Prior to the program, I had never had the opportunity to travel alone and never really got to explore healthcare in other countries even though I always had interest in global/public health. Before CFHI, I didn’t know who to ask or where to go in order to find shadowing opportunities overseas that would allow me to learn about medicine and culture. I learned about CFHI at the UC Davis Pre-Health Conference during two lecture sessions about global health (one anecdotal and one from the program on ethics) and I knew immediately that this program was what I had been looking for.Dr. Jenny was even kind enough to exchange her contacts with me for a one on one zoom call where she talked to me and my friend for 2 hours about all our concerns post-COVID. The program even granted me the Community College Scholarship to help my family with the cost.I learned quickly the best way to reach the staff is by email pre-departure, though information on logistics could be more readily available, sooner released, or clearer. The application and training is very straightforward. The entire month in Puerto Escondido passed by too soon. I loved my clinic placements! The doctors, nurses, “chemicos,” and entomologist I met were all willing to teach and they are super sweet. I definitely find that you need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone, ask questions, and come in with an open mind. Anything I asked was answered in detail. Clinics themselves had a limited scope of practice focused on prevention, metabolic disease, and there was a lot of visits on women’s health, mostly prenatal care and family planning. Between the clinics and Spanish class, I learned how Mexico organized their medical care in the public sector, public programs, culture, and from many conversations with medical professionals and my professor, what is working and what needs to be done. The medical staff, including Dra. Isabela the Medical Director, even helped me learn in depth about violence against women in Mexico (an issue I want to address in the future as a doctor). When when things were slow, the doctors would explain the procedures we had done and taught us to take blood pressure (of course only taking hers and a fellow CFHI student to practice).In terms of the homestay, I was blessed to be placed with a sweet older lady who cooked bomb foods, mixing it up with traditional stewed meats to steamed veggies and rice when my roommate had gotten sick. The host sister even invited us to her birthday, took me out my first few days, and everyone made sure we got our conversations in. This being said, the experience is what you make of it and what you put in, you get out. For me, it was everything I could ask for. CFHI Puerto Escondido solidified that my future belongs to public health and taught me what I wanted from life.
I’ve had the opportunity to travel abroad throughout my life, but my time with CHFI on a global health trip to Tarija, Bolivia stands out as one of the most rewarding experiences as a pediatric resident in training.
After arriving, I was warmly welcomed by the medical director and local coordinator, who provided a comprehensive orientation. My host family was also incredibly kind and hospitable. My host mother went above and beyond to ensure my comfort, even accommodating my dietary restrictions throughout my stay.
Once I began working in the hospital, I met weekly with the medical director, who connected me with local specialists in my areas of interest including pediatrics, pulmonology, and infectious disease. During my first week, I focused on the pediatric floor, where I had the unique opportunity of working with residents in the same field and year of training. Together, it was interesting to compare similarities and differences in our medical practices. In the following weeks, I worked one-on-one with a pulmonologist, learning about infectious diseases and teaching medical students how to read chest films that we taped up to windows each day.
In addition to my medical rotation, I attended Spanish classes every afternoon which were unlike any I’d taken before. These lessons combined classroom instruction with cultural immersion, as we visited local museums, cafés, and shops to practice Spanish in real-world settings. Despite having studied Spanish for seven years, I learned more during these lessons than ever before and even hope to continue them virtually.
During my time in the hospital, I encountered medical conditions I had previously studied in school but had not seen during residency. It was a valuable opportunity to observe how these conditions are managed in a different healthcare setting. At the end of my rotation, I delivered a presentation on respiratory diseases in Bolivia, which served as a meaningful culmination of my experience. This opportunity allowed me to deepen my understanding of respiratory disease management within a different cultural context while fully immersing myself in Bolivian culture.
My time in Tarija was an enriching experience that I will always treasure. My host family was truly amazing—and even after the trip, they continue to feel like a second family. I am also deeply grateful to the medical director and program coordinator, who thoughtfully tailored my clinical experience to align with my passions. I will always have close friends and lasting connections in Tarija, and I’m incredibly thankful to CHFI for making it all possible.
