Alexandra Burianová has been studying general medicine at the Ostrava Medical Faculty for five years. She went to Thailand last July to test her medical knowledge by completing an internship. She chose the not-so-well-known city of Khon Kaen. Thailand was her top choice because Asian countries had always fascinated her. "Since I would like to specialize in cardiac surgery in the future, I chose this department. My host university was Khon Kaen University, and its partner hospital was the Queen Sirikit Heart Center of the Northeast," reveals the future doctor.

What exactly attracted her to Asia? "I’ve always been interested and fascinated by the idea of how I could gain insight into countries that are so distant from us. I wanted to explore how different fields operate, what the working conditions are like for doctors, how the study of medicine differs, and, last but not least, capture the atmosphere and character of the people who live there," explains Alexandra Burianová.

She spent 5 days a week at the hospital, with weekends off. Most of her time was spent in the operating rooms. Still, a few times she had the opportunity to observe the intensive care unit. "My workday began at 9 a.m., just as the surgical program started. Cardiothoracic surgeries are very lengthy, so I could only attend one surgery a day. We finished around three or four in the afternoon.

Students at Khon Kaen University do not have cardiothoracic surgery as a compulsory subject, so I was often the only student in the operating room," Alexandra describes, adding that maybe that’s why the doctors were very kind and willing to explain the condition of every single patient. Another surprise for the young medical student was finding out that students are part of every single surgery and have much greater responsibilities than medical students in the Czech Republic: "Before each surgery, it is completely automatic for a student to wash the patient and insert a urinary catheter independently, without any supervision. Students also assist during every surgery. And when they don’t, they observe the surgery directly in the operating field while the doctors explain each step."

Alexandra tried to make the most of her free time, as she puts it, in the most efficient way possible. During the week, she stayed on the university campus, which is one of the largest in Thailand. "There were many sports fields, running tracks, a swimming pool, galleries, and many other recreational options. On the other hand, I tried to travel as much as possible across the country on the weekends. Thailand is a country with endless possibilities. I visited several temples, and night markets where I tried Thai cuisine, and explored nature. I took advantage of the airport in Khon Kaen and flew to Chiang Mai, where I visited an elephant sanctuary, the capital city Bangkok, and spent a few days on the beaches of Phuket," she lists the places she was able to visit during her internship.

And what would she say to students still deciding whether to go on an internship? "From my perspective, it's a unique opportunity for a student to grow both professionally and personally. Of course, if you're planning to visit a country outside of Europe, keep in mind that you'll be required to provide a large number of documents and confirmations, which, for me, caused a huge amount of stress even just weeks before the start of my internship. However, all that trouble is worth it! This experience gave me new perspectives that have fundamentally influenced how I deal with challenges and forced me to step out of my comfort zone and face new situations. Another important benefit is the improvement of language skills. Being in the hospital simply forces you to speak English. Professionally, I had the opportunity to try many things I wouldn’t normally have access to," concludes the medical student from the Ostrava Faculty of Medicine.