Program Reviews

My name is Jenna Frantz, and I am a fourth-year medical student (just weeks away from graduating as an MD) at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. As I am preparing for my residency and career in emergency medicine, I am continually inspired by my foundational goal: to serve Hispanic patients facing barriers to healthcare, both domestically and abroad. When I found the rotation to Tarija, Bolivia, through Child Family Health International (CFHI), it was a great fit with my goals to obtain further education and experience in global health. I had previously rotated in Peru, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Puerto Rico for service-learning opportunities (not affiliated with CFHI), and I could tell my experience with CFHI would be different. I was so excited for the stellar learning experience and cultural immersion provided by CFHI.

While still stateside, CFHI made sure I was well prepared for my trip logistically, culturally, and educationally. To facilitate this, there were multiple required online modules about the program, Bolivian culture, cultural sensitivity, and global health ethics. Additionally, the team remained in close email contact with me, and there was even a virtual orientation session to ensure I was prepared prior to takeoff.

Once I arrived in Tarija, I was immediately received with warm, kind smiles from Fabricio – the local program coordinator – and my host family. I got to live with a lovely host family for 8 weeks. The family had 3 daughters about my age, and they took me under their wing immediately, inviting me to hang out with their friends, to walk around the town, to go to the local cultural festivals, and so much more.

Aside from the amazing experience I had with my host family, I had a very comprehensive medical rotation. I rotated for 2 weeks in internal medicine, and 1 week in each of the following: rural primary care, urban primary care, Chagas’ disease clinic, emergency medicine, general surgery, and OB/GYN. I quickly found that the rotations through CFHI are not the same as my medical rotations in the United States – despite being fluent in Spanish, it is difficult to be fully-integrated into the care team as a foreign student where the documentation and work-flow are entirely different from the system in the United States. Furthermore, the local students had to start pre-rounding on their patients at 4-6am; as my scheduled arrival time to the rotation was at 7-8am each day, it was hard to be as fully-involved in patients’ care, since much of the decision-making took place in pre-rounds prior to my arrival. Despite this, it was not at all a barrier to my learning experience, but rather a shift of focus. My learning on this rotation was much more focused on cultural influences in medical decision-making, the influence of government in healthcare in a universal healthcare system, and navigating barriers such as broken equipment and out-of-stock medications.

Another amazing part of this rotation was the extreme kindness and generosity of the local physicians and medical students. Although they had absolutely no obligation to do so, they frequently invited me out to experience the beautiful nature and the lovely culture and customs in Tarija. While rotating in the rural clinic in San Andrés, the physicians took me to the river in the countryside after clinic to enjoy the gorgeous views and to take a dip in the water. At the urban clinic, the physicians invited me to hang out with them during the Carnaval Chapaco, as they wanted to ensure I could experience this great cultural tradition. While rotating in internal medicine, I became good friends with a local medical student, and she and I learned more about the local cultural importance of wine while we toured the local vineyards together. During my experience in general surgery, the residents invited me to get coffee, dinner, and to take a hike to the Chorros de Marquiri, the most beautiful waterfall I’ve seen in my life. All of these people went above and beyond, helping me to have an amazing time in Tarija, and it was truly one of the best parts of my CFHI experience.

My experience with CFHI was valuable and enjoyable learning experience, and I knew I had the constant support of my caring host family and the local team. I would highly recommend an experience through this organization for any students in the medical field who plan on having a career in international medicine.

Participating in the Philippines–Remote Island Medicine Internship with Child Family Health International (CFHI) has been personally transformative and eye-opening experience that surpassed my initial expectations.