I participated in Child Family Health International's program in Kabale, Uganda hosted by the Kigezi Healthcare Foundation. I spent an incredible month learning about Uganda's healthcare system, social determinants of health and KIHEFO's innovative solutions to public health issues across the region. From pre-departure training to returning home, I felt supported by CFHI every step of the way. I was impressed by CFHI’s dedication to global health ethics and would highly recommend CFHI to anyone seeking an immersive experience abroad.
My name is Jenna Frantz, and I am a fourth-year medical student (just weeks away from graduating as an MD) at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. As I am preparing for my residency and career in emergency medicine, I am continually inspired by my foundational goal: to serve Hispanic patients facing barriers to healthcare, both domestically and abroad. When I found the rotation to Tarija, Bolivia, through Child Family Health International (CFHI), it was a great fit with my goals to obtain further education and experience in global health. I had previously rotated in Peru, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Puerto Rico for service-learning opportunities (not affiliated with CFHI), and I could tell my experience with CFHI would be different. I was so excited for the stellar learning experience and cultural immersion provided by CFHI.
While still stateside, CFHI made sure I was well prepared for my trip logistically, culturally, and educationally. To facilitate this, there were multiple required online modules about the program, Bolivian culture, cultural sensitivity, and global health ethics. Additionally, the team remained in close email contact with me, and there was even a virtual orientation session to ensure I was prepared prior to takeoff.
Once I arrived in Tarija, I was immediately received with warm, kind smiles from Fabricio – the local program coordinator – and my host family. I got to live with a lovely host family for 8 weeks. The family had 3 daughters about my age, and they took me under their wing immediately, inviting me to hang out with their friends, to walk around the town, to go to the local cultural festivals, and so much more.
Aside from the amazing experience I had with my host family, I had a very comprehensive medical rotation. I rotated for 2 weeks in internal medicine, and 1 week in each of the following: rural primary care, urban primary care, Chagas’ disease clinic, emergency medicine, general surgery, and OB/GYN. I quickly found that the rotations through CFHI are not the same as my medical rotations in the United States – despite being fluent in Spanish, it is difficult to be fully-integrated into the care team as a foreign student where the documentation and work-flow are entirely different from the system in the United States. Furthermore, the local students had to start pre-rounding on their patients at 4-6am; as my scheduled arrival time to the rotation was at 7-8am each day, it was hard to be as fully-involved in patients’ care, since much of the decision-making took place in pre-rounds prior to my arrival. Despite this, it was not at all a barrier to my learning experience, but rather a shift of focus. My learning on this rotation was much more focused on cultural influences in medical decision-making, the influence of government in healthcare in a universal healthcare system, and navigating barriers such as broken equipment and out-of-stock medications.
Another amazing part of this rotation was the extreme kindness and generosity of the local physicians and medical students. Although they had absolutely no obligation to do so, they frequently invited me out to experience the beautiful nature and the lovely culture and customs in Tarija. While rotating in the rural clinic in San Andrés, the physicians took me to the river in the countryside after clinic to enjoy the gorgeous views and to take a dip in the water. At the urban clinic, the physicians invited me to hang out with them during the Carnaval Chapaco, as they wanted to ensure I could experience this great cultural tradition. While rotating in internal medicine, I became good friends with a local medical student, and she and I learned more about the local cultural importance of wine while we toured the local vineyards together. During my experience in general surgery, the residents invited me to get coffee, dinner, and to take a hike to the Chorros de Marquiri, the most beautiful waterfall I’ve seen in my life. All of these people went above and beyond, helping me to have an amazing time in Tarija, and it was truly one of the best parts of my CFHI experience.
My experience with CFHI was valuable and enjoyable, and I knew I had the constant support of my caring host family and the local team. I would highly recommend an experience through this organization for any students in the medical field who plan on having a career in international medicine.
I was selected as the recipient for Susan Hershey Memorial Scholarship (4-Week Virtual) to participate in a Child Family Health International (CFHI) Virtual Global Health Internship - Ghana.
