Narong San - From the life of a Cambodian medical student

Narong San

After a long journey, we - the new group of Swiss students - arrived safely in Siem Reap towards the end of April and have since settled in perfectly at Jayavarma VII Hospital. In addition to all the new medical impressions that we have been able to gain so far in the obstetrics department and the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), it is above all the interpersonal contacts and experiences with the people in one of the world's largest children's hospitals that have captured our hearts.

In our first article, we would therefore like to tell you about our new friend Narong San - one of several Cambodian medical students who, like us, are completing part of their internship here. Narong's stories have taught us a lot about Cambodia's past, the school system, medical care and the general changes the country is undergoing.

As in many other Cambodian families, the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror from 1975 to 1979 was a major turning point. His father, born in 1970, grew up as the seventh and youngest child in a farming family. And although the area around Kampong Cham was somewhat less affected by the brutality of the regime, the family suffered under its arbitrariness and the famine that was prevalent throughout the country. The loss of school and medical care was particularly difficult for the family - the communist dictator Pol Pot had teachers and doctors, among others, executed. And all schools and hospitals were closed under the pretext of equalizing all citizens.

After the end of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979 - initiated by the invasion of Cambodia by Vietnamese troops - the situation in Cambodia remained difficult. Nevertheless, Narong's father was able to attend one of the rebuilt schools, start a secondary school career with the support of the whole family and then study medicine in Phnom Penh. During the reconstruction phase, the schools and universities were equipped with the most basic resources. As there was a lack of teachers in the country, any kind of human resources were used as long as they could teach and pass on a useful skill.

There was no student accommodation, so Narong's father lived in their city monastery free of charge during his studies thanks to the generous monks in Phnom Penh. After graduating, he was allowed to complete a one-year exchange in France, after which he set up his own gynecological practice before the age of thirty. Shortly afterwards, Narong was born, the first of four children.

Narong was born on 2 July 2001 in Kampong Cham on the Mekong River and had a much less deprived childhood compared to his parents' generation. Public schools were now accessible again for the majority of the population, teachers were trained and the infrastructure was continuously improved in all areas. Until he was ten years old, for example, there was no electricity at night and most of the roads were still unpaved - circumstances that are now unimaginable even for Narong. He attended primary school in his hometown and then had the privilege of attending an international, English-speaking high school in Phnom Penh at his father's request, which enabled him to achieve an excellent command of English.

Historically, French was the most important second language for a long time due to Cambodia's former colonization by France. Nevertheless, English is now more important, especially among the general population, although French remains the specialised language at some universities. After high school, Narong went on to study medicine in Phnom Penh and at the same time applied for a scholarship that would enable him to continue his studies in Japan, which was more lucrative from an academic point of view. He was selected from over 1,000 candidates and is one of two Cambodian students each year who are allowed to study medicine at the International University of Health and Welfare in Narita. Before continuing his studies, he had to learn Japanese in a three-month language course. Japanese has almost no similarities to Khmer - the national language of Cambodia - or English and has a completely separate writing system.

Narong is currently in the sixth of eight years of study. While the first three years at the university are all theory, from the fourth year onwards there is a more practical focus with a continuous change to various hospitals and clinics as training centers. Cambodian students have to complete part of their internships in Cambodia - and so Narong followed the good reputation of the Kantha Bopha hospitals, which are generally well known and have an excellent reputation in the country. He is now here with us to work for two months in the various specialties of the Jayavarma VII Children's Hospital in Siem Reap and gain insights.

Excursion to Angkor Wat with the two Cambodian students Narong and Ratana.

Like us, Narong is very enthusiastic about the hospital - the staff are extremely friendly, competent and helpful. Teaching is very important to the doctors at the hospital, so we receive daily training in the various specialisms. Narong cannot yet say with absolute certainty exactly how he envisages his personal future. At the moment, he is interested in obstetrics and oncology, particularly oncological surgery, as possible specialisms. His scholarship comes with the obligation to spend seven years of his future medical practice in Cambodia. However, as he also really likes it in Japan, he is not ruling out the possibility of emigrating to the nearby island state in the long term.

No matter what the future holds for him: We wish Narong all the best on his journey and hope to see him again soon - whether on holiday in Japan, Cambodia or Switzerland.

With best regards from Siem Reap

Andrin and Simeon