I’ve learned opportunities of studying abroad because of the fellowships I had in my community college. As a transfer student, I spotted a UC Davis flyer promoting the Philippines–Remote Island Medicine Internship in 2022 and envisioned it as a small goal. At the end of 2022, I found there could be scholarships such as Kerr-Lacy Study Abroad and CFHI Scholarship which we can apply for as an Aggie. I chose the Remote Island Medicine internship in the Philippines to broaden my global health perspective as a dual citizen. I chose it not only because I will have a chance to see my families but reflect on what I can do today to address health disparities in rural and urban areas. I aspire to find ways to integrate professionally. But most importantly, to learn what public health means to me as a global citizen and learn together with my co-interns. The interactions we had could be a way to forge relations with students like ourselves who may someday lead their programs internationally. My internship abroad turned out to be the last class I had as an undergraduate—solidified my plans of participating in public health as an aspiring nurse midwife. The words of Dr. Joel Buenaventura's sharing on his seven years of community medicine on the island resonates deeply: 'It is not the island that’s changed, it’s me.' This sentiment echoes CFHI’s powerful slogan, 'Let the World Change You.' The immersion and interactions I had in the Philippines and their healthcare system profoundly impacted my perspectives on global health and nursing as a student, seeing essentially how our connections with one another is.
We stayed in Metro Manila (capital of the Philippines) for about 2 weeks. From here, one of the experiences that provided me insight into public/global health was walking through UP-PGH with Dr. Paulo “Lopao” Medina while talking about a part of the Philippine health system where there is more subspecialty than generalist doctors (inverted primary to tertiary). This topic has been included in the healthcare system/situation lecture at the university along with the reiteration of the disjointed healthcare system where we sat with 4th year medical students. While being mindful of the values of CFHI, another local team experience I appreciate was walking at the 'Quiapo Medical Center' (complementary/alternative medicine) tour and the National Museum of Natural History tour, where Dr. Jerry mentioned how topography (typhoons) affects healthcare distribution and the lifestyles of a culture. In a piece of information in a public health class, I read a women's health article “Why The Philippines Has So Many Teen Moms” informed me about rising teenage pregnancy, access to abortion and the need for sex education. It is a topic I yearn to know more about. One of the most significant experiences I had was learning more about it in Manila and at Tablas Island, Romblon. In Manila, Dr. Jomer led us to see the Red-light District and rotations at the HIV clinic---where CFHI opened me to see sensitive patient-doctor interaction, and how affordability could affect referrals/quality of interventions. I remember Dr. Jomer shared that he has been doing an outreach similar to HIV clinics since high school, to community college, at UC Berkeley and meeting him today at CFHI as an Aggie. Another thing that stood out to me in Manila is our Debriefing Session/Exit Conference at the University of the Philippines where we are presenting what we learned as well as being in conversations between leaders at RHU in Tablas Island and leaders in Manila—how they creatively communicate, collaborate, and value the work that they do in their respective fields in public health. I recall “How the book isn’t always what could occur in actuality and how there could be times of what is needed should be the action. Trial and Error with the importance of guidelines in Public Health. And always remember that at the center of public health are the people”. These immersive experiences reminded me of the significance of words: “pagpapakatao” (being human/importance of kindness) and kapwa– “(I) self in the other” in patient care. At CFHI Philippines, I also realized how politics and healthcare are tied together.

In our last 3 weeks at Tablas Island in the province of Romblon, we stayed at Mama Le’s home where she also takes care of her granddaughter—it made me reflect on the advantages of close-knit family ties. The “everyday” after our clinicals looks like walking near the pier with my co-interns, where we sometimes stargaze or watch lightning from a far. One of the fun aspects of the program here is having our orientation at the beach, going to Bon Bon Beach and taking boat rides, hiking near the Blue Hole, and exploring another Romblon island walking more at the Marble Capital of the Philippines with Dr. Jobin Maestro. In addition to that, I am thankful for being invited by the Municipal Health Officer (Dr. Jobin) on his Birthday joined by families and the RHU staff (forever karaoke). On the island, there are clinical observations on the dental clinic and observation of procedures done mostly by the nurses including circumcision, removal of birth control, immunization and outreach/communication on HPV vaccine (since 2023) on HS students. At the Rural Health Unit, observations of what midwives do such as newborn screening tests, assessing mother-child who gave birth at home in a remote place, and vaccines/supplementations given to pregnant women (if luckier, will witness birthing). I had the chance to observe more about: rural vs urban resources and compare it in global health, the fragmented/disjointed healthcare system, and the task shifting of their nurses and other healthcare workers. Another thing that stood out to me is visiting the Looc Marine Sanctuary with my co-interns on Tablas Island (my first time jumping, ofc with a life vest) and reflecting with Drs. Ged and Ken on the reproductive health presentation to a high school population by the RHU that had a “wasted” acronym. But most importantly, I am grateful for CFHI Philippines because it reminded me of my WHYs.

