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Dr. Julia Auerbach, a family medicine doctor from Danbury Hospital (left) and Assistant Professor Dr. Auemphon Mordmuang, Vice Dean for International Affairs at WU SMD (right)

Walailak University (WU)’s School of Medicine (SMD) has continued its collaboration with Nuvance Health—an American healthcare network based in Connecticut and New York, comprising hospitals and care centers—to advance global health education through the Global Health Academy Program.

Together, the two organizations offer bilateral opportunities for medical professionals and students to gain insight into unique medical practices and develop cross-cultural and other essential skills to treat patients effectively.

Walailak University, located in Thasala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, approximately 91 miles from the popular destination of Koh Samui and 485 miles south of Bangkok, has become a top choice for medical students among Nuvance Health’s partners in ten countries.

 
Aerial view showing Walailak University (left) and Walailak University Hospital (right).

“The collaboration provides medical students with valuable experience and insight into healthcare systems that may operate from different cultural perspectives,” said Assistant Professor Dr. Auemphon Mordmuang, Vice Dean for International Affairs at WU SMD. “In addition to the experience they gain at Walailak University Hospital, students also work with teams from our partner hospitals, Thasala Hospital and Sichon Hospital,” she noted. “They observe the differences and similarities in practices between the U.S. and Thailand.”

Currently, two medical students from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine are spending a six-week rotation, working with teams from WU Hospital and partner hospitals until mid-December. They are under the supervision of Dr. Julia Auerbach, a family medicine doctor from Danbury Hospital, one of the seven hospitals in the Nuvance Health network.

Reflecting on her return to Thailand, Dr. Julia said it seems like a nice completion of a circle, coming back after visiting Thailand with her family in the ’90s, when she was first inspired to pursue medicine after seeing someone in need of care. She applied as a volunteer for the Global Health Academy in July and chose Thailand as her destination.

“I think it is very interesting to learn international perspectives,” Dr. Julia said. “We have the same challenges here in the United States that you have here. It might be a little bit different in context, but we still struggle with getting patients into the office, getting them to listen to our advice, dealing with computer systems, and the pressure to see a lot of patients. A lot of the same things, but it’s interesting to see what things are different also.”

“But the point of this is also that there is not a right or wrong way - you might do something here that we wouldn’t do in the United States. But you come from a different cultural perspective. You have different values, different things that matter, and different resources available,” she added.

Dr. Julia also emphasized the importance of bidirectional collaboration at Nuvance Health. The partnership is not just about sending faculty and students from the United States; it also brings faculty from the countries where Nuvance Health collaborates to the U.S. for an eight-week opportunity to shadow doctors and exchange information. She shared that next year, a WU SMD surgeon will likely have the chance to collaborate with a plastic surgeon and breast surgeon at Danbury Hospital.

“It is a wonderful experience for students to see different diseases than those we see at home and just gain experience in seeing patients, dealing with cultural issues, language issues - because we have those at home also,” Dr. Julia said. “As a faculty member, it helps me learn how to teach students better, talk to them about their concerns, and things I observe here I can take back home. And ways to be more efficient or to handle patients better,” she added.

Since 2019, WU SMD has collaborated with Nuvance Health on the Global Health Academy Program. In September 2024, Assistant Professors Dr. Auemphon Mordmuang and Dr. Lunla Udomwech from WU SMD attended the third Global Health Conference hosted by Nuvance Health in Connecticut, where they shared sustainable approaches for research collaboration, such as knowledge-sharing and resource exchange. They also participated in the 2nd Global Summit on Public Health during the United Nations General Assembly’s Science Summit, reflecting on the university's expanding global role and its ongoing contributions to public health education.

“What I like most about medicine all these years is working with people, and learning, and understanding," said Dr. Julia. "Dr. Prim [Dr. Auemphon], Dr. Lunla, and everyone have been wonderful—they’ve invited us out for food and made sure we’re okay. It’s been wonderful and I believe the medical students are having a wonderful time as well.” 


From left to right: Dr. Julia Auerbach, Assistant Professor Dr. Patnarin Supakorn (Director of WU Center for International Affairs), medical students from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, and Assistant Professor Dr. Auemphon Mordmuang.


The 3rd Global Health Conference hosted by Nuvance Health, held in Danbury, Connecticut, USA.

 
Dr. Lunla Udomwech and Assistant Professors Dr. Auemphon Mordmuang at the 3rd Global Health Conference, Connecticut, USA