WCU Scholars Collaborate With CHA University Students During 2018 Global Public Health Visit to South Korea

  • July 25, 2018

  • Read Time 2 mins

West Coast University students from four campuses came together this July for the Global Public Health program in Seoul, Korea.

The 15 WCU students had the opportunity to explore the city of Seoul as well as visit several healthcare sites with WCU clinical partner CHA University while in South Korea.

This trip gave WCU students the chance to experience healthcare from a different perspective. They worked with the CHA students during simulations, pushing them to work through barriers they were not used to back home in the U.S.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking because we did not know what to expect, especially working with the CHA students, but overall we were successfully able to work together and complete the simulation,” WCU-Ontario student Danielle Gonzalez said.

CHA University Gero simulation center gave students and faculty a chance to experience the effects of being 85 years old. During the simulation participants put on 40 kilograms of weight and cataract or glaucoma glasses in order to better understand the older generations.

“Nowhere else can you understand the needs of older adults in any country better than in the CHA University sim center,” WCU Nursing Dean Robyn Nelson said. “The students were fully engaged in the experience and thoroughly enjoyed their CHA colleagues!”

Throughout the two-week stay, the CHA and WCU groups exchanged thoughts on nursing skills, healthcare styles and the different cultures.

“It was great collaborating with the CHA students and experiencing the cultural differences between Korea and the States,” WCU Los-Angeles student Jenny Le said.

International Educational Specialist Gil Cho said that the best part of the experience for him was seeing the WCU students interact with their CHA University Peers.

“Although there were some minor culture differences, all students found that they had much more in common than they thought,” Cho said. “Many students even gave tearful and heartfelt speeches about what they learned and would miss about each other.”

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