Program Reviews

As a young aspiring African intern of the CFHI Global Health Comparative Virtual Internship, and a national of a Low Resource Country (Burundi), I would highly recommend the program to more college graduates in the relevant fields of public health as well as any entry-level professionals to participate in the virtual internship with the CFHI to gain ground in the ins-and-outs of how international NGOs promote health for all and intervene holistically in sometimes-familiar settings as the ones I come from; while gaining cultural exposure and learning to team work with like-minded global health professionals

The internship taught me that sometimes less is better. As a prospective global health professional born and raised in Africa but educated at a medical college outside the continent, I had to experience major incongruities between the theoretical framework of medicine and the efforts needed to implement health equity in hospital settings and community health services. To understand how this gap applies less extensively in the social and economic settings of African LMICs, I had to surmise how the fine line between the two fields affect health delivery and outcomes, and how I can participate in bettering the healthcare systems of my continent in the near future.

Due to the short-bits format of the teachings I received during Dr. Charles Nwobu’s online lectures in Ghana, Dr. Hema Pandey from India, as well as the Director’s Seminars and multinational Global Health Roundtables, I was able to capture the essence of cultural effectiveness and adaptability as the bases of successful collaborative efforts to bring affordable and accessible healthcare for all. Additionally, as an intern under the Outpatient & Community Health Services Department of Village Health Works—an international NGO based in New York and Burundi, I am now using the knowledge I acquired to help build self-reliant community health systems in Kigutu, one of the most remote regions of the country.

I am grateful to have been awarded the Thomas Hall Scholars Program scholarship for the virtual internship and hope to see more young aspiring global health professionals enroll in the different programs CFHI has to offer.

Choosing to participate in this program is easily one of the best decisions I made this year. I have always wanted to participate in the internship program without success so I was very excited when I was awarded the Susan Hershey Scholarship for this program. The program director did a great job of curating Public Health classes, virtual facility tours, and even Hindi language classes. Even though it was virtual, I felt like I was really in India learning about the public health system and some of the successful interventions. I had the privilege of interacting with some of the NGO managers and getting their insight on solving their public health challenges. I also learned about cultural adaptability and found the global health lectures very informative. This experience was very enlightening and rewarding. I look forward to sharing my learnings and experiences with my colleagues.

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!

It has been such a privilege being awarded CFHI and AMSA’s Global Health Scholarship to participate in the Virtual Global Health Comparative. The weekly Director Seminars and Roundtables (and just being amongst some of the world’s global health leaders) were inspiring examples of how I can contribute my academic background and experience in the field. Dr. Charles Nwobu’s mentorship provided such invaluable insight not only into Ghana, but the universal applicability of healthcare challenges to other cultures and populations. And lastly, discussions with fellow interns ultimately gave me hope. It is comforting to know that a growing number of the incoming generation of global health professionals and medical practitioners are equipped with the cultural competence and intersectional understanding necessary to tackle the world’s numerous crises. I have always wanted to work with CFHI due to their admirable sustainable model and infrastructure, and I look forward to participating in programs in the future!

The CFHI organization is fantastic! I was drawn to them during a Conference when I visited their booth and met the Director. I enjoyed my experience in the Global Health Comparative Virtual Internship in Ecuador! From the virtual tours to the cooking session to Spanish classes, it felt like I was indeed there. The coordinators organized it well, and the teachers were genuinely interested in the students. There was another aspect with interactive modules focused on developing Cross-Cultural Effectiveness & Adaptability, which helped me self-reflect and build on my cultural competency skills. Then there were the discussions with CFHI leaders from different countries, which was very informative. For each public health challenge, we would learn about the obstacles in each country, how they impact the people, and reflect on our roles as future leaders. We also had interactive seminars which challenged our thought process and preconceived notions about Global Health, culture, and health. This program was beneficial and aligned with my goals!

CFHI's intern experience was perfect for me, and I actively recommend it to everyone I meet. I wanted an internship that I could do online because of my job and uncertainty with the pandemic, and this aspect met my expectations well. I learned so much in the month before my job started full time, and it really opened my eyes to the jobs in the field of Global Health. This helped me direct my career path in a very unique way. Logistically, the instructors offered flexibility and grace, and the physician in charge of directing my cohort and teaching us about Ghana was living there at the time, so we learned from someone in the field, rather than someone talking about their time in the country you choose. CFHI also does a fantastic job of cultural respect, humility, and making sure that their practices are sustainable long term. I am so thankful for this program and the opportunities it afforded me.

Child Family Health International is an amazing organization. I participated in the virtual internship in Ghana and felt like I was truly there. The leader gave us so much insightful information. Sometimes wifi wouldn’t work but they always figured it out and kept us informed. If your thinking about participating do it! I think my favorite part was thinking I knew something and quickly realizing I didn’t know what I was talking about. I have such a broad understanding now which I wouldn’t of had without this internship.

I decided to join the Child Family Health International Virtual Global Health Comparative internship with the determination to get more than just experience in public and global health but also connect to other students and global health professionals. My one-month program focused on Ghana, and I've learned a lot from our weekly lectures on Ghanaian culture and public health.
I would like to recognize Dr. Nwobu, our main lecturer in Ghana region, for his work in moderating our discussions and sharing his personal experiences of being a public health practitioner in Ghana. Likewise, I learned a lot from the webinars on comparative and professional aspects of global health in general. During some sessions I got an opportunity to share my personal experiences with health care in Turkmenistan (my home country).
Even though CFHI was offering primarily in-person internships before, they perfectly managed and executed virtual internships. I was lucky to study with a diverse cohort of students from Canada, the USA, Ghana, Turkmenistan and India, who shared their culturally-unique perspectives on topics that we discussed in class. Our sessions were interactive and informative, which helped me to stay engaged during information-intensive sessions.
Even though my internship didn't include a Spanish aspect to it, I still got an opportunity to practice my Spanish listening during round-table discussions, where delegates from Latin and South America shared their perspectives on different health-related topics in Spanish.
My internship ended two weeks ago and I can't help but keep thinking about what to try next. I gained immense insight into public and global health from the CFHI virtual Global Health Comparative Internship and this positively contributed to my decision to study global and public health in graduate school. Hopefully, I will have another opportunity to participate in CFHI internships (next time in person) to get a different experience and share it with my friends.

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.

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!