Participating in this virtual health internship has been a transformative journey. The program's structure was well-organized, allowing me to delve into various aspects of the healthcare field from the comfort of my home. The areas I found most enriching were the trainings on Global and intercultural competency, Interpersonal effectiveness and engagement strategies. The online platform provided seamless access to resources and opportunities for learning.
I was impressed by the guidance and mentorship provided throughout the internship. Dr. Charles Chineme Nwobu: CFHI Ghana Medical and Program Director was approachable and eager to share his expertise. His insights and advice have been invaluable in shaping my understanding of healthcare practices and strategies.
During my internship, I had the chance to learnt about Ghana, Health Systems challenges faced by low/middle-income countries, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Factors influencing the Spread of HIV, Case Presentation and Socio-economic Detereminants of Health. This hands-on experience has been instrumental in refining my skills and enhancing my confidence in a virtual healthcare setting.
Moreover, the interactive nature of the internship, including virtual group discussions and collaborative projects, allowed for meaningful peer interactions. Connecting with fellow interns and sharing experiences further enriched the overall learning experience.
I wholeheartedly recommend Child Family Health International (CFHI) Global virtual ans public health internship to aspiring healthcare professionals. It provides a comprehensive and insightful glimpse into the modern healthcare landscape, preparing individuals for the future of digital healthcare.
Thank you once again for this incredible opportunity and for the enriching experience I had during my virtual global and public health internship with your esteemed program. I look forward to applying the knowledge and skills acquired during this internship to my future endeavors in healthcare.
My experience with the CFHI virtual internship was memorable. Right after my bachelor's degree, I started thinking of how I could harness my public health expertise. Therefore, I started searching for internship opportunities through Google, and magically, I came across CFHI. Before then, a friend recommended CFHI for my consideration on LinkedIn.
After getting information about CFHI from an alumni on LinkedIn, I quickly browsed their websites, and boom, I came across the LMIC Leaders in Global Health Scholarship. This was a great opportunity for me because if I were to pay the cost of the program, I wouldn't be able to. I quickly applied for the scholarship, waited for the final decision, and was considered for the scholarship. It was a joyful moment, and a dream came true because this is the time to learn more about global and public health as an aspiring global health expert.
The bottom line is that I was able to participate in the CFHI's virtual Global and Public Health internship- Ghana as a result of the scholarship I received. I am Ghanaian, but through the virtual internship, I was able to learn more about the healthcare system in my own country. While participating in the program, I had the opportunity to participate in webinars organized by CFHI leaders and join high-level discussions with global health experts about current global and public health issues. For example, through the webinars, I learned about anthropogenic factors with regard to climate issues. Through the CFHI Pillars of Global Health course, I learned more about the One Health concept, planetary health, and global health.
CFHI programs are for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of global and public health. I highly recommend the program to anyone who has an interest in global and public health.
Choosing to participate in this program is easily one of the best decisions I made this year. I have always wanted to participate in the internship program without success so I was very excited when I was awarded the Susan Hershey Scholarship for this program. The program director did a great job of curating Public Health classes, virtual facility tours, and even Hindi language classes. Even though it was virtual, I felt like I was really in India learning about the public health system and some of the successful interventions. I had the privilege of interacting with some of the NGO managers and getting their insight on solving their public health challenges. I also learned about cultural adaptability and found the global health lectures very informative. This experience was very enlightening and rewarding. I look forward to sharing my learnings and experiences with my colleagues.
I went to the Philippines in Jan ' 20 before the whole Covid lockdown went into full effect. I was assigned to one of the small islands to work on a rural health community medicine project. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Not only was the teaching incredible, the experience was everything that I could have asked for. As a senior medical student, I saw how community workers cared for rural communities, worked with medical centers both on the coast, and all the way up into the mountains and assisted in public health initiatives like family planning, and vaccinations.
I can honestly say that I have a little Filipino family on the island of Marinduque. So much love, and care is shown by both the community, healthcare workers and professors. I want to return back as a resident, hoping to be working in ER medicine/Disaster Medicine someday.
