Global Health Experiential Education in Argentina

My experience with CFHI was an amazing opportunity that I will never forget. I have recently graduated with my undergraduate degree, and I am currently working on my Master of Public Health with the focus of global health. When looking at CFHI, I thought that it would provide me a great experience inside of different culture and their healthcare system. The cite I chose to further my global health knowledge, was Córdoba, Argentina. I spent four weeks shadowing in the local hospital and building my knowledge of the Spanish language. This experience was one of the first times that I have been abroad and really was immersed into the medical field. Each day within my clinicals was something new and interesting to learn. I was able to ask so many questions and develop a greater understanding of the different medical specialties. The program allowed me to experience many specialties, and within this, I was able to learn more about myself and possibilities of what I may want to study in the future. All the hospital staff was welcoming and even with the slight language barrier, they always wanted to ensure my understanding. I was able to create connections and learn more about the culture and how the public health system is operating within Argentina. Once my hospital visit was finished, I then spent my time furthering my Spanish speaking skills. Coming into the program, I did not know much Spanish at all. Over the course of my time spent in Argentina by being surrounded by the language and the help of my daily classes, I was able to understand and speak at a basic conversational level. Another great aspect of the program was being able to stay with my host family. They were welcoming as soon as I arrived and wanted to show me around the city. They always wanted to make sure that I was comfortable and cooked amazing dinners that were traditional to Argentina. Moreover, I was able to spend time with my host sister and really learn more about the culture. It was like spending time with the little sister that I never had. All in all, this experience was more than what I expected and would not change any part of it. Throughout it all, I learned so much about myself and was able to further my knowledge within global health. In my eyes, I see this program as being a way for people to see a different side of the medical field within a different culture. Along with that, you learn so much about who you are as a person being fully immersed into a different culture. The experience is great as it is, but you get more out of it by putting yourself out there and creating connections and being willing to step out of your comfort zone. The program pushed me out of my comfort zone to help me develop key communication skills and confidence in who I am as a person and who I want to become. Overall, I would truly recommend completing a program through CFHI as it is an experience that will change your life. When you go to a different country you expect to learn so much about the other country and their culture, you never expect to learn more about your own country and yourself, which makes this experience unforgettable.

I was fortunate to be a part of the CFHI program in Argentina. This program was an immersive experience that provided me with invaluable information about Global Healthcare and specifically the culture and practices of medicine in Argentina. Going into the program, I knew I was going to be placed in hospitals. However, I was unaware of just how supportive the CFHI staff was going to be, they truly made my experience the best it could possibly have been. CFHI provided incredible hosts families that made me feel at home and welcome in my month spent across the world. They also talked closely with the coordinators in the hospital to make sure each student was taken care of based on their individual interests. The program also expanded farther than just the medicine present in Argentinian hospitals, providing us students with cultural immersion classes covering topics such as tango, wine and history. These additions made the experience more holistic and thus it was able to contribute to me as a person and not solely just as a future healthcare provider. In addition, I would like to mention the quality of the staff that CFHI has employed. I was blessed with three amazing program directors (Carlos, Charly and Agustín) who served as helpful advisors, fierce advocates, strong support systems and wonderful friends. The staff was available at all hours and willing to assist in any issues that appeared during the trip. CFHI and their staff are what made the experience one that I will cherish for the rest of my life and I cannot put into words just how grateful I am for this organization.

I participated in a two-week Medical Spanish Intensive course in Cordoba, Argentina. The mornings consisted of rounding with Internal Medicine physicians in the hospital and the late afternoons were Spanish classes. We had plenty of time to explore the city, but also time to learn and improve our Spanish. We had a manual which I was impressed with about Argentinian culture as well as a Medical Spanish practice book. My housing was nice (there was no AC, but that is the case in all of Argentina and I had a fan). The cooking by the host mom was amazing (omg so good). We practiced Spanish every night with our host family (a mother and her 9-year-old daughter) and they were very warm and welcoming.
I worked in an infectious disease hospital and was exposed to diseases such as Guillan Barre, Chagas disease, psittacosis pneumonia. The doctors were all very nice. The hospital was different from US hospitals and it was pretty eye-opening seeing how healthcare is delivered in different settings.