Nursing Internships in Quito

Having studied in Madrid the previous semester I really wanted to come back and have a different type of work experience during the summer. I enjoyed the laid back environment of my internship with Fundación Tríangulo yet I gained valuable insight about public health and sexual health in Spain, among many other skills which will benefit my future career/studies. I did enjoy the centrality of our apartment but it was quite small, I know this is normal for Madrid, but I we did not exactly have private living spaces. I really love Madrid and the availability of outdoor activities, shopping, diverse food choices, the kind people, nightlife, and much more. It will stay in my heart forever, the memories, friends, education and work experience, and I hope to return soon.

I spent the summer in Barcelona shadowing psychologists at an assisted living residence. My coworkers were kind and helpful, and the patients were charming and sweet. The local program advisor was very helpful to me and my friends in the program anytime we needed anything. I also completed 2 weeks of Spanish classes prior to my internship. My Spanish improved tremendously, as did my professional skills. I feel that this program exceeded my expectations and helped to prepare me for a career in psychology. In addition to this, Barcelona was just an incredible city with so much life and character--I never ran out of things to do or places to see.

I had an incredible experience with Adelante Abroad in Barcelona. I did a gap year after high school and had the time of my life. The team gave me lots of support leading up to my departure. Someone came and picked me up from the airport and toke me to my accommodation which was in a very central, safe area! The Spanish school was great and I made lots of friends which I stayed close to for my whole time in Barcelona. My internship itself was better than I could have ever asked for. The office was incredible and I loved the team I worked with. I learned new skills and I met people that will become lifelong friends. Overall, I truly had the experience of a lifetime. Barcelona has become a second home to me and I could not be more grateful for my time there! 10/10 experience and highly recommend.

I’m a fourth-year medical student who participated in the Global Health in Quito, Ecuador program through CFHI. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in learning more about the unique Ecuadorian healthcare system, practicing Spanish with host families, patients, and other healthcare workers, and exploring Quito, surrounding cities, and the Galapagos! I spent three weeks in Quito and 1 week in Otavalo at many different clinical sites including OBGYN clinic and wards, the OR, the pediatric ED, and primary care clinics. I spent many hours practicing speaking with Spanish and building my physical exam skills. I was able to really explore what makes the Ecuadorian healthcare system so unique and get an understanding of how it operates. Throughout my month, I participated in many home visits for patients that couldn’t make it to the clinic, which allowed me to see more of the country and the people of Ecuador. My host family was amazing. They made me feel very welcomed and treated me as a part of their family. We only spoke in Spanish so that I could be fully immersed and continue to improve my Spanish. They made sure I had everything I needed and gave me wonderful advice on fun things to do in the city and surrounding areas on my free afternoons and weekends. My daily Spanish classes were very helpful and focused on getting a solid foundation in medical Spanish to make my time in clinic easier. The afternoon excursions through the school allowed me even more time to learn about Ecuadorian history and culture and practice Spanish in a real-life setting. After my program ended, I went to the Galapagos Islands where I saw thousands of animals and saw firsthand many of the things I had learned as an undergraduate Biology major – including visiting museums focused on the discoveries of Charles Darwin!

