International Relations Office Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University
“Japanese culture, people, and how the city is clean and organized inspire me to go visit Japan as a medical student at least once as a medical student.”
MD-KKU’s Department of Emergency Medicine recently welcomed Dr.Travis Westcott, an emergency medicine specialist from Emergency Medicine Department of Southland Hospital, New Zealand, for a three-month clinical exchange and training program between October 12, 2023 and January 5, 2024.
Dr. Westcott has worked in Emergency Medicine since 2005 and is passionate about providing the best possible care for patients and where possible taking a preventative medicine approach. He also has a passion for point of care ultrasound and also has non-clinical portfolios covering ultrasound teaching, emergency department security, equipment acquisition, review of reportable and sentinel events, and management plans for difficult patients and staff rostering.
During his stay in KKU, he hopes would like to learn more about South East Asia culture and languages and in particular how patients interact with the Thai health care system, to be exposed to the unique challenges of tropical medicine, and to share his emergency medicine knowledge and skills in developing specialty areas (in particular the growing use of point of care Ultrasound medicine).
Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun
Editing by Prof. John F Smith
“I will remember all the knowledge, experiences, and feelings from Aichi Medical University, Japan, and will use them as motivation and inspiration for the rest of my career life.”
On November 7, 2023, Assoc. Prof. Apichat Jiravuttipong, MD, Dean of KKU Faculty of Medicine welcomed Professor Sophia Mavroudas, Associate Director of the Forensic Anthropology Center (FACTS) at Texas State University, USA to our faculty.
Professor Mavroudas is currently focused on the incorporation of non-traditional histomorphometric variables to improve age-at-death estimation methodologies in forensic contexts across global populations. As a forensic anthropologist, she is also involved in disaster victim identification efforts for presumed migrants who die crossing global borders.
She participated in the MD-KKU overseas visiting professor program in our Department of Anatomy and gave a guest lecturer on “The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS): The utility of outdoor decomposition facilities and donated skeletal collections in forensic science research.” This talk covered how FACTS uses a willed body donation program with its indoor and outdoor laboratories to conduct research related to forensic contexts. It also discussed the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection and research done with this vital resource at both micro- and macroscopic levels.
On this occasion, the Department’s staff also attending the meeting included Assoc. Prof. Jariya Umka Welbat, Head of the Department, and Asst. Prof. Tawut Rudtanatip. They discussed the development of collaborative-research and clinical skills development projects between the two institutions.
Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun
Editing by Prof. John F Smith
“It has been an amazing month at Aichi Medical University.”
On October 26, 2023, Assoc. Prof. Apichat Jiravuttipong, MD, Dean of KKU Faculty of Medicine welcomed Professor Nolwenn Dheilly, Head of the Pathogen Discovery Laboratory, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, France to our faculty.
Professor Dheilly’s research includes epidemiological investigations following outbreaks of known and unknown origins, characterization of virus enzootic cycles, development of diagnostic tools, and fundamental research aimed at the development of novel therapeutic and preventive strategies.
She participated in the MD-KKU overseas visiting professor program in our Tropical Medicine Department between October 23 and 27, 2023 and gave a guest lecturer on “Metagenomics to identify novel and unexpected pathogens for improved diagnoses and prevention: From coronaviruses to arboviruses and viruses of parasitic worms.”
The Department’s staff led by Assoc. Prof. Sutas Suttiprapa also attended the meeting to discuss guidelines for NIH Research Project Grant Program (RO1), academic support provision in developing collaborative studies in Tropical Medicine and supervision of staff and students in relevant subjects.
Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun
Editing by Prof. John F Smith
MD-KKU recently welcomed four medical exchange students from St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Japan to our Departments of Surgery and Emergency Medicine. Their program will run for four weeks from October 25 to November 16, 2023.
On their Orientation Day, the International Relations Officers introduced them to the Faculty of Medicine program and to some essential Thai language. Then they proceeded to the departments to meet their program supervisors and key persons.
In the afternoon they attended a campus tour on our KKU Smart Transit (shuttle bus). The KKU Sports Complex was their first stop. They were introduced to our fitness, swimming pool, and sports facilities by international services staff there. After that they moved to the KKU Art and Culture Center to see art exhibitions and also saw Isan culture and architecture at Koom Sri Tarn. They then visited the Natural History Museum, where important natural and historical resources are exhibited. Their final stop was at Food and Services Center 1 (Student Complex) where they tried out speaking Thai for shopping and buying food.
Their first day in KKU was designed to be really productive learning about KKU and medical school to ready them for the exchange program with Thai medical students, professors, and the Thai health care system.
Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun
Editing by Prof. John F Smith
“Having an overseas medical elective opportunity is like killing two birds with one stone, as I was able to do two of my favorite things: medicine and traveling.”
On October 3, 2023, MD-KKU International Relations Office met with 12 Medical Illustration students for an orientation session before they leave on internships abroad in November 2023. These students will be based at APT Phaiboun Trading Import & Export Co., Ltd., Phongsavanh Bank, and Kasemrad International Hospital in Vientiane, Lao PDR, and Royal Phnom Penh Hospital in Cambodia.
The internships are part of the Cooperative and Work Integrated Education Program (CWIE) run by the MD-KKU Department of Medical illustration for students to receive hands-on experience related relevant to their future careers. The CWEI experience is an instructional mechanism for the university and entrepreneurs to collaborate in providing work-based learning to reinforce students’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. The Program also “work-hardens” students to real world-work by providing them experiential learning.
Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun
Editing by Prof. John F Smith