Location
  • Online
Length
4 weeks
General grants/scholarships
Health & Safety

Program Details

Compensation
Unpaid
Timeframe
Year Round
Weekly Hours
15

Pricing

Starting Price
975
Feb 27, 2024
Aug 06, 2022
6 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

CFHI Virtual Global & Public Health Internships offer undergraduate, pre-health, and graduate-level students the unique opportunity to explore global and public health issues broadly, highlighting how health systems around the world deliver healthcare in a variety of diverse environments, exploring cultural interplays in urban and rural areas, and incorporating indigenous healing practices. Students learn how communities are addressing their most pressing health challenges, including chronic disease, maternal-child health, infectious disease, and reproductive health, all while gaining insights into the public health realities of the region. The internship is enriched with cross-cultural assessment and interaction tools, and with carefully planned cultural activities that allow participants to experience the rich diversity of CFHI’s global partner communities.

CFHI is offering virtual internships focused on the following countries: Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Mexico, and Uganda.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

CFHI is deeply committed to supporting BIPOC participants in our programs, building our programs and operations from a basis of anti-oppression, anti-racist, and anti-colonial approaches. We work closely with our Global Team to provide participants with location-specific information regarding local customs, norms and recommendations. During pre-departure preparation, we encourage participants to discuss their identities, needs, abilities, and concerns and set up 1:1 planning calls to ensure questions are answered, and a robust support system is established before travel. In addition, our local teams and CFHI leadership are available 24/7 to offer support and assistance.
At CFHI, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for participants of all identities, including those within the LGBTQIA+ community. We firmly believe in equal access to quality global health education, ensuring that everyone can engage and thrive. We collaborate with our local teams to provide resources and support to participants that is specific to each program and location. During pre-departure, participants are encouraged to discuss their unique concerns and set up 1:1 planning calls to ensure questions are answered and a robust support system is established before travel. Through these efforts, we aim to foster an environment where participants can learn, grow, and make meaningful connections while participating in global health experiences.
CFHI encourages participants to discuss their accommodation needs with CFHI after acceptance to their program to ensure we understand the accommodations needed and be well prepared to support them. Before departure, our team will work directly with each student and their institution (if relevant) and will make every possible effort to implement learning and physical accommodations and adaptations, remove barriers and allow full access to the extent possible without fundamentally altering the program's essential structure and standards. If it is not possible to accommodate a student on their first choice of program due to significant structural barriers or similar, CFHI will work with the student and their institution to select another suitable program option.
CFHI encourages participants to discuss their accommodation needs with CFHI after acceptance to their program to ensure we understand the accommodations needed and be well prepared to support them. Before departure, our team will work directly with each student and their institution and will make every possible effort to implement learning and physical accommodations and adaptations, remove barriers and allow full access to the extent possible without fundamentally altering the program's essential structure and standards. If it is not possible to accommodate a student on their first choice of program due to significant structural barriers or similar, CFHI will work with the student and their institution to select another suitable program option

Impact

Sustainability is at the core of our partnerships at CFHI. Our longstanding global partnerships, spanning more than 10+ years, reflect our ethical and Fair-Trade approach. CFHI's organizational values emphasize our interconnectedness as humans sharing one planet. To expand educational opportunities while reducing our organizational carbon footprint, we offer a range of virtual/online programs. Additionally, several programs focus on Planetary Health and encourage participants through our Planetary Health Pledge to commit to actionable initiatives that contribute to a healthier planet. Through these efforts, we are dedicated to nurturing sustainable and enduring relationships with our partners and the planet.
CFHI is a leader in community-based Global Health Education Programs with over 30 years of experience and in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations. CFHI's work has centered around offering safe, ethical, and sustainable global health education opportunities to trainees and academic partners. Our research and scholarship have focused on documenting the harm caused by neocolonial and paternalistic approaches to global health engagement and collaboratively developing standards and best practices rooted in Fair Trade Learning Principles, Asset-Based approaches, and appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks. Through immersive experiences, participants are embedded in existing health systems, deepening their understanding of host countries' health landscapes, refining intercultural communication, exploring complex health realities, and cultivating a commitment to global health ethics.

