Intensive Beginner Spanish & Global Health in Mexico

As a 4th year medical student, I completed a month-long away rotation in Oaxaca, Mexico through CFHI, which allowed me to receive medical school credits. I was incredibly fortunate to have received the Susan Hersey Memorial Scholarship that covered my expenses for this experience and without which I would have never been able to go. I was motivated to complete this rotation to enhance my Spanish language and cultural competency in order to best serve my patient population at home. This experience exposed me to the ways that medicine is practiced in Mexico with a focus on healthcare disparities. We were able to shadow physicians in many specialties in government-run clinics and have the unique opportunity to participate in after-school childcare at Casa Emilie. With the kids, I was able to practice my Spanish language while we painted, played Legos, and worked on homework. My program was specifically tailored to intensive Spanish language immersion, and I attended 3 hours of class each day at the Becari Language School after taking an entrance exam that assigned me to a teacher based on my level of fluency. I have never had such wonderful language teachers who explained cultural and grammatical concepts in a truly approachable way. Furthermore, I was fully immersed in the Spanish language by living with a host family that only spoke Spanish. My host mother was so kind, and thoughtful, and cooked the most amazing meals for us. I felt truly cared for and looked after. Moreover, I learned more Spanish in the last month than I have in a whole year of traditional classes in the US. In conclusion, I gained valuable insights for my future in emergency medicine, both on a global and local scale, within a captivating, historically rich city that offered a plethora of experiences and opportunities.

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I was fully immersed into Mexican culture from the time I arrived. It took me a few days to overcome the language barrier since my family did not speak very much English. The staff at the Spanish school were amazing and very helpful with helping me get acquainted with the city. The host family was very sweet, feed me well, and really helped to reinforce my language skills. I preferred the teaching public hospital over the government hospital for the learning experience and exposure to medicine. The physicians, and residents were a lot more engaging. I did this program as a fourth year elective and feel that it was very worthwhile.

I loved my trip to Oaxaca, Mexico with CFHI! The organization is very well run- they were there for me every step of the way and helped me organize all of my travel plans, and ease any of my pre-travel concerns. They even offer scholarships, which is a great opportunity for those who need a little extra help funding their trip! Oaxaca is a beautiful city to visit, lots of unique culture! My Spanish school and homestay exceeded my expectations! Seeing different aspects of their healthcare system was also really rewarding and got me thinking a lot about what I want my next steps in healthcare to be! All in all, I would definitely recommend CFHI, and this program!

Being apart of CFHI's Intensive Beginner Spanish and Healthcare program in Oaxaca, Mexico during the month of October 2013 was by far one the most amazing experiences I have had so far in my lifetime. I had a great time learning about the health system in Mexico and becoming more fluent in the Spanish language. Through CFHI's program I was able to gain a lot of first hand experience in Mexico's health system. I volunteered at a rehabilitation center where I was able to work with disabled children. Then I rotated through one of Oaxaca's hospitals and a clinic targeted towards the low-income population of Oaxaca. As a pre-med student I found the exposure to be really beneficial to anyone that hopes to one day work in the health field. Being able to see the similarities and differences between American and Mexico's health systems was an interesting comparison. One of my most memorable experiences I had through my rotations was being able to witness a child birth. Besides gaining insight on the health system and learning Spanish, exploring and just being in the city of Oaxaca was wonderful. The city is beautiful, full of culture, and easy to explore. Thank you CFHI for the awesome experience!!