And suddenly, our two months at Kantha Bopha in Siem Reap are over. We’ve only just arrived, and now we have to head back to Switzerland, where autumn is setting in (a place that couldn’t look more different from Cambodia in the middle of its green/rainy season). You never really realize how quickly time flies until it’s all over. During this far-too-short time, we lived, laughed, cried, and sometimes even mourned in Cambodia. We familiarized ourselves with the Cambodian heal

For two months, we had the opportunity to complete our clinical internship at the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospitals in Phnom Penh. We look back on an incredibly educational, memorable, and enriching experience during which we not only expanded our medical knowledge but also gained many new perspectives on healthcare. From the very beginning, we were warmly welcomed by the hospital director, Prof. Santi, his deputy, Prof. Yaneth, and the entire team and integrated into the hos

In August and September, we had the opportunity to participate in and assist with scoliosis surgeries at Kantha Bopha Hospital in Siem Reap on various occasions. Scoliosis refers to a pathological curvature of the spine that typically occurs in all three dimensions. A distinction is made between the more common idiopathic scoliosis and the rarer secondary scoliosis. Idiopathic scoliosis most commonly occurs in adolescents: during puberty, the spine becomes deformed for reason

Starting in October 2026, medical student Philip will be joining our team in Siem Reap. And medical student Marina will be working in Phnom Penh. They’ll introduce themselves here in a moment. Marina Holdener Costa, 24, Chur GR When I was a child, I visited pediatricians and went to the hospital quite often. Unfortunately, the experiences I remember were anything but positive. That’s why I was very afraid of doctors for years, and as a teenager, I never would have thought tha

I was able to spend a month at the Jayavarman VII Maternity Hospital in Siem Reap. Women from distant provinces come to us every day to give birth here. Just as in other Kantha Bopha hospitals, care related to pregnancy and childbirth is free of charge. The obstetrics teams work around the clock here. Over 50 births every day. That’s a number I could hardly have imagined before my internship, since until then I’d only been familiar with obstetric care in Swiss hospitals. On m

Starting in September 2026, Bénédicte will be joining our team in Cambodia. The medical student will be working at our children's hospital in Siem Reap for two months. She'll introduce herself here. Bénédicte Masa, 25, Sion VS I decided to study medicine because, first and foremost, I wanted to combine my interest in the natural sciences with a career in the social sector. Getting to the bottom of the human body’s complexity while at the same time being able to help people wa

August is starting a little differently for us this year. Instead of a leisurely brunch or a fireworks show on August 1, we’re traveling to a country that’s still completely unknown to us. After about 20 hours of travel, we land in a new climate, a new city, and a new culture. We’re surrounded by new smells, sounds, and animals that we rarely encounter in Switzerland: little bats, little monkeys! We’ve arrived in Phnom Penh! After a warm welcome from hospital director Santi a

I’m sitting in the back seat of a friend’s car as we drive together to the hospital at 6:30 in the morning. She also works at Kantha Bopha Hospital in Siem Reap. As a Cambodian medical student, she’s completing part of her clinical training here. The night before, she invited Daphne and me to stay over at her place with her and a nurse from the Heart ICU. We ate together, laughed, and talked about our work as well as the differences between the Swiss and Cambodian healthcare

For a little over two weeks now, six-year-old Delux has been recovering from a successful Fontan procedure in the cardiac intensive care unit at Kantha Bopha Hospital in Siem Reap. This is the last of a total of three surgeries she has had to undergo as part of her treatment. Delux was born with a complex congenital heart defect in which only the left ventricle functions adequately. Such heart defects require a multi-stage treatment that begins in infancy. A few years ago, sh

Starting in August 2026, Anaëlle and Sina will be joining our team in Siem Reap. And with Melina and Romain, we’ll have students working in Phnom Penh for the first time. Here, they’ll all introduce themselves. Anaëlle Hurni, 24, Zurich Somehow, it was always clear to me that I wanted to study medicine. I wanted to learn something that would still inspire me in 20, 40, or 60 years and would never bore me. My biggest role model in this field is my father, who works as a famil

