Living in the world’s friendliest country
By Jessica Ngo, Human Biology, Class of 2019
I’ve learned more than I ever have in just eight weeks. During my internship in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Lab at China Medical University in Taiwan, I gained insight into the use of traditional Chinese medicine in Taiwan along with the country’s use of Western medicine. I worked in the lab and studied two herbs called Hu Zhang and Huang Qin. With these herbs, I learned quality control techniques set by Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China and spent the summer experimenting and problem solving to see if my herbs met set quality control standards. In the lab, I was given a lot of freedom to experiment and explore which contributed greatly to my growth as a scholar.
Outside of work, I grabbed dinner with my co-workers and tried my best to fully immerse myself in Taiwanese culture and society — so much so that I felt like a local by the end of the internship. I made friends with locals and other exchange students and traveled Taiwan with them, and I enjoyed eating Taiwanese food and going to night markets. I loved how safe Taiwan is and how friendly the people are. I also learned to play badminton and practiced every week; I learned to read traditional Chinese, improved my Mandarin, ate the most wonderful foods and drank delicious bubble tea.
This internship has given me more confidence in my language ability and the confidence to pursue my dream of a career in the medical field. I also plan to spend time working in Taiwan one day, but next time as a fluent speaker. I truly enjoyed and learned so much from my time in Taiwan; it has changed my life.
The Global Studies Internship program sends Stanford students from any major to pursue internship opportunities in more than 20 countries every summer. Visit the website for more information about the program.
