An Expat Explains That If A Thai DREAMer Gets Deported To Bangkok, He Can Still Be An MD—Just For Less Money
12/11/2016
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Re: A Talk Radio Listener Suggests Giving DREAMers An IQ Test—American Probably Won’t Lose Many Brain Surgeons By Deporting

From: An American Expatriate In Thailand [Email him]

The letter from your reader about the illegal immigrant from Thailand enrolled in an American medical school is interesting on a couple of fronts. Let me explain.

I am an expat living in Thailand, and I have several years experience working in an administrative capacity at one of Thailand's top two universities. Thailand is not a First World country. But neither is it a Third World country. It can be a very pleasant place to live, especially if you have professional credentials.

Thailand's Mahidol University, which is loaded with money, has two medical schools at two major Bangkok hospitals (the recently deceased King of Thailand spent most of his last years at Siriraj Hospital) a separate school of tropical medicine as well as schools of dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and public health. In short, Thailand has made a substantial investment educating students for careers in medicine.

I'm sure that Jirayut Latthivongskorn [Tweet him] would fit right in, here, where he could pursue his dream to become a physician in short order. What he could not pursue, however, would be any dreams he has of cashing in on the lavishly funded American system of rewarding doctors financially.

He might even actually have to go to one of the provinces outside Bangkok, where he could help Thai people in need of physicians at small rural clinics. [Thailand seeks to address shortage of rural health care providers,  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, May 11, 2015]

Because that's what this is about, dreaming to serve people and patients. Not getting rich. Right?

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