Global Health Experiential Education in Argentina

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.