Virtual Global & Public Health Internship - India

As a fourth-year medical student in the US, the CFHI Virtual Global & Public Health Internship – India was exactly the kind of experience I had been looking for to expand my understanding of health systems beyond the clinical settings I am accustomed to. The live sessions with India-based public health professionals brought real depth to topics I thought I understood from textbooks, things like infectious disease burden, sanitation gaps, and community-level intervention, and hearing about them directly from people doing the work on the ground reframed how I think about health systems entirely. What made the program stand out even further was the inclusion of personal and professional development, and Hindi language lessons, something I did not expect and found genuinely enriching, since being able to connect even a little with the language added a layer of cultural immersion that you rarely get from a virtual program. The program structure moved at a good pace, the CFHI team was responsive whenever I had questions, and the small group discussions with other participants pushed my thinking in directions I did not expect. What stayed with me most was the shift in how I understand cultural humility, not as a competency to check off, but as something that has to be actively practiced every time you step into a health context that is not your own. I plan to pursue global health as part of my career, and this program clarified what that actually means in practice. I would recommend it to any medical student who wants to move beyond the US health system.

This will be a memorable virtual internship since it is the first one I've ever participated in. Learnt several aspects of healthcare, both academically and culturally as well. The program highlighted the major burdens and the policies implemented to tackle all these issues.

My name is Michaela Forouzan and I was very fortunate to be a part of the April Virtual Program focusing on the nation of India. Throughout this program, I have learned from a series of health and global professionals about illnesses throughout India. At the end of the session, I was able to apply all my knowledge through the creation of a presentation that I believed to medical professionals. It was absolutely amazing to receive such great feedback and inspiration from these medical professionals, and apply my knowledge to the future of global health.

Choosing to participate in this program is easily one of the best decisions I made this year. I have always wanted to participate in the internship program without success so I was very excited when I was awarded the Susan Hershey Scholarship for this program. The program director did a great job of curating Public Health classes, virtual facility tours, and even Hindi language classes. Even though it was virtual, I felt like I was really in India learning about the public health system and some of the successful interventions. I had the privilege of interacting with some of the NGO managers and getting their insight on solving their public health challenges. I also learned about cultural adaptability and found the global health lectures very informative. This experience was very enlightening and rewarding. I look forward to sharing my learnings and experiences with my colleagues.

This program was a good mixture of clinical knowledge and cultural competency. I really enjoyed learning more about Indian culture. The Hindi teacher is awesome! She definitely helped me a lot. I loved learning about the Indian culture. I think the Hindi lessons was the most interesting activity.

This was definitely a challenging and engaging program that gave me an amazing experience which will serve me greatly in my future endeavors. Working directly, even though virtually, with a local NGO in India and virtual fieldwork were the highlights of the program. I also very much enjoyed the Friday Roundtable discussions with seasoned experts in the field.

I would highly recommend this program because the sessions were extremely informative and engaging. The main highlights were being able to attend virtual lectures and discussions with highly established individuals from WHO, NGOs, and other areas. The Hindi classes were helpful in making basic sentences and phrases to communicate with others. The lectures were all valuable in learning more about India's culture and India's healthcare system.

The biggest highlight for me was meeting new people from across the world and getting to know them. Learning about a culture from someone who is a part of that culture is really cool. This experience opened up my world and gave me hope that health can improve. I liked the Global Roundtables and making the infographic the most.

It far exceeded my expectations. My only regret is that I had to attend virtually. While it was probably the most difficult for me emotionally, visiting the drug rehabilitation center for children was an incredible experience. I learned so much.

Getting to hear from local experts about the various parts of India's healthcare were the highlights for me. I would recommend this program to my friends. I think collaborating with my fellow team members on assignments and learning Hindi (I really appreciated Hema, our coordinator, and our Hindi teacher, Anuradha)

I was able to gain a better understanding about public health, global health and health determinants. All the classes were very insightful and provided a unique learning experience. Classes, assignments, group presentations were very interesting. I would recommend it.

The Child Family Health International (CFHI) Virtual Global and Public Health Internship was an enriching and valuable learning experience for me. The sessions were very well organised, and it enabled me to gain a better understanding of the public healthcare system in India and the local and national public health programs. The sessions on personal and professional development, as well as cultural sensitivity, were very insightful. Thank you CFHI for this amazing and excellent internship experience and I highly recommend the CFHI Internships to students interested in Global Health and Public Health.