Moreover, I'm flabbergasted by meeting the CHFI Philippines director, who is part of the Department of Health International Relations (migration health), as an undergraduate. I learned how they have secured OFWs' health insurance to the country they are about to arrive. The information of fitness goes to the country of arrival or where they will migrate to. I specifically asked migration because I heard there are less studies tracing mental health for migrants and the different types of visas they hold from the Philippines to the US. In here, I perceive that there might be loss of data for analysis of health outcomes, and I speculate that transnational ties are already embedded in global health. I am grateful for Child Health Family International for the latitude of insights in global/public health and valuable experiences it provided me. I am reminded as well of the two time zones I have had since growing up. As an Aggie, I’m asked about my hometown that I’ll go home to–-here and there after the program. My internship at CFHI became a journey back home while I am at home.

My global health study abroad program consisted of about 2 months in Oaxaca city, Mexico and two weeks in Puerto Escondido. Not only did I learn more about health problems that affect the Mexican population but also how to spread prevention awareness. I had the opportunity to shadow doctors in clinics and a hospital and was exposed to the different obstacles that many of these clinics faced. Most of the clinics that I had visited had a limited amount of resources available and doctors wrote their clinic stories using typewriters. In Puerto Escondido our main goal was to learn about public health and how to incorporate it into the community. We were given the opportunity to give presentations to elementary school classes on sexual education and Vector-related illnesses. All of the children that we presented to, all showed the desire to learn more. Besides the academic part of the study abroad program, the culture in Oaxaca, Mexico is truly one of a kind. I was exposed to calendas (parades), dia de los muertos celebrations, and the beautiful beaches. Oaxacans are extremely respectful and easygoing, always greeting you when you walk by or eating. Overall, this was an amazing experience and I am very thankful that I was able to experience it.

This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in a global health fellowship as an HBCU Leader in Global Health. Thank you Child Family Health International for this wonderful, life-changing opportunity to experience medicine in Accra, Ghana! During my 4 weeks here, I was able to shadow physicians in various departments, observe surgeries, observe vaginal deliveries & c-section births, and learn about preventative health and malnutrition management.
I had an amazing time exploring Accra and shadowing at Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital and Jamestown Maternity Hospital. I am so grateful to combine my love for medicine with my love for travel! Exploring global health through a service-based lens has given me an invaluable perspective on advocacy and health equity before officially starting my medical school journey.

My CFHI experience in Accra, Ghana was extremely invaluable. I had the unique opportunity to serve in a local hospital where I learned about child and maternal health. Each week I rotated through a different sector of the hospital: Week 1 was the emergency room, week two was malnutrition, week 3 was community health/family planning and for the last week I was in the wards/NICU. I appreciated learning about healthcare in Ghana directly from health care providers. I was excited to practice physical exams and interview patients since these are skills I have acquired in my first year of medical school. The malnutrition unit was particularly interesting to me because I haven't had much exposure to working with dieticians. Malnutrition is a massive issue in Ghana, and I learned ways in which the dieticians plan to help their patients recover (utilizing a 4-step re-feeding plan) and how they work with the physicians in other units (ex. OPD or the ED) to ensure the best care for these patients.
Culturally, I enjoyed trying different foods such as red red, kenkey and kelewele. As the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, many of these foods reminded me of home as there were similarities between the dishes. Interacting with locals and admiring the art pieces and learning to play the drums at the art center was one of my many highlights. I really appreciate the sense of community I felt in Accra. I appreciated the opportunity to live with other students from different states and countries while learning about Ghana when we went out into the community each day. I will never forget this transformative experience as it strengthened my desire to continue to pursue Global Health in my future career.

My 4 week program in Ghana with child family health international by far the best opportunity I’ve come across. During this time, I was able to shadow healthcare providers at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital allowing me to see first hand healthcare disparities and challenges the communities are being faced with. My rotations took place in the Pediatric & NICU ward which only grew my passion for wanting to work with children and loving mothers. Also, I had a chance to participate on outreach days with Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana whom goals was to educate the community on sexual rights and women’s reproductive health.

During leisure time , I took the opportunity to explore the Ghanaian community and see the beautiful landmarks and buildings. Truly immersing myself in the culture. Our coordinator made sure we experienced Ghanaian food each night by cooking us diner.

“Let The World Change You“ is the slogan of Child Family Health International and that’s exactly what I did during my time of the global health in Ghana program. Becoming a sponge and soaking up the experience to what i was surrounded with is the best thing I could’ve done.

