Medical Service Certification Program

Medical Service Certification Program – 2012 Program Itinerary

Day 1 (Tuesday): 
Relax and prepare for a world-class trip on Singapore Airlines. Prior to your departure, you will have received your pre-departure packet, which will include your Rustic T-shirts, airline tickets, and important contact information.
Once you arrive at your international departure city, our Flight Liaison will help you get checked in to your international flight. Working with our Flight Liaison will be your Flight Leader, who will escort you all the way to Thailand! Our Flight Leaders are most often schoolteachers or good friends of our organization who happily fill this role for us each year. Once you're checked in, feel free to relax and get acquainted with your new friends before boarding your flight to Thailand!

Day 2 (Wednesday):
Today is lost as you cross the international dateline. Fear not – you will get this time back on your way home.
           
Day 3 (Thursday):
Sawat dee and welcome to Thailand! Rustic Pathways staff will welcome you in Bangkok with an assortment of Thai food, fruit and drinks to keep you happy until your flight up to Udon Thani. In the meantime, stretch your legs and enjoy one of the world's nicest airports for a couple of hours. You will soon board another plane and head to The Ricefields Base.

When you arrive, the Western and Thai staff will welcome you to The Base, help you to find your room (hong) and to get a sense of your surroundings. Once you have had a chance to meet your new hong mates and hua naa hong (room leader), you can grab a snack, jump in the pool or take a long-awaited shower.

In the afternoon, staff will escort you to the local market where you can sample local foods and familiarize yourself with Ban Chiang Yeun. After a buffet-style dinner, we will hold a formal orientation and explain everything you need to know about our 12 community service projects and day-to-day life at The Base.  You will have the rest of the evening to make yourself at home, make some new friends, play a game of pick-up soccer or recover from jet lag. Welcome to life at The Ricefields Base!

Day 4 (Friday):
Days begin early in the village of Ban Chiang Yeun, and you will likely wake up to the sound of the morning gong calling the monks to begin collecting alms throughout the village.

After a buffet-style breakfast, our local staff will lead an introduction to Thai culture, followed by a tour of the local temple. If they are not meditating, a monk will likely give you a bracelet for good luck in a traditional string ceremony.

Lunch will be served at The Base and will introduce you to the exotic and diverse flavors of Thailand, plus a few reliable American staple foods. After lunch it will be time to dive right into your afternoon service project, with an introduction to medicine in Thailand given by a local Thai physician. After the introduction, you will have the chance to ask plenty of questions about how medical care is different in Thailand.

On Friday afternoon, the Thai staff will lead a series of Thai games that always generate friendly rivalry between the different teams and help create new friendships. We won't ruin the surprise, but students often want to hose off and jump in the pool together after the final race. After dinner, you will have the chance to help your hong win Fear Factor, where we sample some local delicacies. The winner will get a prize…perhaps his or her own bag of salted crickets to eat on Hong Night Out! 

The days are always busy here, and you will likely sleep well after a day of hard work. Lap fun dee, na! (Have sweet dreams!)

Day 5 (Saturday)
After breakfast, you will begin your WFA classroom session. Our expert medical staff will begin providing you with the information you need to develop your skills on wound care, first aid, CPR, and medical response. Since you'll be applying this knowledge on actual patients, we make sure you're an expert at every skill! You'll spend the morning training on how to assess medical situations, determine appropriate medical response in an emergency, provide basic first aid and CPR, and care for wounds. After training and applying these skills, you'll receive your Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and CPR certification.

The Saturday night activity will vary, but in the past we have had a pool party, game night, capture the flag or a scavenger hunt around the village.

Day 6 (Sunday): 
Sunday is our excursion day! The activity varies each week, but could include a trip to the Buddha Cave, visiting a local waterfall, banana boating, touring the celebrated temples of Udon Thani province, learning Muay Thai or attending a cobra show. We will eat lunch in town and return to the Base in the late afternoon.

Sunday evenings are relaxed, but we will screen a movie in the Ricefields house, or else you are welcome to try and beat the local staff in ping pong or Uno. Be sure to get your rest tonight to prepare for the first full day of service.

Day 7 – 9 (Monday – Wednesday):
After breakfast, you will continue with your classroom hours studying your WFA. We have designed the teaching schedule to be spread out over three days so that there is plenty of time to absorb all of the information you'll be presented with, while still enjoying the fact that you're based in a charming Thai village.

At lunch time, relax and enjoy yourself at the pool and the lunch buffet with all of the students at the Ricefields Base. Then, after lunch you'll head out to continue your medical service projects with our staff in the surrounding villages with one of our four local partner clinics. While there, you will assist the local staff with basic medical care and learn the art of providing medical care in community-based clinics. While applying your newly developed medical skills, you will be supervised by expert local staff that will help provide context and answer any questions you might have.

