Child Family Health International

My two weeks with CFHI in Puyo, Ecuador, reshaped how I think about public health — not as an abstract concept, but as something lived daily by the communities I visited. As a physician, I came in with clinical knowledge, but I left with something harder to teach: a felt understanding of how geography, infrastructure, and culture shape access to care.

Spending time in indigenous communities around Puyo, I saw firsthand the distances people travel and the barriers they navigate just to reach a health post. I learned about local approaches to disease surveillance and prevention — vector control, community-based epidemiological monitoring, education campaigns — and how much of effective public health work happens outside the clinic, in trust-building, listening, and adapting to local realities rather than imposing external models.

What stayed with me most were the everyday moments: conversations with community health workers, the warmth of families who welcomed us into their routines, and the quiet realization of how much resilience it takes to sustain health and wellbeing in under-resourced settings. This experience was a turning point for me — it's part of what drew me toward epidemiology, and I'm now pursuing a Master of Science in the field, carrying the questions Puyo raised in me into my research.

I'm profoundly grateful to CFHI, to my local mentors, and to the Puyo community for an experience that changed the direction of my career.

My experience in Dehradun and the Rural Himalayas was incredibly eye-opening and fulfilling, both personally and professionally. From public community hospitals in Mussoorie, to private hospitals and homeopathic clinics in Dehradun, to public health initiatives in Delhi that brought me directly into patients’ homes, I learned so much about the intersection of culture, public health, traditional practices, and Western medicine. Seeing firsthand how patients with cancer and other chronic illnesses navigate their conditions within the context of their families and communities was especially impactful. I left the experience inspired and grateful, and I hope to return one day as a physician to serve these communities!

If you're considering CFHI Córdoba, Argentina...DO IT! 🇦🇷 I had such a fun and meaningful experience, both inside and outside the hospital.

A few things I loved: living with a host family, exploring Córdoba, learning to make and drink mate, learning to dance tango, and getting creative during “ART-gentina.” Living with my host was especially special because I got to experience everyday Argentine life and watch local shows (Es Mi Sueño was my favorite).

Clinically, I rotated through dermatology, physical rehabilitation, psychiatry, and kinesiology at Hospital Pediátrico de Córdoba. I also completed a CPR certification course, which was such a cool hands-on experience! My biggest advice: come with an open mind and be ready to adapt. You may encounter differences in language, healthcare, schedules, and clinical roles, but that’s all part of the learning experience. Ask questions, talk to the local doctors and residents, explore outside of your rotations, and say YES to the cultural activities! I left Córdoba with new clinical experiences, new perspectives, and so many memories. I genuinely enjoyed my time with CFHI and would absolutely recommend it to other students!

I joined the CFHI Program, Global Health in the Philippines for 4 weeks, during the month of July, 2026 and I received the Friends of the Philippines scholarship. To be able to join a program such as this was an honor for me. It was a wonderful journey, with a great group of people to be with. CFHI has provided plenty for us during the course of the program and made sure that we were able to soak in the Philippines' beauty, culture, and healthcare. As a Filipino, I appreciate how we got to share our first-hand experiences to our companions from abroad. One of the students with us was also studying medicine, and we appreciated how we were using almost the same materials for our respective degrees. It did not matter whether she was studying in the US, or we were studying in the Philippines, although some information might be tweaked, for example, for diseases endemic to our countries. The girls we were with for the program were just the loveliest of people to be with, along with the local communities that we went to for the program. Our group went to the municipality of Torrijos in Marinduque. During our stay at the municipality, we were not only exposed to the RHU (Rural Health Unit), but because they had an ongoing Barangay Caravan, we also were able to explore different places in the municipality. As an aspiring physician here in the Philippines, it was a great experience to be able to shadow local doctors in the area, knowing that I would be doing the same thing in the future. We got tips on how to talk to patients, how to interact with the locals, and most importantly, how to handle medicine in areas far from the capital. It was a sad realization to hear that the municipality lacked equipment for crucial diagnosis, but we knew that the doctors there are doing their best of their capabilities to provide care for the people despite the disadvantage. Dr. Gellie Ocampo, our local preceptor made sure that we were well taken care of while we were staying there at the island. Ma'am Joan Azares, and her daughter Marnie Azares took us in as guests at their house, and they could not have been more hospitable. To them, we are most grateful for ensuring that we have a roof above our heads and meals to eat that they so lovingly prepared. Before we even got to the island, Ma'am Anabelle Rioflorido made sure that we were safe on the journey from Manila to the homestay in Marinduque. Finally, I would also like to share my gratitude to Dr. Paulo Medina, and Ms. Mae for making sure that the whole program would be smooth and there would not be any mishaps. I am just so immensely happy to be able to participate in such a program, and I hope CFHI is able to continue giving scholarships for deserving students to get in the program. All the best for Child Family Health International!

My month with CFHI in Puyo, Ecuador was one of the most valuable experiences of my medical education. As a fourth-year student at UTMB with a strong interest in global health, I came into the program hoping to see medicine practiced in a different context — and it exceeded my expectations in almost every way.

Shadowing physicians at Hospital Shell gave me a completely new appreciation for outpatient care in a resource-limited setting, and my time at the Vectores clinic taught me more about public health and mosquito-borne illness control than I ever could have learned in a lecture hall. Visiting the San Virgilio community and learning about traditional medicinal plants was humbling in the best way, and reminded me that healing takes many forms beyond what I've been taught in medical school.

Living with my host family, especially Viviana, made Puyo feel like a second home. Their warmth, patience, and home-cooked meals turned this from a clinical rotation into a genuinely immersive cultural experience. I also loved having the freedom to explore Puyo on my own time — running through the city, trying new foods, and visiting the nature walk and river were highlights I'll remember for a long time.

This program strengthened my clinical skills, broadened my understanding of global health, and reaffirmed why I want to work with underserved populations in my future career. I'm incredibly grateful to CFHI and to everyone in Puyo who welcomed me so generously, and I'd recommend this program to any student looking for a meaningful, well-supported global health experience.