Scholarship:
VAW Global Vietnam Scholarship 2026
Location and Dates:
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
May 19 - June 2, 2026
VAW Global Chapter at James Madison University
Job Summary:
VAW Global Health Alliances (VAW Global) is a global health and development organization committed to cultivating sustainable and equitable partnerships with local communities and professionals through support and capacity-building for essential and accessible health services. Our focus is to work hand-in-hand with local initiatives and leaders to provide communities with improved access to medical, dental, and veterinary treatment, medication, nutritional security, clean water, and health education.
In this opportunity, we invite Medical Students from Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy to apply for the “VAW Global Vietnam Scholarship” to join a VAW Global Outreach Internship Trip in Summer. This is a 15-day medical outreach that allows our interns to learn about healthcare in a global context while getting a full immersion in a different culture and language. Through shadowing local physicians, interns will also learn about disease diagnosis, treatment courses, clinic operations, and basic pharmacology.
We are currently looking for 2 medical students who are available to travel during 15 days to Uzbekistan. They should arrive in Tashkent on May 19, 2026 and stay until June 2, 2026. Each clinic lasts for one day: we arrive in the morning and return to the housing late afternoon. In the clinics, we offer basic primary care medicine; in other words, we offer basic medical attention for children, adults and the elderly as well as free medication for their treatment plans.
Primary job responsibilities:
- Must be fluent in English.
- Be flexible and collaborative to provide the best attention and care in the different -- at times adverse -- conditions in the communities.
- Follow the Guatemala & USA medical regulations and biosecurity protocols and standards.
- Assist the local professionals to provide quality services to patients and ensure the health and security of all parties.
- Collaborate with VAW local staff during the clinic operations.
- Support the “Coordination Team” in the preparation of medication, supply list and inventories for each mobile clinic day.
- Participate in video call meetings to be well prepared and informed.
- Be a Social Media Ambassador and create photo and video content on a daily basis. Report every activity they join and their experience such as the airport transfers, the transportation on site, the clinic days, the food in the country, the local activities, the education day, the interaction with other VAW Interns and Staff, etc. This should be provided to VAW Global on a daily basis on short video (15 secs) and photo content.
Tentative Schedule:
You can review Sample Itineraries HERE.
The final itinerary will be provided to the Scholars about 4 weeks prior to the departure.
Qualifications:
There are several qualities that the applicant should embody:
- Be a self-starter. Much of the work will require you to be self-motivated and independent. Since this is a brand new scholarship it is imperative that you propose and request what is needed in the previous planning and trip logistics, taking responsibility instead of passively waiting for detailed instructions.
- Be communicative. Being in foreign country could be intimidating. VAW Global looks for confident students that are not afraid to speak their minds, interact with peers, local professionals and staff despite the challenges that a different language, culture, climate and food might bring.
- Be a Leader and Example to follow. This will be an excellent opportunity to test your leadership skills, and be a great representative of your Country and Culture. You will be exposed to people from different nationalities such as students from the United States and locals VAW Staff, Health Professionals and Partners from Guatemala.
- Be flexible and reflective. Working within new communities and supporting patients who may speak different languages and have their own customs can be challenging. It is important to, above all else, treat communities with respect and dignity, and be adaptable to their way of life while providing the best quality of care possible.
- Be Responsible and Mature. You commit to strictly follow all VAW Global rules and guidelines (written and verbally expressed) during the 15 days that the program last. You will be under the leadership of the VAW Global Chapter Team Leader, the VAW Global Outreach Assistant and the VAW Global Site Coordinator, who will also support you and assist you during the program.
- Be committed to health equity. VAW Global Health Alliances is a value-based organization that places patients and communities at the center. This means you must be committed to understanding and addressing systemic inequities, including a wide range of socioeconomic barriers and ethnic or cultural factors, and treating all people equally, regardless of their own personal views.
The Scholarship includes:
- The round flight ticket from/to SGN Airport in Ho Chi Minh City to Uzbekistan (TAS International Airport)
- Visa Applications Fee to enter Uzbekistan.
- All housing and food expenses will be provided during the 15 days of the Program in Tashkent.
- Housing will be based on shared bedrooms at a GuestHouse with VAW Global Interns (boys and girl separated)
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (local style) will be provided during the 15 days of the program in Tashkent.
- VAW Global Hour Certificates will be issued a couple of weeks after the program is completed.
**IMPORTANT. The program DOES NOT include expenses related to (1) Independent travel during, before or after the program; (2) Food, lodging and transportation during independent travel; (3) personal expenses.
Basic & Mandatory Requirements:
- Be a current Medical Student at CTUMP.
- Advanced level of English (spoken).
- Valid Passport with expiration date past January 2027.
- VAW cannot guarantee the Uzbekistan visa, but we will assist in the application process. The scholarship award will be contingent upon visa approval. (VISAs are granted 90 days before the arrival date)
- Have volunteered in VAW Global Clinics in Vietnam before (during Summer 2024 or 2025) OR Be committed to volunteer in the upcoming VAW Global Clinics in December 2025
- Have knowledge of Reel & Video creation for TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
- Be available to join the VAW Global Online Intern Training from January to March 2026 (30 mins per week), as well as stay on top of all the emails and written communication sent by VAW Global or the VAW Global Chapter you will be traveling with.
Final Report
At the end of the program, the scholar should present a digital folder with the following information:
- Written Report. It should detail their experience during the 15 day program explaining what they did and what they learn during each activity. The report could also include a reflection on the following questions:
- What is one challenge that you overcame during your time in Guatemala?
- What is the most interesting thing you learned about your host site or host country culture?
- How do you believe this experience will affect the way you look at your education going forward?
- How are the health disparities in the host country different from those in your city in Vietnam?
- How can you apply this experience to your daily life?
- Photos & Videos. Photos and Videos of themselves (alone or with their peers) during the activities performed during the program, including: Orientations, Clinic Days, Education Days, Interaction with Partners (VAW Global Staff, Host Families,Doctors, etc), Airport Experience, Free Days. (It should be no less than 10 photos, no more than 50 good shots)
How to apply:
- Cover Letter introducing yourself and the reason why you should be given the scholarship (max 1 page)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume (max 1 page)
- Copy of your CTUMP Enrollment or CTUMP’s student card
- Letter of Recommendation from a CTUMP Doctor/Professor (max 1 page)
- Be prepared for an Interview with CTUMP Team and later VAW Global representatives
- If selected, you will be required to submit the following documents within 4 weeks
- Copy of passport
- Copy of visa
Deadline:
Applications are open from November 11th to November 22 at 9pm Eastern Time (ET)
Send the required documents to both (ctnh@ctump.edu.vn or npthao@ctump.edu.vn )
Any questions and/or inquiries, we would be more than happy to discuss them with you. It would be a pleasure to work with you.