In Thailand, community clinics are where the real service happens! When not visiting one of the four clinics we partner with, you will help set up temporary clinics in local villages so that elderly and non-mobile patients have access to routine screening. While there, you will provide routine screening that will help prevent heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and bacterial infection.
Evening Activities

Monday night is Hong Night Out. Each hong can choose which activity they want to do, often choosing between karaoke, disco bowling or a Thai massage. You may be surprised at how well (or badly) your hong leader can sing! After the organized activity there is often enough time to walk around the local mall, which you can compare to a typical mall at home. 

On Tuesday evening we go to the Udon Thani night market. You and your friends will have ample time to shop for presents and souvenirs. You should also make sure to try one of the fruit smoothies or a Thai Iced Tea.

Every Wednesday we either have masseuses come to The Base or else we go into town for a traditional Thai massage. This is an optional activity that many students take advantage of after three days of service! On Wednesday night, since many students leave the next day, we will have a bonfire and goodbye party. Thai dancers come from the village to perform and teach traditional Thai dancing before we turn on the Western music and show the local staff how we dance at home. If you are departing the next day, you will leave early in the morning, so make sure to pack your bags.  

Day 10 (Thursday):
Your hong leader will wake you early this morning to say goodbye. After breakfast the Thai staff will host a ceremonial string ceremony in honor of your departure. All of the Thai staff and the whole Sanboon family will line up and tie ceremonial strings on your wrists for good luck and safe travels. This tradition is very heart-warming (and sometimes tear jerking), as you say goodbye to the staff and your new friends. 

If you are connecting to one of our Laos programs, you will participate in the excursion day with students on the Ricefields, Monks and Smiling Children program before meeting your new group at The Base and crossing the Mekong to your next adventure. All other students will fly to Bangkok in the morning to connect with their next trip or board the escorted group flight back to the United States.

Want to know more about the Ricefields Base?
The Ricefields Service Base has grown into a truly special place over the past several years, and you have to see it to really get a feel for it. Please be sure to check out the VIRTUAL TOUR to learn more.

An Important Note about Schedule Changes: 
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

Notes on What to Wear
Many students come to The Ricefields Base for the opportunity to work with children and get some teaching experience. The village where you will be staying is very friendly and casual, and you will not need to bring any fancy clothing for your service work. However, students must be prepared to bring a couple sets of rather conservative clothing to wear at temples and classrooms.

FEMALES: The main concern when visiting holy places and local schools is covering your shoulders and your knees. If you do not have this type of clothing, be prepared to buy a Thai-style sarong (wrap-around dress). Our host schools do not permit our students to appear in front of the class unless they are properly dressed, and we always strive to be prepared before they single people out and provide them with alternate clothing. Two or three pairs of lightweight pants (linen, thin cotton, etc.) or Capris or a long skirt are the best items to pack. T-shirts that cover the shoulders and are clean, not ripped and not low-cut are the most appropriate attire for all of our activities.

In general, we ask our female students to be respectful of the conservative nature of our surrounding community. Please leave any crop tops, see-through shirts, and booty shorts at home.

MALES: Rules are much less strict for male students. All you need to worry about is making sure that your clothes do not have stains, rips or inappropriate language on them. Tank tops should not be worn while teaching or visiting temples, and it is strongly preferred that you shave and shower before you teach a class.

Some Basic Guidelines To Use While Packing
– Southeast Asia is a hot region, so there is no need for any heavy clothing. You should expect daytime high temperatures to be over 90 degrees Fahrenheit most days. As most of our programs are outdoors, you should expect to work up a sweat, so plan on wearing clothes that will keep you cool. 
– The sun can be quite strong, so all students should be prepared with a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. 
– Experienced travelers know that over-packing is one of the worst things you can do on a trip, and this is particularly true in this part of the world. You may want to leave room in your suitcase for the new clothes and souvenirs you will collect on your trip.
– You are not going to the Moon! If you forget something on the list, you can always buy it once you get here, for a lot less money than you would pay at home.
– You will have ample opportunities to shop and many of our students prefer to wear local-style pants and skirts while living at The Base.
– The Ricefields Base does offer laundry services should you need to wash your clothes. 

