Program Reviews

Visiting Tarija for 2 weeks with CFHI has been one of the most meaningful summer experiences I could have had. Living in a new country, fully immersed in the culture, leads to growth that's difficult to find otherwise. After completing the program, I better understand the health challenges faced outside of the US. I feel more able and inclined to work to resolve them and discuss potential solutions. In addition, I believe I’m better prepared to help immigrants navigate the US health system now that I understand how their experiences with healthcare might differ from those who were born in the US. Overall, the experience helped me be a more well-rounded person and prepared me to serve diverse populations as a physician.

My CFHI elective in Bolivia was one of the most meaningful parts of my medical training so far. I rotated through surgery, primary care, infectious disease, and psychiatry. Each showed how medicine is practiced when resources are limited in a country with a completely different health system than in the US.

The CFHI team was responsive throughout the whole process (before, during, and after) and the local team was extremely supportive and flexible. The medical coordinator went so far to coordinate a new rotation for me when I asked to rotate with a psychiatrist. This was especially meaningful, as I was able to connect with patients and learn from physicians in my preferred specialty. The local team also helped me organize weekend trips to other parts of the country or locally, such as the Uyuni Salt Flats.

I walked to clinic almost every morning, which is something I love about Tarija. At midday I went home for almuerzo with my host family. Being able to live with a family added a rich layer to the experience as well—they made me feel like part of the family, exchanged life experiences with me, and we have remained in contact since I left.

My Spanish classes were unique and significantly improved my confidence in the language. We discussed Bolivian history and culture, reviewed grammar, medical Spanish, differences between U.S. and Bolivian medical care, Chagas prevention, toured museums, and even visited a folk medicine ‘curandero’ to learn about traditional healing practices.

Something that stood out to me about CFHI is that the program addresses the history of global health. They talk openly about how the field has been shaped by colonization, racism, and elitism, and how those patterns still show up now. They also shared how they actively counter this in their organization with concrete examples.

Overall, this elective pushed me to think more deeply about health systems, culture, and communication. It made me more comfortable caring for diverse patients and reminded me why cultural humility is essential. I’m grateful I had the chance to learn from local clinicians, families, and patients, and I’ll carry these lessons with me into my training and future work. I hope to return to Bolivia one day and find ways to participate in global health as a resident physician.

This practicum enhanced my MPH training by giving me hands-on experience in global health program development and evaluation. Working with Child Family Health International (CFHI), I developed a training presentation for healthcare workers focused on PrEP options, including oral PrEP, CAB-LA, and the newer long-acting injectable Lenacapavir. This experience strengthened my competencies in evidence-based practice, health education design, cultural humility, and professional communication. Overall, this practicum helped bridge my academic learning with real-world global health practice and reaffirmed my commitment to HIV prevention and health equity

My experience with Child Family Health International (CFHI) was nothing short of life-changing. As a Ugandan medical officer with a strong interest in global health, I joined CFHI’s Global Health in India program to deepen my understanding of healthcare systems in a diverse cultural context. The CFHI team provided unparalleled support throughout the application and travel processes, making me feel welcomed and prepared.

The program featured enlightening visits to organizations such as Sulabh International, where I learned about groundbreaking sanitation initiatives, and CanSupport, which focuses on holistic care for cancer patients. Observerships at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital and Landour Community Hospital were particularly impactful, as I gained valuable insights into India's clinical care and public health practices.

Additionally, the cultural experiences, including visits to the Taj Mahal and other iconic sites, as well as partaking in Diwali, enriched my appreciation for India’s heritage.

CFHI’s dedication to cultural sensitivity and global collaboration in medicine is truly commendable. I returned home inspired and equipped with knowledge that will inform my advocacy for equitable healthcare in Uganda and beyond. I highly recommend CFHI to anyone seeking to broaden their horizons and make a meaningful difference in global health. Thank you, CFHI, for this incredible journey!

I had a wonderful experience with CFHI in Tarija, Bolivia. Just right before the program, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. I chose Tarija due to my interests in communicable diseases and also because the description of it being a small, tranquil city appealed to me. I initially felt nervous about the program since I wasn’t pre-med and thought I might not gain as much as my peers, however, I soon found myself deeply engaged in learning about the community’s public health in ways that genuinely interested me. I did rotations in family medicine, surgery, and gynecology, exposing me to different areas and levels of patient care. Through this, I gained a wide understanding of how social and structural factors shape health outcomes in Tarija. Moreover, each week we met with the medical director, where we learned more about the Bolivian health system, providing essential context to better make sense of what we were witnessing in our rotations. The medical director and local coordinator are wonderful people who I’m grateful to have had supporting me throughout the program.

