I decided to visit America in order to develop a broader view of health care. As an aspiring bilingual pharmacist, I feel that understanding how different countries go about treatment and patient care is an integral part of being a well rounded and empathetic health professional. I intended to come away with

Having lived my life in Korea, my exposure to drug addiction was limited. In contrast to America, the consequences and the stigma of consuming recreational drugs in Korea is incredibly high. For most people, stopping behaviors that are damaging to your physical health and the people around you seems like a logical action to take. I used to think that people who were addicted to drugs had a lack of moral willpower and discipline. When I started to do my volunteer work at the Rainbow House Incorporation, an organization that provides support and counseling incarceration, I was shocked to learn that my opinions on addiction had been highly misinformed.

When I listened to the stories of the children at Rainbow House, and the founder, Liz Lee, I realized that addiction is not a choice, but a complicated disease that takes more than good intentions and self discipline to fix. Many of the families have been torn apart and damaged because of the effects of drug abuse.

Although these stories are visible and heard in America, many stories of addiction in Korea are effectively silenced or met with antagonism and shaming. My stay in America has enabled me to understand that drug addiction and abuse needs to me addressed with empathic and realistic methods of rehabilitation and treatment. These avenues of recovery and education need to be more readily available not only in Korea, but also globally. As a future aspiring pharmacist, I would like to be a part of this movement as an advocate and educator.

<Yaejin Chang/ Sungkyunkwan University>