Items To Pack in Your Checked Luggage:
– T shirts: 7-8 lightweight shirts (a couple of thick-strap tank tops are okay, but most of your shirts should cover your shoulders)
– Long sleeve shirt: One sweater or button-down shirt to put over your shoulders
– Pants or skirt: 1-2 pairs
– Socks: 3-4 pairs
– Shorts: 3-4 pairs (long shorts, such as boy’s sport or board shorts, Bermuda shorts or Capri style pants are most appropriate for everyday life in our local community, temple visits and service projects. You don not want to have the whole village staring at you for wearing very short shorts; it makes everyone look bad!)
– Underwear: 7-8 pairs, 3-4 bras (sports bras are more comfortable and convenient)
– Swimwear: 1-2 suits. (Girls will also be expected to wear shorts and a t-shirt when teaching students in Bobbing and Floating).
– Swimsuit cover-up: 1 cover-up. While bathing suits are acceptable in our pool on Base, we ask our female students to cover up before entering and after exiting the pool. Cover-ups can range from a sarong or dress to shorts and a t-shirt, but should be conservative in nature and not see-through.
– Footwear: 1 pair of lightweight, comfortable shoes (Toms, Sneakers). Hiking boots are NOT needed, and neither are high heels. Students connecting to service programs will need basic shoes to protect their feet. 
– Sandals: 1-2 pairs. Sandals with straps (Chacos, Tevas, Keens, etc.) are ideal, though many students simply choose to wear flip-flops. In Thai culture you are expected to remove your shoes before entering most homes (and even some shops), so we take our shoes off quite frequently. Basic flip-flops can also be purchased everywhere in Southeast Asia for under $1.
– Hat or bandana
– A small travel towel: Can be purchased in country (Quick-dry towels are best, and don’t bring white!!)
– One nice casual shirt for our final dinner (not too fancy)
– One rainproof, lightweight jacket. If your jacket does not pack compactly, do not bother bringing it! Most local people use only ponchos and umbrellas, which can be bought very cheaply at the store next to The Base.

Personal Items/Toiletries
– Soap
– Toothbrush/Toothpaste
– Shampoo and conditioner
– Razor
– Sunscreen
– A small bottle of Aloe Vera
– Prescription Medications
– Insect repellant (1-2 bottles 30%-40% DEET)
– Hand sanitizer: This does not take the place of washing your hands, but you should carry sanitizer with you.  (1-2 small bottles)
– Tampons (difficult to find in Southeast Asia)
– Deodorant
– Lip balm
– Contact lenses and accompanying paraphernalia - if you use contacts, bring all of your chemicals with you.

* Basic items such as soap, shampoo, razors, toothpaste, etc., are readily accessible near the Base. We suggest you bring a small amount from home, but large amounts will just make your bag heavier. 

Optional Items:
– Pictures! Make up a small album! Pictures of mom, dad, boyfriend/girlfriend, dog, strange neighbors, school buddies, etc. - People you meet will be really interested in where you live, what your house looks like, what your parents and grandparents look like, what your school looks like, etc. This is a great way to break the ice, break the language barrier, and have some fun.
– Any fun, engaging games that are easy to explain – Hacky sacks and Frisbees are always fun, Apples to Apples and Uno are quite popular and cards are difficult to find in Thailand, so bring a deck if you hope to play!
– Musical Instrument (Guitars and Harmonicas, other portable instruments) - if you play an instrument at home and it fits into your suitcase, bring it along
– Thai phrasebook
– Embroidery thread or hemp (friendship bracelets). A popular pastime at the base is making friendship bracelets, but embroidery thread, beads and hemp are remarkably hard to find. If you enjoy making bracelets, bring some supplies along that you can donate or share with your friends.

Notes About Gifts and Donations
Local students, staff members, and our host family all love receiving gifts from our students, and they certainly go a long way toward helping people in this humble part of the world. We generally encourage students to bring things that can be easily shared and that will last. Many simple items (pencils, paper, soccer balls, medical supplies) can be bought in Thailand cheaply, so it is likely better to bring some extra money to buy these items in country, rather than incurring baggage fees if you plan to donate these types of things.
Things you might want to bring along –
For children in the village – Construction paper, simple games, blocks, and small engaging items like hacky-sacks, Frisbees, etc.
For your host family and staff – Our Rustic family love receiving t-shirts and hats from your home town, old backpacks, used cameras, and other things that you may have lying around the house. They especially love CDs, movies, and other popular things that our students have shared with them over the years. Even small tokens like magnets, key chains, stickers, sew-on patches, and postcards really go a long way with our staff. Many of them have never had the chance to travel abroad, but our students bring the world to their doorstep and these small souvenirs help distant places feel that much closer to them. 

Used (but not over-used) clothing and shoes are always much appreciated. In particular, quality shoes (from running shoes to old soccer cleats – cleaned up a bit) always make great gifts. As always, make sure that you don’t over-burden yourself by bringing too much stuff – anything you are able to manage will go a long way.

·  If you are packing nothing else for your stay here, make sure that you bring your kindness and your gentleness and a big smile. Before packing your material gifts, prepare your thoughts and your heart to live in a place that places infinite value on thoughtfulness, laughter, generosity of spirit, and showing care for others.

Medical Service FAQs

What is unique about the Medical Service Certification Program?
Students on this program will get the training and knowledge to perform various medical skills, and then go into the field for some hands-on experience.  This is a chance to learn invaluable skills to help the world while staying and playing at our legendary Ricefields Base.

