Intern delves into digital healthcare in Vietnam
Josephine Greenwood reflects on her internship at KPMG Vietnam, where she delved into digital health initiatives, adapted to the fast pace of Ho Chi Minh City, and immersed herself in the region's rich natural and cultural landscapes.
Josephine enjoying a pineapple snack during a sightseeing trip on the Mekong
The action started right away on my first day as an intern with KPMG's Strategy Group in Ho Chi Minh City.
My role was to support the team in advising businesses aiming to enter the Vietnamese market, and I quickly realised I had a lot to learn—the market dynamics, advantages, and challenges here are vastly different from those in New Zealand.
I was tasked with researching digital health initiatives from around the world and assessing their suitability for implementation in Vietnam.
I learned that in a country like Vietnam, with its diverse geography and rural populations, digital innovations such as telemedicine are crucial in expanding access to healthcare. I was also fascinated by the surge of recent innovations in health tech globally, particularly those that utilise AI to reduce the burden on healthcare professionals.
Josephine (second left): "I was working alongside colleagues from Vietnam, France, South Korea, Germany, and Malaysia, just to name a few! "
While New Zealand is more geographically isolated with a smaller consumer market, businesses in Vietnam enjoy the advantages of a dense population and close proximity to rapidly developing Southeast and East Asian economies.
This created a vibrant and dynamic work environment; each research project became an opportunity to dive deeper into Vietnam's rich history, strategic geography, and growing economy.
It was also inspiring to be involved in initiatives to improve equity and digital innovation in Vietnam’s healthcare sector. This was my first foray into digital healthcare, and it sparked an interest that I plan to pursue in my future career.
In every project I worked on, the team made a concerted effort to ensure that I felt welcome and never hesitated to help me out when I was stuck.
Trying the local cuisine was a highlight of living in Vietnam
The multicultural makeup of the office also made for an exciting environment - I was working alongside colleagues from Vietnam, France, South Korea, Germany, and Malaysia, just to name a few!
I learned so much about these different countries and their ties to Vietnam. I also picked up a lot of random vocabulary from different languages, which was great fun as someone who studied languages as an undergraduate.
On weekends, Josephine and Sarah left Ho Chi Minh City to explore the surrounding region and further afield
Ho Chi Minh City is an exhilarating city to explore - I loved finding hidden cafés and vintage shops, which provided an oasis of calm away from the chaos of the main streets.
By the time I had friends visit from New Zealand, I was an expert at commuting by motorcycle and knew exactly where to find the best phở and bún thịt nướng (pork noodle bowls).
We, my fellow intern Sarah Choice and I, also took advantage of our weekends to explore as much of Vietnam as we could. Convenient overnight buses allowed us to explore the beaches of Mũi Né and Da Nang and the tropical jungle of Cát Tiên National Park.
A highlight was using our New Year's break to visit Hội An, the 'city of lanterns'. We explored Hội An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its historical architecture and monthly lantern festival.
At night, the town was filled with folk dance and drama performances, illuminated by hundreds of lanterns floating on the river. It was an absolutely magical experience.
For New Years, Josephine travelled to Hội An with fellow Foundation intern Sarah Choice
I was motivated to apply to the internship by an interest in pursuing a career in Asia and a desire to build on prior experience in the professional services sector. My experience far exceeded my expectations, and I’ve returned to New Zealand with incredible new memories, connections and knowledge.
The Foundation's Business Programme supports New Zealand companies to better understand Asia so they can make the most of opportunities in the region. It also supports to grow the next generation of Asia-savvy business leaders.
Our business internship programme provides opportunities for young New Zealanders to intern with companies in Asia and New Zealand companies and organisations working extensively in the region.
