There are so many words and emotions that come to mind when I think about my past 2 trips to Vietnam.  Dr. Lan was definitely right about no 2 trips being the same. After going last year with a great, solid, and big team of 8; I was a little hesitate to know this year we would only have 5 people making up our team and all ladies for that matter. But, all that doubt went out the window within 5 minutes of us being together.  Even with a small team this year we treated more kids than I ever would have imagined and became a close-knit family. I told Dr. Lan last March I was coming back and worked 3 jobs to make it happen. There were times when I told myself I was crazy for doing that, but after seeing the way the kids thanked me and how much of a difference I was able to make- it made every penny I worked for worth it. Dr. Lan will make sure you make a difference even if you do not have any dental experience. All you need is an open heart and open mind. I guarantee you will make memories and friends that will last a lifetime!

Auntie Lan- do not worry I will be back in 4 year! You won’t be able to get rid of me that easily! I’ll make sure to remember cab rides are only $6 next time and I still hope to be the “baby” of the group.

Crystal Vo

University Of Southern California  School of Dentistry, class of 2013