23-year-old Thery always felt a calling towards healthcare. Although she had no healthcare professionals in her family, Thery worked hard to break into the competitive field. By the time she graduated high school, she’d been accepted into a midwife training programme at Stung Treng Regional Training Centre for Health.
“Growing up, I always saw how important medical and healthcare workers are. This made me develop a love for the field and pushed me to study it after graduating high school. Now, I’m the first one in my family to work in the healthcare field.”
Thery is now in her third year of university. In December, she interned for two weeks at AHC as part of our midwife student training programme.
The internship challenged Thery to step outside of her comfort zone, exposing her to children’s health care for the first time.
“As a midwife student, I normally study adults’ illnesses, so children’s illnesses are quite new for me. Luckily, the AHC staff are always there to help me out when I have a problem.”
Her training both in and out of the classroom has helped Thery grow in her confidence with children and families.
“Since coming to AHC, I’ve noticed myself improving a lot. Now, I’m confident communicating with families, and have learned a lot about having a good attitude and following the nursing process.”
After completing her internship, Thery returned to school to take her final exams. In the future, Thery hopes to open her own clinic to help new and expecting mothers. For now, she’s focused on studying hard to earn her degree and midwife license.
“I’ve loved interning at AHC as it’s given me the experience of working with children. I’m learning so much. And every time I’m able to practice what I’ve learned in class, I see the value of we’re taught.”
Thery is one of the hundreds of nursing, medical and midwife students who intern at AHC every year. Thanks to your support, students like Thery are gaining the invaluable skills and knowledge they need to make positive change in their communities.