense of direction. “Aly Webb… I got this.”

I, of course, am still not convinced and attempt to slyly look up directions to the airport. Continue reading →

Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Sarah Hodge, Nursing Student

Our days are starting to run together although we have been here just a couple of days. Today, however, will be stuck in our minds for weeks and years to come. We had the opportunity to visit the Killing Fields.

The Killing Fields represent the massive genocide that happened between the years 1975 to 1979. Millions of innocent Cambodians were brutally murdered during this regime. The Killing Fields pay respect to the many that died. Graves and bones are on display, many which are in the monument that was constructed to house skulls and bones of the victims. Continue reading →

Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Dani Cichon, Nursing Student

Our first experience with the “Russian Market” can only be described as… overwhelming. Overwhelming in the way of smells (some delicious, some too bad to even put into words), colors, shouts of “Miss, you want something? You want something?”, feelings of anxiety when struggling to bargain…just overwhelming. But the good, this-is-so-different-but-awesome kind of overwhelming! Plus, Dr. Taplin knew the places to go, and hooked us up with “the silk lady,” “the silver lady,” and “the gold lady.” It’s safe say that most of us had a lot less money and space in our carry-on bags afterwards. But who can resist a silk scarf being sold for $2? After a few hours there, we headed back to the hotel to prepare medical supplies that would be taken to Sonja Kill hospital in Kampot.  Later, we went to a Khmer restaurant and feasted on dishes such as fish amok, striped snakehead, and fried ice cream. With the sounds of Chapey music playing in the background (traditional Khmer dance/ceremony music) and the help of a makeshift crown and corsage made out of balloons, we also celebrated Sarah Hintz’s twenty-first birthday there.

The night finished with many group members receiving well-earned massages, and the rest getting what was probably our first full night of sleep since before the trip began.

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. Continue reading →