Program Reviews

I am currently a Pediatric resident in the US with an interest in practicing internationally in my future endeavors. I also have been on multiple trips with CFHI, including Oaxaca, Mexico and Córdoba, Argentina. I was the first participant to go to Ghana, a beautiful and welcoming country rich with a variety of languages and cultures. Being immersed in the hospital system as a 4th year medical student provided me unique opportunities to work alongside residents (medical officers) and attending physicians. CFHI and the local staff ensured that I was able to have the experiences I wanted. Specifically, I was able to accompany and administer vitamins on a national immunization campaign day. I also spent time cooking Ghanian food alongside mothers who were rehabilitating their malnourished children, learning how to properly balance meals to heal their children. Overall, this program met my expectations in allowing me to customize this program to my interests.

I had the opportunity to spend a month in Accra November 2016 and I absolutely loved it! As a pediatric resident , it can be difficult to find experiences abroad which fit your particular skill set and continue to allow for a safe learning environment. At Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital, I was fully integrated into the inpatient and ED schedule with opportunities to also spend time in weekly clinics (sickle cell clinic, asthma clinic, developmental clinics, ect). I worked alongside dedicated physicians, house officers, and staff who all love to teach and were excited to involve me in the care of children without pressure to perform skills that I did not feel comfortable with. CHFI is also a large proponant of ethical standards and practices for global health rotations which is so important. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in pediatric global health!

In the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to work at a children's hospital in Accra, Ghana. While working at this hospital, I was able to see surgeries that you would not normally see in America. I was also able to participate in the diagnosis process where medical professionals also took into account a family's living conditions and socioeconomic status. Working in the special clinic (for HIV/AIDS patients but called the special clinic to battle the stigma) allowed me to see how the family dynamics of HIV/AIDS differed from families without HIV/AIDS burden. My group and I were also able to go to a family planning center where they also taught teenagers about sexual health. My favorite rotations in the hospital were surgeries and the physiotherapy department. The physiotherapy department allowed me to work with children who had orthopedic needs, which aligned with my medical interests. Overall, my Ghanaian experience was not only rewarding for future endeavors, but it left an imprint on how I perceived health in the West African region, and it also allowed me to see how much efficiency happens in certain hospitals despite having limited resources. I definitely want to go back to Ghana due to this experience.

My 4-week experience has made me more aware of the regional healthcare challenges faced in coastal Ghana. The hospital rotations were unique and eye opening to the diversity of the hospital, and I appreciated the welcoming personality of the staff and respectful guidance. Staying with a host family allowed me to learn how to cook Ghanaian food, and also to appreciate the dynamic of family life in Ghana. CFHI's directors were professional and organized, and I would highly recommend this program to anyone considering applying in future.

The CFHI Remote Island Medicine program in the Philippines is an amazing way to get hands on knowledge and experience in the global and public health field. Much of the program is focused on clinical exposure, shadowing, and learning about health inequities. For me, I had learned about global and public health in the classroom but never had any real exposure to the field. This program was a way for me to understand the field through valuable experience.

The cool thing about CFHI is that they really are a vehicle for you to connect to the local community. I really wanted a program that was working with local organizations, not just an American organization going into a community and doing “good work”. CFHI makes the connection to the local community, and then the rest is up to the local directors in the Philippines. So when it comes to ethical standards and ethical service, CFHI did a great job.

Another great factor in this program is its connection to small, tight knit communities in the Philippines. While you will spend some time in Manila, the bulk of your time will be on smaller islands and living in small communities with host families. Living within the community was my favorite part of the internship, as I made friends with my host families, with nurses in the Rural Health Unit, and with other local personalities. I'm still in contact with my friends from the Philippines today!

This program will not only expose you to the global health field and medicine, but it will also challenge you to think ethically and critically about community engagement, it will challenge you to become involved in the community, it will challenge you to learn about a new culture and attempt to learn a new language! The community partnerships you make in the Philippines will be long lasting if you put in the effort, as I'm already planning to spend a year there following graduation!

My time in Puerto Escondido on the Tropical Medicine and Community-Based Health programme was an invaluable professional development opportunity. I have the chance to discuss with the local doctors on topics ranging from the political instability which resulted in hospital strikes, to an overview of the fragmented health system to how the vector control programmes worked within the region. Through being part of Oasis Surf & Spanish, I learnt how to surf and had lots of opportunity to improve my Spanish through living with a host family and taking medical Spanish lessons.

The KIHEFO model is something that will forever guide my practice in global health. I was afraid that too much time would be spent in the clinic, which though helpful, wouldn't be the experience I, as someone in health policy, would be interested in. When I expressed this to the local coordinator, Barnabas, he sat down with me and helped me to tailor a learning plan that exceeded all of my expectations! The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and they were very kind to take the time needed to share all of their expertise with a student that doesn't have much clinical experience. The CFHI staff both here in the states and abroad made the immersion into a culture so different from my own feel seamless.
This became more than just and educational experience. I was reassured that the path I have chosen is the direction I want to continue working. I formed personal and professional relationships with students from the states and abroad that will promote collaboration for what I hope will be a long time. I even had a lot of fun and will never forget my 70 degree Christmas Day!

