When I think about where I’d rather get my kidney transplanted, I must pause a little more because of the drastic difference in costs. An estimated out-of-pocket expense of $83,000 in the U.S. compared with $9,000 to $13,000 in Vietnam has me weighing the pros and cons a little more. Hospitals in Vietnam that perform kidney transplants have had success rates akin to U.S. transplant teams, and Vietnamese surgeons have become technically skilled at this operation. The problem comes down to the drastically lower rate of kidney availability for transplantation in Vietnam, and then the poorer post-operation care and availability of medications. Ultimately, I’d choose the U.S. for this to be done.

Emily Nguyen is a fourth-year medical student at George Washington University pursuing a career in emergency medicine in New York City. She has worked at the intersection of language access, global health, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on health equity for underserved populations in both Vietnam and California. A former Blakemore Freeman Fellow in Vietnamese, she is passionate about providing linguistically and culturally concordant care. Emily brings a reflective voice to medical writing, blending clinical insight with storytelling.

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