I am beyond grateful for this experience that was both personal and professional. I can’t wait to continue to work toward my career of becoming a physician assistant!

I participated in Global Health in The Philippines Program. I traveled to Manila, Philippines, for one week and then was assigned to the remote island part of the program for three weeks. I was sent to a small island called Tingloy which had a population of 19,000 and was in the Batangas Province of Luzon. The first week when I was in Manila, the group I was traveling with and I were introduced to the rich culture of this country. We visited tourist spots like Rizal Park, the National Museum of the Philippines, and Intramuros. This helped introduce and contextualize what we would learn about the Philippine healthcare system. Then we had an authentic Philippine dinner and saw the national dance called the Tinkling.
Furthermore, we were introduced to the disparities of Manila as we went to a part of the city that is very underdeveloped. This opened our eyes to the inequity within Manila. The next day we went to Chinatown, and this Chinatown is considered one of the oldest Chinatowns in the world; we got to try some pretty good frog legs, and then we were taken to an area of Manila called Quiapo and visited the local street markets in vendors.

Then we were taken to a church called the minor basilica of the Black Nazarene, and this is where we learned about how Catholicism and religion play a significant role in how some policies, such as reproductive health and rights, are controlled within this country. We were also sent home later that night to watch a documentary called sicko which is about the American healthcare system, and this was going to be used to compare to what we learned about the Philippine healthcare system as we sat through six hours of lecture on the current state of the Philippine health care system. The Philippine healthcare system, in general, is run by the Department of Health, and it very much tries to veer away from an American privatized healthcare system. However, due to the existence of public and private health care, there is a vast disparity between the two, and about a little less than half of the Filipino population pays out of pocket for their medical treatment because the universal national healthcare insurance called Philhealth does not fully cover or provide basic needs. The next day we went to San Juan and Ternate Cavite; we visited the Barangay Health Station, which was pretty underfunded and had limited resources. We also got to watch a baby receive its immunizations. Then after we sat in on a lecture with medical interns who were training volunteer barangay health workers, it was exciting as many of these health workers themselves were volunteers, and two had minimal knowledge of medical-based things such as how to properly track someone's height, how to properly weigh a child, how to calculate BMI.

However, they are essential for the Philippine healthcare system as many people within the town will go to these volunteers when they are sick and will only visit the primary healthcare center if there are concerns that do not alleviate or go away. These volunteers are the front-line workers of the structure of the primary health care system. We took some photos with them, which was fun, and they did get to practice all these skills with us. Then we headed to Ternate, Cavite, where we saw the Municipal Health Officer, Dr. Gina. She showed us her facility, which was more underfunded than San Juan. However, a dentist did exist but mainly only for extractions. She also talked about how the DOH does not pay her enough and that she's not provided enough money to deal with Ternate's number one program that they have in place, which is the drug rehabilitation program. The next day, we visited the Philippines General Hospital, the largest public hospital in Manila and the country.
As I walked through the facility, it was very crowded, and our local preceptors told us that some people might be sitting there for two to three days to see a doctor. However, they did have a wide range of specialties, and we got to see the ER. It was interesting to see that people were sprawled out in the lobby in beds and that medical interns, so medical students that had just graduated, were doing the job of doctors as there was not enough staff to be spread. They were allowed full diagnosing abilities also. Then we visited BCG, one of the wealthiest parts of Manila, and we got to see St. Luke's Hospital, a private hospital. It was a night and day change as St. Luke's looked like an upscale mall that had restaurants and cafes in very fancy accommodations to come with it. Many upper-class business people and foreigners in general visit St. Luke's. This showed the difference between what money could get you in Manila and the disparities between public and private healthcare. Some experience I had in Manila was I went to Robinsons Mall, which is this massive mall within Eremite. I could get everything there, and I tried Jollibee, the national fast-food chain of the Philippines. I liked it because it was chicken and rice.