My favorite part of the experience was definitely my homestay. My host mother was so sweet and hospitable. I absolutely loved getting to chat with her every day over almuerzo and updating her on all of my program experiences, all the while practicing my Spanish. It felt so special getting to know Tarija and the Bolivian culture through living with her. My Spanish skyrocketed throughout my time there. In addition to practicing at home and on my rotations, there were also afternoon Spanish classes that I was attending. The Spanish teacher truly believes in immersion, so every day for class we would meet at the main plaza and then do different cultural activities together, such as ordering at cafes and visiting museums, to improve our conversational skills. I felt very comfortable in Tarija and was able to reach pretty much anywhere I needed to by foot without worries. Beyond this, I also took a weekend trip with a few of my peers to the Salar de Uyuni. We did a private tour with Sur Bike, which our local coordinator had recommended to us—so worth it! We had such an amazing time, and it was a great opportunity to explore Bolivia beyond just Tarija.

Overall, I’m so glad I did this program. I really love what CFHI stands for, and they provided us with a great course on global health ethics to go through beforehand. This was my first time in South America, and it was also my first time doing a global health education program. I cherish the experiences I had and the connections I made there, and feel I found this program at the perfect time in my life as a recent graduate. CFHI’s slogan is “let the world change you,” and I didn’t realize how true that would be until I found myself learning not just about healthcare, but about people, resilience, and community.

My name is Sarah, I am a Registered Nurse from Canada. My experience in Puyo, Ecuador was truly life changing. I had the opportunity to gain a new family, new healthcare experiences, and to live in a place far away from home for a month. During my four weeks with CFHI I gained friends including other CFHI students, staff members of the facilities, and other tourists I met. Every part of the program felt smooth and they were extremely accommodating to whatever I needed. I loved the feel of Puyo. It was so easy to walk down the street and get an ice cream or go on a walk to get anywhere I needed to be in town. I spent my days learning about the benefits and challenges of many different aspects to community health and individual health, and my evenings and weekends doing spanish classes and spending time with my host family playing card games, going to the river to swim, going to different tourist attractions, and even basketball games of the oldest daughter of my host family. I truly felt like I had become part of the family and they did an amazing job always making me feel included, I never became homesick. A major goal of mine was to improve my spanish and that is exactly what had happened. At the beginning of my program I really struggled with speaking, and I was asking people to repeat themselves lots. By the end of the four weeks I was speaking with a lot more ease, having real conversations, and understanding people without asking them to repeat themselves as much. I had received many compliments from locals saying that I spoke very good Spanish for a foreigner! The rotations I got to experience had such a variety, from spending 2 nights in an Indigenous community in the jungle, to going to a private hospital and rural health centres and even walking around the city of Puyo collecting mosquito larvae to send them for tests on if they contained diseases such as Dengue, Yellow Fever, Malaria, and many others. I even got to work alongside a nurse from Puyo to make a presentation on Diabetic medications for their Diabetes support club. I truly could not have gotten a better, more immersive experience and I am so grateful for my host family and CFHI team.

During my CFHI Global Health Program in Tarija, Bolivia, I felt incredibly supported both academically and personally. As a fourth-year medical student applying into OB/GYN, I truly appreciated how the local team in Tarija went out of their way to ensure I had meaningful exposure to women’s health. The doctors and nurses welcomed me as part of the team, giving me hands-on opportunities that were appropriate for my level of training and always in line with CFHI’s ethical guidelines. I came away not only with stronger clinical skills, but also with a deeper understanding of the healthcare system in Bolivia and how providers serve their communities. I also got to see a lot of pathology we do not see often in the United States.

Outside of the hospital/clinic, my experience was just as enriching. I absolutely loved my host family; they made me feel like part of their home from day one, and sharing meals and conversations with them was one of the best parts of my time abroad. The Spanish classes were also excellent, completely tailored to each student's needs and helped me grow more confident in both clinical and everyday conversations. Tarija itself is such a beautiful, calm city filled with warm and welcoming people. I felt safe, connected, and inspired during my entire stay, and I’m so grateful for the friendships, skills, and memories I gained through this program.

I am extremely grateful for my experience in the CFHI Global Health in the Philippines program. From the people, the culture, and the history, I am undoubtedly impacted by the things I’ve learned and seen from my time in the program.

