How I became a movement disorder fellow and the soon-to-be first movement disorder specialist in Lao PDR  

Tweet

Early Steps in Neurology 

A Transformative Experience in France 

In my third year of training, I was encouraged to apply for internships in France under the “le diplôme de formation médicale spécialisée (DFMS)” supported by the French government. I underwent my internship at Montluçon Medical Center in the Auvergne region. This experience provided me with the opportunity to engage in clinical neurology practice, which later became one of the inspirations for me to pursue further studies in movement disorders. 

My working life at UHS and further experiences outside my country 

In 2018, I started working on the Faculty of Medicine, UHS, to enhance my country's medical education. As a young staff member, I have had the opportunity to participate in various educational projects. I met Professor Roongroj Bhidayasiri and his team in 2019 when they visited Laos for our collaborative research project. I expressed my passion and intention to apply for a fellowship program, and they encouraged me to apply for the SYNERGIES conference that year to network with movement disorder colleagues in the region. I continued pursuing movement disorder training and was selected to receive the "Dr. Lee-Jong Wook Seoul Project" scholarship for a short training in movement disorders and neurophysiology at Seoul National University Hospital in 2021.

My fellowship training at Chulalongkorn Hospital

I finally received acceptance for a two-year fellowship at the Chulalongkorn Centre of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders and admission to the master’s degree program in clinical sciences at Chulalongkorn University. Commencing my training in July 2022, I have been granted the opportunity to engage in various educational activities, and my weekly schedule is filled with diverse clinics and activities from Monday to Friday. Alongside my clinical practice, I am encouraged to write abstracts and have been allowed to attend movement disorder conferences overseas.

As I progress through my second year of fellowship training, I am experiencing an incremental but continuous growth in my knowledge of movement disorders. I envision further initiatives to enhance and develop medical education in my homeland after completing my fellowship next year.

Tweet