CFHI in Quito,Ecuador

I had the best experience with CFHI in Quito, Ecuador. I received a scholarship to participate in this as a two week global health elective as a fourth year medical student. Without this scholarship I would not have been able to have this opportunity, so for that I am incredibly grateful.

I was provided information about CFHI and Ecuador prior to departure through modules and an orientation. I was paired with an alumni who I was able to chat with and she gave me the best advice from the student perspective. We ended up having very similar experiences. I visited my doctor a month prior to leaving on my trip so that I could be sure that I was up to date on my vaccines and recommended travel meds, which served me well since I didn't get sick while abroad!

CFHI did a great job communicating with me about my host mom and transportation to and from the airport. I really appreciated that someone was able to pick me up and drop me off at the airport, since taxis in Quito can sometimes take advantage of tourists. On my first day, my host mom walked me on the route to the school, which was also the way to get to the mall, the park and many of the restaurants in Quito. I always felt safe walking around the city, and it was fun living within walking distance of everything I could need! My host mom prepared breakfast and dinner, but I was able to choose my own meals out for lunch. I lived with one other student in my program and we became friends over the two weeks. We each had our own room and shared a bathroom in our home. It was nice to have a partner to do everything with!

I always had a driver who would take us to our hospital rotations. Some days after rotations and lunch, I would also have Spanish lessons for about two hours in the afternoons. My Spanish level was assessed on my first day in Quito so that I could work with an instructor at my level. Since I was only there for two weeks, I feel like I missed out on learning more Spanish at school. Most of my Spanish speaking practice was conversational in the hospitals, at home and around the city.

I enjoyed having hospital rotations at both the private and public hospitals in Quito. The private hospital was very slow since they had lower patient volumes, but the doctors and residents were super friendly and eager to teach and include us in rounds. It felt similar to my clinical rotations in medical school, except we didn't write notes or formally present patients. Most of my energy was spent trying to learn medicine in Spanish! The public hospital was a lot busier with more patients to see; however, didactic teaching time was non existent. I did get to perform physical exams and recheck blood pressures on patients in the family medicine clinic. Overall, as a fourth year medical student I feel like I was performing below my usual level of stimulation which was ok because I wanted to practice speaking more than medicine. In addition to rotations, we learned about Ecuador and the health system in lecture once a week with the doctor in charge of the program.

Ecuador is a beautiful country with incredibly warm and friendly people. I visited Cotopaxi, Banos, the equator line and the TeleferiQo in Quito in my free time. I enjoyed running at the park or going for walks in the neighborhood after school. The food was tasty, the fruits were fresh and the coffee was incredible. I loved learning about the traditional medicine culture and visiting the various markets around town. This experience was unforgettable and worth it! I think the medical rotations themselves are better suited for college or early med school stude