Global Health Comparative: Virtual Internship

Global Health Comparative-Virtual Internship is one of its kind of a program that I had never thought, experienced or had participated in. I never thought virtual learning can give me this enriching and lifetime experience but CFHI's internship program exceeded far beyond my expectations. I did not only learn the theoretical aspect of different health care systems but I was also able to learn how to practically apply the learned knowledge in my professional practice. It seemed that within a month, I had explored the global health issues from different countries and from different perspectives which otherwise seemed impossible if CFHI virtual internship was not there to help me learn all this. Despite selecting one country, I was able to explore other regions, compare the situations and learn how similar or different issues and health care systems are across the globe. Round tables and seminars were the thing that only seemed doable in-person but CFHI internship's approach of virtual round table discussions and seminars made this experience more valuable for me. The diversity of the participants was yet another thing that added to my experiential learning. The professional development plan and the online tools helped me self reflect and self evaluate on different areas of my personality and helped in guiding way forward for the future. I clearly feel a positive difference in me as a academic person, as a professional and as an individual being before and after the internship. This one month changed my perspective about global health issues for a better cause and I am more determined to continue my journey for the greater good of society. All Thanks to CFHI.

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.

If one can afford it, I definitely recommend the program. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I learned a lot about global health problems. The roundtable sessions were my favorite highlight. Rebeka (the Spanish teacher) was incredible as well.

I participated in the Global Health Comparative Virtual Internship in Ecuador and loved it! From the virtual tours to the cooking session to Spanish classes, it felt like I was there. The teachers were genuinely interested in the students and provided so much insight. That was one aspect. 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 with our peers and experts, which challenged our thought process and preconceived notions about Global Health, culture, and health. This program was beneficial and aligned with my goals!

It is very helpful to learn about the health systems in different countries because it can help us address the limitation in our own country's health system. This program also trains our ethical awareness when working in foreign countries. Learning different healthcare systems in different countries. I liked having new insight about ethical awareness and indigenous people.

I got to see a global perspective, learn about new cultures, meet new people, and get well acquainted with healthcare systems in different countries. I liked learning about the different cultures, meeting new people, and learning about the different healthcare techniques and challenges in each country.

This was an amazing opportunity to learn about many different cultures in a short period of time. I believe everyone should understand the things discussed in this internship. I enjoyed learning about different cultures and how culture influenced health systems.

I think this program is very valuable in terms of the different health topics and competencies covered. It is great for developing awareness and cultural sensitivity. I liked working with other students during group projects and participating in cultural activities of each country.

The main highlights of the program were Global health roundtables, sessions with preceptors. I would recommend it. I had a great experience with CFHI and learned a lot! Some of the interesting activities were the Project and presentation language lessons, and the director seminars.

I found this internship so eye-opening and incredibly interesting. Whether you're going into the medical field or not, this internship is for anyone who wants to become more culturally aware. I really enjoyed the mix of learning about countrys' health systems and the culture of each country. I had a great time during the Bolivian cooking class and loved the Spanish classes because I have been wanting to work on my medical Spanish!

It was a very enriching experience and offered new perspectives on a lot of health issues, so I would recommend it to anyone going into the healthcare field. Definitely learning about the cultures, customs, and health systems of four different countries were my highlights. Bolivia was my favorite.

This program was eye-opening in the sense of bringing in many perspectives to one topic. This allows for people to understand the power of their words and knowledge, making one know the importance of research. The main highlights of my CFHI virtual experience were learning about communities, healthcare systems, and cultural awareness. I think it was very important that we got all this insight and perspective on health care systems by residents of these countries to truly understand the circumstances.

It is a great way to learn about aspects of global public health and the challenges countries face. I loved meeting people from around the world and learning about their cultures. The cultural lessons and language learning and the current challenges that countries face/are still facing were the most interesting activities.

I felt that this program really opened my eyes to different jobs within the global health field. I also know that so many of my public health friends and colleagues struggle with getting hands on experience without being exploitative, and I felt that CFHI actually addressed this issue, as opposed to avoiding it altogether or pretending that it isn’t an issue within the field.

I really enjoy this virtual internship because it helps me become more aware of what is happening around the world especially when it comes to health-related topics. I am so thankful to have a chance to interact with medical professionals and local experts in the host communities even in the time of COVID-19 when traveling is highly restricted. All of the seminars, discussions, and weekly assignments helped me improve my intercultural effectiveness which brought a lot of benefits to my future endeavors.

My experience with Child Family Health International was one of kind, and truly one of the best learning periods in my life. I wanted an internship that I could do online because of my job and uncertainty with the pandemic, and this was the perfect fit for me. 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 can't say enough positive things about my time with CFHI!

I will share my experience with CFHI on social media and tell friends about it.I loved listening to my fellow classmates' perspectives on the things we discussed in class. It is much better to study culture and any topic with a group because everyone has different points to bring to the table during the discussions. Also, my group was so diverse, we had people from Ghana, Canada, the US, Central Asia, and India.

I really enjoyed meeting so many new people and being able to hear from professionals about their work! I learned a lot from this program, was able to make new connections, and enjoyed the entire process! The guest lectures from various doctors and health professionals in India were very interesting. I also enjoyed being able to ask them questions directly and they were all very happy to respond!