CFHI's Public Health and Community Medicine program in Delhi was my first global health experience as a pre-med student in 2010. It reinforced my passion for medicine and transformed my entire career path, focusing on reducing health disparities. This is an amazing organization that provides a truly unique experience through integration of the local culture and opportunities to work with and learn from diverse clinical and public health settings. CFHI has great relationships with their host countries and organizations, and it is wonderful to see CFHI give back and help empower local communities. I could not have found a better organization to work with!
My trip with CFHI to Uganda was my seventh international global health volunteering trip and CFHI was the fourth organization I have volunteered with. I can say with confidence that CFHI is the best global health non profit I have traveled with. My trip with CFHI was in the fall of 2017 as a part of my practicum project for my masters in Global Health. CFHI partnered me with a great organization called OmniMed based in Kisoga, Uganda. During this trip I completed a research project evaluating an improved cookstove project in the area and teaching community health workers.
What really impressed me about CFHI is their commitment to finding the right program for their students and ensuring their students adhere to strong ethical standards while in country. When I was preparing to go on my trip, I was able to have a conversation with Robin surrounding what my interest were and how long I wanted to travel. From there, she was able to match me with a program that she thought best fit my interests. With the abundance of programs to choose from it can be hard to navigate the global health volunteering space, and CFHI was able to match me with a program that I would not have considered at first but was the perfect fit for me.
In all of my experiences volunteering internationally, CFHI is one of the few non-profits that really adheres to high ethical standards. Most other organizations I have worked with at some level cater to the volunteers, trying to ensure that they have a good time. This can sometimes lead to unethical practices that I won't get into here. I was really impressed with CFHI's commitment to teach their students about these ethical issues and keep the focus of the trip on the work that the student was going to be performing in country to ensure that the student was having a positive impact. This commitment is what has inspired my continued involvement with CFHI, and I cannot recommend them highly enough to anyone who wants to participate in one of their programs!
Great support for our Princeton students for many years now, very accommodating of their needs as well as the requirements of my internship program. Highly recommended partnership!
Child Family Health International CFHI has been a wonderful partner to the University of MN Pre-Health Student Resource Center. We have had many students access amazing experiences throughout the world. The programs are high quality, well-run, and perhaps most important built upon the ethical principles that Dr. Evert promotes for any global experience. Pre-health students return ready to use those experiences to talk about the importance of cultural humility as a future health professional.
I really loved my experience abroad in Argentina as part of CFHI's two week intensive program! I spent two weeks in Cordoba, Argentina, working alongside physicians and medical residents in one of the largest public hospitals in Cordoba. I had so many opportunities to learn from the residents as well as teach them about medicine in the United States. As a senior year nursing student, this experience was particularly valuable because it felt like a capstone project for my undergraduate degree. I was able to use all the skills I had learned in school and combine them with the Spanish language background I already had. CFHI's program also gave students enrolled time in a classroom, to fine-tune our language skills and expand our knowledge on Argentinian culture. I wish I could have stayed for a longer program duration (4-6weeks), but I will always treasure my two weeks in South America. Now, as a practicing Registered Nurse, I can definitely say that this experience helped shape who I am as a health care professional.
I volunteered with “Hospital Medicine in Coastal Ghana” program in Cape Coast, Ghana as a licensed occupational therapist and volunteered in the Physiotherapy department. My one month in Ghana was absolutely phenomenal. I connected instantly with the rehab staff, the nurses within the wards, the market women within the waiting areas and patients and their families. There was an instant exchange of knowledge, resources and culture throughout my experience. The patients, staff and CFHI coordinators all became family - I felt at home. I am thankful for my experience with CFHI and would greatly recommend this organization.
I participated in the program, Infectious Diseases and Hospital Rotation in Mumbai, India. During my rotation, I had the opportunity to observe Infectious Disease Specialists who are well known not only in India but also around the world. The specialists were not only knowledgeable but also very kind. I am grateful to CFHI for providing me with one of the greatest experiences.