My internship experience with CFHI was one that has found a permanent home in my heart. I have nothing to share but endless praises! From weeks before my departure until the moment I landed back home, my experience with the program and staff left me feeling safe and prepared for the entire duration of my journey. Pre-departure, the staff remained kind, accommodating, and responsive. I had the pleasure of corresponding with Madelene for most of my pre-departure experience, and she was so kind and responsive! Even to the point of helping me navigate scholarship options (and I am grateful to call myself a recipient of the CFHI AMSA Scholarship, which helped me fund this experience). My stay was very smooth: transportation was well-organized, regarding a secure pick-up to and from the airport as well as safe transportation to and from our clinical sites. My homestay experience was a blessing, and was incredibly immersive. Mama María (my host mom) only spoke Spanish, which added so much to my growth during my stay. She was loving and accommodating, and I felt that I found a real temporary home while I was there. My experience with my clinical rotations was unforgettable. I indicated interest in OB/GYN, Family Medicine, and Traditional Medicine, and was able to experience each of those so beautifully. With OB, I was able to learn from not only my preceptor, but also from the nurses, anesthesiologists, and other medical students on his team. I spent a lot of time in the operation room (my first time in an OR ever!), and was able to observe hysterectomies, laparoscopic surgeries, births, and so much more! With Family Medicine, because I am a medical student I was able to practice taking vitals (which the doctor triaged beforehand), listen to lung and heart sounds, and witness how Ecuadorian physicians apply different skills that I have been gently exposed to through my clinical studies. My preceptor was patient, and such an excellent teacher. My traditional medicine rotation was life-changing. I accompanied a doctor to home visits, and observed curanderas and parteras as they conducted limpiezas con huevos and other treatments with pregnant patients. It was beautiful to see how integrated and respected traditional medicine is within the Ecuadorian healthcare system. The learning curve with my conversational and medical Spanish during my rotations was very steep, and I was both impressed and humbled to see how much my listening and comprehension improved over the course of the four weeks. My Spanish classes with LatinoSchools were a good balance of pushing us out of our comfort zone to speak and practice, while maintaining an atmosphere comfortable enough for us to want to challenge ourselves. Sra. Antonella will always have a place in my heart! Te amo mucho! The weekends were ours to enjoy, so I had the opportunity to explore so much more than I anticipated throughout Ecuador. I hiked volcanos, visited waterfalls and thermal baths, went tubing and ziplining in the rainforest – the school helped us navigate how to book our transportation and adventures securely. I am still in awe! Everything about my CFHI experience in Ecuador was such a beautiful teacher. I will carry so much of this with me as a medical student and aspiring physician. I am eternally grateful for the experience, and for the scholarship that allowed me the opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you, CFHI!

I did a legal internship in Oaxaca for three months with Adelante and it exceeded my expectations. I met the best people and lived in a great location with a kind host family and the best internship placement. My spanish has definitely improved thanks to the spanish lessons at the beginning as well as all the other people I met including those at my internship who were very patient and taught me a lot of legal and complex terms. If you are independent and enjoy exploring the city and having great opportunities for cultural immersion and meeting new people this is definitely a great program and excellent value for money. It really helped with my university application and I will definitely be returning to Oaxaca!

I participated in CHFI’s Intensive Beginner Spanish in Quito, Ecuador! I chose this location because I wanted exposure to South American culture and I also wanted to work on my Spanish. I went to Ghana during the summer between my first and second year of medical school and that trip was amazing. Studying abroad creates opportunities to challenge yourself on many levels and expand your world-view. I was truly blessed to have another opportunity to study aboard. The Ecuadorian landscape is truly amazing! Definitely beyond any of my expectations! In addition to Quito, we spent time in Otavalo, Mindo and Banos! The Spanish classes were helpful and I was able to use this Spanish while volunteering with the elementary school kids. The healthcare experience was also interesting. The attendings were eager to answer questions and discuss the local healthcare issues. Over all this trip was a great experience! I will be a family medicine resident in a couple months and I am grateful for the additional Spanish I learned and the opportunity to experience a culture different from my own. I've always been committed to helping underserved populations and expanding my worldview and through this program I was able to do both!

This April I went to Quito, Ecuador as part of CFHI's Intensive Spanish program. I had a lot of fun! I met some amazing people who I still keep in touch with and we had a great time. We have Spanish classes Monday through Thursday with Fridays usually free for weekend travel. You have the option to take a full week of all day Spanish classes your first week, which I definitely recommend if you speak very limited Spanish. My first 2 weeks I volunteered at a school for 3-5 year olds, which was super helpful to practice my Spanish. My second 2 weeks were spent shadowing in clinics. I spent one week in pediatrics and another week in a family medicine clinic. Both gave me opportunities to see how medicine is practiced in Ecuador. I wish my Spanish was a little stronger so that I could've understood more out of clinic. I definitely recommend studying before you come! The people in the program and I got to do a lot of weekend trips, which gave us a lot of opportunities to see other parts of Ecuador. I did give myself one weekend in Quito and my favorite part was our adventure out to Quito Zoo. While CFHI plans a lot of the touristy excursions around Quito that both show us the culture and let us practice our Spanish (which are a lot of fun!), some of my friends and I decided to spend one of our off weekends traveling to the zoo. While it took us 2 bus rides and a taxi to get there, it was a great way to practice our Spanish on our own in a familiar setting. We also got to see a lot of animals native to Ecuador, which was nice since trips to the Galapagos Islands are so expensive! All in all my experience in Ecuador was a lot of fun!