We started with our first week in Manila where we got to learn about the different parts of the Philippine health system as well as how it fit into the context of Philippines history. The local coordinators, Dr.Katrina and Dr.Lopao were incredibly passionate about the information and history they were sharing with us which made our discussions super engaging and insightful! Not only that but I appreciated how they constantly checked in on us and made sure that we were okay throughout our time in Manila.

The local team on the island was also incredibly welcoming. Our group rotated around the different Barangay Health Clinics and had the opportunity to learn about their unique health system on the island. In our free time we were able to explore the island, try different foods, and talk with the locals and BHWs (Barangay Health Workers). In our 3 weeks here, something that I’ll never forget is the empathy and compassion of the entire health team. From each health clinic we visited and the conversations we had with the staff, it was clear to see how dedicated everyone was in providing the best care even with the obstacles that might come from being on an island. Furthermore, the context and insight provided by our local preceptor is something I know will continue to impact and shape how I think about medicine in the future and in my studies.

Something I also really appreciated about CFHI as a whole, was their emphasis on ethical engagement. From their thorough onboarding and the support from the US team, the Local team, and alumni, I felt assured that I wasn’t expected to do anything beyond observation. Especially as a second-year undergrad, I felt that there wasn’t really anything medical that I would have been qualified to do. Something that really resonated with me was their rule of thumb “If you wouldn’t be allowed to do it here, don’t do it there”. This aspect is something that I feel is extremely unique to CFHI and what made me look into this program in the first place!

Overall, my CFHI Global Health Program in the Philippines was extremely informative and worthwhile! I fully recommend it to anyone who is going into medicine or global health or is even just curious about it to apply for a program. Wherever you are in your journey, you are sure to gain valuable information and insight that will continue to impact you long after your program.

My five weeks in Cape Coast, Ghana with CFHI was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. I was part of the Clinical Track and spent my time shadowing in the surgery and neurosurgery departments at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. From the very first day, I was welcomed by the healthcare team and made to feel like part of the hospital community. I spent most of my time observing surgeries, sitting in on ward rounds, and learning how physicians navigate complex cases in a system with limited resources. What stood out to me was how willing the house officers were to engage with me. They explained procedures, answered my questions, and shared their own experiences working in the Ghanaian healthcare system. I was constantly learning, not just about medicine, but about the importance of adaptability, compassion, and teamwork in clinical care. Connecting with patients was another powerful part of my experience. Even though I was just a student shadowing, many patients welcomed me into their space with kindness and openness. These small moments, sharing a conversation or simply being present, taught me a lot about the human side of medicine. Outside the hospital, the CFHI accommodations were safe and comfortable, and living with other students and our local coordinator created a strong sense of community. The local CFHI team was supportive and always made sure we were prepared, both in and out of the clinical setting. Cape Coast itself was an incredible place to live. In our free time, we explored the beaches, hiked through Kakum National Park, and visited the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, which offered a powerful look into Ghana’s history. We also got to experience Ghanaian culture firsthand, from trying traditional foods to learning local customs and phrases. This program helped me grow both personally and professionally. It gave me real insight into global health, strengthened my interest in surgery, and reminded me of why I chose to pursue medicine in the first place. I'm grateful to CFHI for offering such a thoughtful, immersive experience, and I would absolutely recommend the Cape Coast program to anyone looking to gain clinical exposure.

My name is Simone Jacot, and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno. I recently had the incredible experience of spending four weeks in Kabale, Uganda, for a global health internship through Child Family Health International. I was drawn to this program because of its unique opportunity to learn from community experts about innovative solutions to health challenges such as malnutrition, food insecurity, and maternal and child mortality. During my time in Uganda, I completed a Global Health Practicum under the mentorship of Dr. Geoffrey Anguyo, the founder and executive director of KIHEFO, a Ugandan non-profit dedicated to promoting health and reducing the burden of disease in the Kigezi region and beyond. Observing mobile health clinics, HIV/AIDS treatment processes, maternal/child health initiatives, and KIHEFO's rabbit breeding project profoundly changed my perspective on medicine and the social determinants of health. Throughout my stay in Uganda, I deeply appreciated the warmth, kindness, and support from Dr. Anguyo and the KIHEFO staff. Their willingness to share their time and expertise contributed immensely to my growth, and I was always treated as a valuable member of their team. Dr. Anguyo’s commitment to his students fostered a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment that enriched my experience and provided space to reflect on the many ways my cultural identity and perceptions surrounding healthcare were challenged. The preparation CFHI provided for this experience was thorough, relevant, and comprehensive. I felt supported every step of the way and was given helpful tools for cultivating reflection and self-awareness. This program deeply influenced the kind of person and healthcare provider I hope to become, and I couldn't be more grateful!