What will the accommodation be like?
You will stay at our legendary Ricefields Base in Udon Thani, Thailand.  Students can expect to stay with 4-6 other students in their room. Generally, boys sleep in one zone, while girls sleep in another area. The rooms all have comfortable mattresses and air conditioning, which is only turned on in the early evening.

Will my Wilderness First Aid and CPR certificate be recognized in America?
Yes.  The certifying organization is a very reputable American wilderness medical association.

Who will teach my Wilderness First Aid and CPR course?
 Your course instructors will be certified instructors from America with significant medical expertise and experience.  These are the same people who teach these courses throughout the US.

Why do I have to be 16 or older to do this program?
This is because the certifying organization in America only awards certificates to participants of 16 years old or more.

How often can I do laundry?
The Ricefields Base offers laundry services at the student’s expense.

Are the mosquitoes a problem?
There are mosquitoes. They’re usually not too bad, but you will want to have a long sleeve shirt and long pants in the evenings. Also bring a small bottle of insect repellent containing DEET.

What will I need to spend my allowance money on?
You will have opportunities to shop at the epic Udon Thani market.  You’ll see all kinds of souvenirs and fun stuff to buy, so budget accordingly.  Prices in Asia are on average significantly cheaper than in the West, but be wary that a lot of great deals can add up.  Markets and local crafts are huge part of Thai culture and a great way to support the local community.  Here are some approximate, sample prices (listed in US dollars) that should help you prepare a budget: hand-woven scarf = $3; hand-woven shoulder bag = $6; T-shirt = $6; small wood carving = $5; soccer ball = $10

What is the weather like?
It’s hot, and humid in the day and a little cooler in the mountains at night. Daily downpours are short and give way to sunny skies. Be prepared for heat and dampness. Synthetic fiber clothes are great because they dry fast much faster than cotton can.

How often will I have access to email and phones?
Phones are always available on an emergency basis.  Yes – you will have access to the internet, but we do try to encourage our students to use the internet only for a limited time, and only for corresponding with their family and friends. Students can pay for their internet usage, laundry, and phone calls directly out of their allowance account.

Who will the staff members be on the trip? How many staff members will there be?
Each trip is staffed by a combination of western (American) and Thai leaders, and in most cases each team will include a nationally licensed guide, a western man and a western woman. We never have fewer than one staff member for every five students. 

While at the Ricefields Base is there a lot of supervision?
In short, yes. During most weeks there will be about 20 Western (mostly American) staff, and about 30 Thai staff, so there are plenty of us around. We’re usually the ones trying to organize a walk around the village, a pick-up soccer or ultimate Frisbee game, or a movie night. And you can expect your Hua Na Hong (The Boss of your Room) to make sure you keep your room in good shape, your air conditioning stays off during the day, and that you’re up and at ‘em bright and early each morning! 

What kind of food will I eat? What if I have certain dietary restrictions?
The cooking staff at the Ricefields Base are well accustomed to preparing food that our students like. Expect dishes to include a great assortment of mild Thai food, lots of fresh fruit, and plenty of favorites at home. They also do a great job of offering vegetarian options at every meal!  Almost all dietary concerns can be accommodated, but please alert us of any relevant restrictions beforehand just to make sure.

What water will we be drinking? 
We will be drinking all bottled water.  Bottled water is safe and readily available.

Where is the nearest healthcare?
Udon Thani has a hospital with reliable medical care that caters to hundreds of Westerners every year.

Is your staff qualified in First Aid?
Because safety is our number one priority, all of our programs have staff that is certified with First Aid and CPR training. Many of our guides are also qualified Wilderness First Responders, EMTs, Wilderness EMTs, or Life Guards. 

What immunizations do we need to get for the trip? 
Rustic Pathways does not make recommendations regarding immunizations. We strongly suggest that you consult with a travel doctor or your family physician for medical recommendations based on the area where the student will be traveling (Thailand).  You can also check the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov for more information.

Should I be taking Malaria medication? 
This decision is best made by you, your family, and your family physician. For up to date information to help your decision please visit the World Health Organization website (http://www.who.int/en), the Center for Disease Control website, and consult your physician.  The Ricefields Base is in Udon Thani, an area generally considered to have very low risk levels of malaria.

Will there be a flight leader to this country?
All flights departing from and returning to the United States will have flight leaders. In the event a student is connecting from another country, they may or may not have a flight leader. In such instances, we generally have coordinated with the airlines to escort the students from check-in through customs, and delivered to a verified Rustic Pathways staff member. 

How does this program connect to other programs?
All of our programs within Asia connect seamlessly.  All trips begin and end on Thursday, thus allowing for easy connectivity and convenience.

Does this mean I can work as a doctor and I don’t have to go to school anymore after I get home?
Sorry, not quite yet!