Program Highlights

  • Explore global and public health issues and how health systems around the world deliver healthcare in a variety of diverse environments.
  • Learn about the cultural interplays in urban and rural areas and process of incorporating indigenous healing practices.
  • Participate in real-world projects and receive mentorship from CFHI's global partners.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 7 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Content 5
  • Engagement 5
  • Support 5
  • Platform 5
  • Value 5
Showing 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Default avatar
Courtney
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Accelerated my Spanish learning - a formative experience as a medical student!

As a medical student, I had an amazing experience with CFHI. I had thoroughly researched global learning experiences prior to choosing CFHI, as I wanted a program that was committed to doing global health work and teaching students in a sustainable and culturally-appropriate way. I felt like CFHI truly prioritized the wellness of the local communities they were in and were very cognizant to avoid the common pitfalls of volontourism, lack of sustainability, and the white savior complex. I couldn't have been more right.

From the start, the CFHI staff were kind, responsive, and cared about my personal needs as a program participant. They helped me identify a scholarship (the AMSA Global Health Scholarship) that helped fund my entire global experience. While I originally planned to participate in the on-site Global Health and Intensive Spanish Program in Quito, Ecuador, the program was unfortunately cancelled last minute due to unforseen political circumstances. Even though the situation evolved rapidly only days before we were set to leave for Quito, I could tell how much the CFHI team cared about prioritizing the well-being of the local community and not placing extra burden on that community with our visit, as well as protecting student safety. The team was communicative and quick in these stressful circumstances, and I ended up switching my scholarship to the Virtual version of this program.

My virtual experience was nothing short of incredible. While I was doubtful that it could fulfill the my expectations in the same way that an on-site program would, CFHI did an incredible job of choosing local experts to speak to us on global health issues and medical ethics. We were assigned a local Spanish teacher from Quito. I had minimal Spanish knowledge before - after 6 weeks of this course, I feel like participating in this program has vastly accelerated my learning in a way that would have taken months or years during a normal academic year.

Participating in this experience has helped me take the first steps in becoming a more culturally-competent physician. I also plan to continue learning Spanish, with the goal of hopefully helping Spanish-speaking patients feel more comfortable if I am their provider. I could not thank CFHI enough and would highly recommend this program to anyone in the medical field or not.

Pros
  • Personalized language learning
  • Local experts
  • Supportive program staff
Cons
  • Internet connectivity issues
104 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tanyaradzwa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CFHI GHANA VIRTUAL PROGRAM

My experience with the virtual CFHI Ghana program was a memorable one and a great learning opportunity. Not only did I learn about the Ghanian culture and traditions such as the many staple foods. I learn't about the different social factors that may influence the decisions and choices of people and as patients. This also helped me to understand how I would need to approach patients in similar settings. Through the program we discussed and analysed clinical case scenarios, this has contributed to my preparation for my internship once I graduate from medical school. This program has been very enlightening and through it I have also met people from different countries and learned about the healthcare practices in their respective countries. I have enjoyed being a part of the CFHI program and I would recommend this opportunity, I learned about many different aspects beyond the healthcare system and I will forever be grateful for this opportunity.

Pros
  • You meet other people from all over the world
  • The program directors are very helpful and responsive
  • The classes are very interactive
Cons
  • The program was virtual so I was not able to see patients, so the in-person rotation may have been a better option.
127 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Zeinab
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Virtual Global & Public Health Internship-Ghana.