Starting in July 2026, Marco will be joining our team in Cambodia. The medical student will be working at our children’s hospital in Siem Reap for two months. He’ll introduce himself here. Marco Sallenbach, 28, Wiesendangen ZH I’ve been passionate about medicine from an early age. I’m fascinated by how scientific knowledge can be combined with compassion. I value the close contact with patients and the opportunity to get to know their stories and work together to find soluti

When Dr. Philip Robinson, the president of the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital Foundation, asked us if we’d like to accompany him to an NGO focused on clean water and hygiene just outside Siem Reap, we immediately agreed. On a Monday afternoon, we drove with him and Prof. Dr. Chhun for about half an hour to a small village in the countryside. As soon as we arrived, we saw a group of people waiting for us in front of a bright blue house. We were warmly welcomed by the founder

In early June, as junior residents at the hospital, we had the special opportunity to participate in a charity bike ride around Angkor Wat. The event was supported by the Cambodian Ministry of Justice and brought together several hundred participants to help fund the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital. Many families rely on the high-quality care provided there, which is free of charge for patients. We met at the hospital before sunrise and set off together for the starting poin

Starting in June 2026, Christopher will be joining our team in Cambodia. The medical student will be working at our children’s hospital in Siem Reap for two months. Here, he introduces himself. Christopher Meeks, 25, Winterthur ZH I owe my interest in medicine largely to two strong and inspiring women in my life. My mother and godmother are both doctors and have encouraged my fascination with the complexity of the human body from an early age. For me, our body is and always

The fight against the hidden danger lurking beneath Cambodia’s fields: To this day, Cambodia remains one of the countries most affected by landmines in the world. Decades of armed conflict – particularly during the Khmer Rouge regime and the subsequent civil war – left millions of hidden explosive devices scattered throughout the country. Although the war has long since ended, its consequences still affect the population every day. Especially in rural areas, landmines pose a

The scent of jasmine and incense fills the air, water fountains spray through the wide streets and narrow alleys of Siem Reap, and festive music blares from every temple. Siem Reap is celebrating Choul Chnam Thmey, the Khmer New Year. Amid the shimmering heat of a Southeast Asian April, one of the region’s liveliest, warmest, and most traditional festivals takes place here. The Khmer New Year is deeply rooted in the Hindu-Buddhist solar calendar. It falls in mid-April and mar

Starting in May 2026, the two medical students will be joining our team in Cambodia. They will be working for two months at our children’s hospital and maternity ward in Siem Reap. Here, they introduce themselves. Ila Grenkowski, 23, Lucerne My fascination with the human body began in early childhood. My mother studied biology, and because of her interests, we had many books at home about nature and the human body. So, from a young age, I would flip through things like the e

Interview with Prof. Ueli Möhrlen How many times have you come to Cambodia on missions? This is my fourth time. My first visit was in February 2020, and then there was a break during the COVID-19 pandemic. And now I come here once a year for a week at a time. Is the goal of all your missions here to advance minimally invasive surgery? It’s not just about minimally invasive surgical techniques. It’s also about determining indications and planning treatment: How and when do

Introduction Even before I left, I knew that, unlike most of my predecessors, I would be the only Swiss medical student here during the first of my two months. That’s why I was even slightly more nervous than one usually is before a big trip. I worried and wondered how well I would connect with the locals and whether I would find people to do things with outside the hospital. Or whether I would still have the energy in my free time to make new friends. But I was welcomed so w

Starting in April 2026, Frederik will be joining our team in Cambodia. The medical student will be working at our children’s hospital in Siem Reap for two months. Here, he introduces himself. Frederik Banerjee, 24, Basel I decided to study medicine because I’ve been fascinated by the natural sciences from an early age. Medicine offers the opportunity to engage in scientific work while also interacting directly with patients and supporting them through various life situations.