I also got to ride in a Jeepney, an old war machine/tank turned into a bus-looking thing, you pay for seven kilometers, and they're very hard to navigate, but they were still fun. We also visited a souvenir shop, and there were these cute fish wallets. Also, the night we stayed at BCG, our local preceptors got dinner with us, and we went to a fun karaoke room. I wish they would have them in the US. On the last day of Manila, we just had a lecture about a video that explained how a small child died. We had to analyze the video and develop a web chain to explain what happened. The point of the lecture was to see that public health plays a huge role in someone's well-being and that a lot of outside environmental factors affected the death of this child, and it wasn't just the disease that took her. They wanted us to use this perspective when we were sent to the remote islands as necessary, as many outside factors affect the type of healthcare these populations receive. We got in a car and traveled to Talaga port; we would take a 35-to-40-minute ferry to Tingloy. There we got on a trike, the only mode of transportation on the island except for walking or taking an ATV. Then we went to the rural health unit and met Doc Patt, which was funny because everybody on the island knew who doc pat was, so we just had to say that name, and they knew where to send us. We were the second batch of students on Tingloy, so many of the locals were not used to having foreigners. The homestay we stayed at was excellent, and our host mom Ate Czen was lovely and kind; she introduced us to her kids and cousins, and the word about us on the island spread very quickly. The rural health unit in Tingloy is nice and set up like a hospital due to the last mayor wanting to make this RHU a hospital. However, when the new mayor came in, plans changed, and the local doctor taught us the importance of relationships and how maintaining these good relationships will get you the resources you need when it is not provided initially. We learned that the two main programs on Tingloy are TB and immunizations. We also got to learn the ins and outs of how the Tingloy RHU has explicitly set up its staff.

We also visited Masasa Beach, which is a beautiful beach. We also visited the blue lagoon, walked around town, and got invited to a couple of enjoyable celebrations, such as a fiesta hosted by the mayor. Many children on the island like to play Latto which is a game with these two balls that clink next to each other, and sometimes it gets a bit aggravating. However, it was still a wonderful toy and an experience to learn about. They serenaded us when we walked down the streets, which was pretty funny. Every month they go out into the branches or have specific days for certain barangays to come and get their children vaccinated. The parents are handed a vaccination book indicating which vaccine their child is supposed to get at what age and always bring them in their blue. The local doctor said he doesn't see an issue with many against vaccinations, as many people want their children to be vaccinated. We watched many of these vaccination days, and I did notice that they explained this in Manila. Also, families always come in with a companion; if one family member has to leave, another family member comes to replace so that the patient's not alone. I also noticed that HIPAA itself is very wonky, as many patients sit beside each other; the intake form is a desk with two chairs, so patients sit across from each other and hear the nurses talking about their intake information.

Lastly, the nurses always work in pairs of two, so one fills out the forms because they are handwritten and filed while the other nurse takes the vitals. I participated in a blood drive and got to shadow and see many other things, this is a once in a lifetime trip, and I would recommend it as I have learned so much in the past month, and it was worth the 30 hours of travel back home, lol. If you are considering it, this is a great program, and CFHI does a great job with cultural competency and integration with local preceptors. I made good friends with them, and they said we should catch up and meet when we visit them.

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.

Practicing my Spanish while immersing myself in another culture prior to residency had long been a goal of mine, and CFHI helped make that happen. I really enjoyed both my language classes and homestay in Oaxaca. I was also able to take part in local art and cooking classes in my free time to continue to practice my Spanish, in addition to shadowing at a private surgical clinic. I'm grateful for the opportunity and would love to participate in a similar language immersion program with CFHI again.

Overall, I had a good experience with CFHI in India. My goals for the trip were to get out of my comfort zone and immerse myself in a new culture, meet and interact with the community directly, directly observe healthcare and health practice in India, and to expand my cultural awareness and humility. I was able to accomplish all of these things. For four weeks we stayed with hosts families and we got to know them as well as the culture they belonged to. There were many opportunities to interact with the community whether it be visits to public health sites while in Delhi, visiting the various clinics, or day-to-day interactions we had as we navigated unfamiliar terrain. In the clinics, Hindi was spoken most of the time so we did not always know what was going on, which was a minor detriment. However, there were many moments where guidance and clarification was given by the preceptors, often times when we were confident enough to ask quickly between patients. Some preceptors were intentional about making sure we understood what was going on and answering questions before or after clinic or during planned pauses in the clinic. A few were too busy to do such things, which is understandable. The experience also allowed for enormous growth. There were many times that I had to question my assumptions, evaluate my own perceptions, and/or genuinely challenge my beliefs, which I think has resulted in me being much more open-minded than before. With the intricate belief systems in India and resulting integration in daily life, I was able to begin learning what it truly means to acknowledge that I am no expert in the culture of another, and should be curious and open to learning about it. This is something I think I will take with me as I continue in Global Health.