In my academic career, the most meaningful experience for me was the Virtual Global & Public Health Internship program I completed in Ghana. This internship gave me back my motivation for pursuing medicine and it opened up new interests for me. I now for sure want to get a Masters in Public Health and I want a global health certificate or fellowship. This internship was very eye-opening because Ghana’s healthcare system, although is a different sphere than America’s, has many instances where it overlaps with the American system. The social determinants that affect the health of Americans, also play a crucial role in the health of Ghana’s people. Working on case studies with the wonderful physician who was coordinating our program was my favorite part of this entire experience, because it helped me expand my knowledge and it made me feel as if I am an actual doctor working on initiatives for the community. Although this experience was virtual, I am greatly hoping I could go in person one day (possibly when I am in medical school or doing my masters program). Learning about the health of other countries has always been my goal ever since learning about Doctors Without Borders. This internship has also taught me to push myself into becoming an actual advocate for health especially in marginalized communities, because those with heartbreaking stories are those suffering from being underserved and unheard. The entirety of Child Family Health International is built on the fundamentals of social responsibility, service-learning, empowerment, and education. Truly a wonderful experience that I will always recommend to others!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Embrace the culture and ask questions! It is also important to communicate and talk with others to build on your understanding.
152 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Nayana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CFHI Global and Public Health Internship

The Child Family Health International (CFHI) Virtual Global and Public Health Internship was an enriching and valuable learning experience for me. The sessions were very well organised, and it enabled me to gain a better understanding of the public healthcare system in India and the local and national public health programs. The sessions on personal and professional development, as well as cultural sensitivity, were very insightful. Thank you CFHI for this amazing and excellent internship experience and I highly recommend the CFHI Internships to students interested in Global Health and Public Health.

165 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Maryam
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Virtual Internship - Ghana

As an adult graduate student with school-aged children, I was always looking for internship and practicum opportunities to participate. The internships that I came across were good but the timing was always an issue. I was looking for a specific internship that will give me the flexibility to work around my family's schedule.

So, when CFHI announced last May that it was opening the doors of virtual internship opportunities, I was all over the place! It was a dream come true for me. Even though it was a virtual one, as far as I am concerned, an internship is an internship. Of course, the face-to-face, in-person internship in a global setting has its perks and advantages. No doubt about that. Without the COVID-19 pandemic, I would have opted for an in-person internship abroad as well. However, due to the pandemic, the CFHI staff was strategic enough to think beyond the traditional internship format and bring forth an innovative virtual one that will suit many adult students like me, including much younger students. It is a matter of opportunity and such opportunities never last. So, if one appears, just grab it!

And that is exactly what I did. I grabbed the opportunity and participated in my first-ever (virtual) internship with CFHI.

It was an amazing, eye-opening experience. From our Ghana preceptor to my cohort colleagues, and all the lessons learned and videos shared with us about the healthcare systems, food, history, and cultural traditions in Ghana, everything in between was enriching, enlightening, and exciting.

I concluded my one-month CFHI'S global public health internship (Ghana) just last week and I am already thinking of when to enroll for another CFHI internship in another part of the world. This is how fulfilled I am with my CFHI experience!

172 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Anjali
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A great Internship

I did my first virtual internship with CFHI in August 2020. As a Master of Public Health student from India, it was a great learning opportunity for Public Health management in low resource settings of Uganda. Though it was completely online, Dr. Geoffrey literally walked me through the health burdens, health systems, pandemic management, and cultural aspects of Uganda. I developed a well informed critical thinking mindset to approach Global Health and Public Health from the grassroots/community level.
The entire CFHI team immensely helped to bridge the possible gap of cross-cultural differences. The quality of the internship teaching materials is so superior that I delved into multiple features of Public Health. Thankyou CFHI and the partner organization KIHEFO, Uganda, for that awesome Internship experience.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
This is a great opportunity to learn in a cross-cultural arena and use it for developing a more integrated world view.
160 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Rachel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CFHI Uganda

I interned with CFHI this summer, and although it was virtual, I learned a lot about global health, cultural competencies, and Ugandan culture. A great experience with Dr. G! It was great to learn more about other cultures and delve into that aspect. Dr. G was very peaceful and created a welcoming and happy environment which was great since the entire internship experience was done online. Child Family Health International is a great organization that cares a lot about teaching the interns! Great!

156 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers