Discussing the project with center staff.

The partnerships we formed were vital to the success of our service project. Through extensive discussion with our partners, we shaped our project to be as effective as possible.

Before we began work, we visited the Plastic Surgery Center and consulted with Dr. Ky, the director of the center, to learn about the center's needs and how our efforts could best be spent. We also spoke with Dr. Cutler, a retired plastic surgeon from the United States who is spending nine months in Hanoi to help improve Operation Smile's surgical practices.

Dr. Ky with two of the center's patients and their mothers.

Dr. Ky gave us a tour of the plastic surgery center, and introduced us to many of the problems it faces. We found that there is a lack of access to important medical knowledge, and that many of the center's patients are ethnic minorities coming from highland villages, and have difficulty adjusting to their trip to Hanoi.

Dr. Cutler showed us that Americans, through patience and compassion, can bridge many of the gaps between our two cultures. Meanwhile, Dr. Ky's openness showed us that the desire to cooperate exists on both sides. Through the service learning project, we tried to set a precedent for cooperation that other groups can build on in the future.