CFHI serves as a great 'bridge' if you will, from the United States to Uganda. Without the help of CFHI: there is no chance that I would of found an organization as unique & amazing as KIHEFO, I would not of known how to prepare for this magnitude of culture experience, etc. CFHI truly is a praise-worthy resource for someone looking to gain general or global health insight abroad. In addition, CFHI helps to coordinate tourist activities during your free time abroad.

As previously mentioned, the NGO, KIHEFO, is a non-profit based out of Kabale, Uganda with a mission to 'fight disease, ignorance and poverty'. This mission encompasses many large interconnected components with the belief that these topics must all be addressed to make sustainable impact. Education and empowerment are popular themes for KIHEFO's projects and initiatives. KIHEFO has a inpatient & outpatient health & dental clinic (including a lab), maternal clinic, nutrition clinic and HIV/AIDS clinic that serve as shadowing opportunities for students. In addition, interns have the opportunity to participate in things such as a women's empowerment group, the rabbit project, community outreaches and more!

As an alumni of this program, I am so grateful for the wide range of exposure and knowledge that was provided to me during my two weeks in Uganda. This exposure/knowledge includes but is not limited to: medical techniques, the true meaning of "community", grant-writing, sustainability, African culture, tropical diseases, the art of innovation, empowerment, traditional medicine, health education, government structure, etc. The staff of KIHEFO truly were some of the most genuine, educated and innovative people I have met.

While in Uganda, I was able to obtain a better grasp on the true components of medicine and strengthen my passion I had for serving others. I was constantly encouraged to share my ideas and ask questions during the trip, which was instrumental in my earnings abroad. The accommodations exceeded my expectations and staff went above and beyond to ensure that my stay was enjoyable. Personally, my safety was never a concern. While abroad, I was able to secure relationships with several medical and non-medical individuals in Uganda. In addition to Ugandans, I had the opportunity to adventure, reflect and grow with other passionate interns which was also beneficial to my travels.

This trip is not only for health science students, rather any student can benefit from time in Uganda & the coordinators do a great job at personalizing the trip based on interests & talents.

My time in Puerto Escondido, Mexico was nothing short of extraordinary. Upon arrival, I was greeted with warm smiles and open arms. While I had done quite a bit of traveling prior to this experience, this was my first time traveling truly alone and with a more career-oriented goal. That being said, I was very nervous and I apprehensive about how my experience would be.

Luckily, my apprehension soon dissipated after my arrival. In my short time in Puerto, not only did I work on my project regarding childhood obesity in Mexico and learn an incredible amount about the Mexican healthcare system, I also was given many unique opportunities to learn about the culture and the people of Puerto. Being associated with the Oasis Surf and Language school allowed me to meet a ton of new people and have access to many amazing activities. To name a few, during my three weeks I was able to learn how to surf, freshen up on my Spanish, go to the local market, eat amazing local cuisine, release baby sea turtles on the beach, visit two different midwifes, learn how to cook typical Mexican meals from my host mom, watch movies on the beach, visit a wildlife refuge, hike along some ancient trails, and listen to the stories of some amazing local people.

Every day I would go to a local clinic and work on discovering and reducing health disparities that I found to be present in the population, and every evening I would sit on the beach and watch the sun disappear below the rolling ocean waves. It was truly a setting and an experience that made me reflect and realize how lucky I am and how badly I want to improve the health and well-being of others in populations around the globe. I am so lucky to have had the chance to experience all that I did with my short time in this coastal town of Oaxaca, and I would not have had such a chance if it weren't for CFHI! I definitely recommend this program and this organization to anyone who is looking to experience something new and life changing in the realm of healthcare.

Honestly, before starting my program, I had no idea what to expect. I had never traveled to South America and I was quite nervous. Before starting, communication with the United States program staff was always swift, polite and understanding. This gave me the assurance that they were an efficient program. Upon arrival, everything was just as they said it would be. Fortunately, I arrived with two other program participants (one of whom ended up being my roommate!). I was in the Intensive Beginner Spanish Program and I am glad I chose that program. After my preliminary lessons with Angel, I felt adequately prepared to be useful in the hospital setting. The weekends were also sufficient for short trips to other parts of Ecuador. Living in Quito was great but the pollution from cars was one thing I did not like at all. This is however not the fault of the program since there is nothing they could do about that. The hospital contacts we met were also very helpful and understanding since they were used to having interns. Going to Ecuador really helped me be sure that becoming a doctor was what I wanted to do with my life. It gave me the conviction I now have and it is the main experience I cited in my medical school essays. The only mistake I made with this program was not deciding to do it for longer.