Child Family Health International

I attended the 4-week Global Health in the Philippines Program under CFHI from May 23, 2026 to June 20, 2026. This opportunity was also made possible through a scholarship from Friends of the Philippines, for which I am eternally grateful. For a little context, I’m a Health Sciences graduate from the Philippines, so I’m already relatively familiar with our country’s political, social, economic, and public health landscape. Even so, my experience with CFHI proved that every space I step into is an opportunity for growth and learning – even if it’s in a country I’ve lived in my whole life. The program was divided into two parts: an urban exposure (1 week) and a rural immersion (3 weeks). During the urban exposure, we began by touring historical landmarks around Manila, the country’s capital, and took a deep dive into Philippine history. Afterwards, we traveled to the Municipality of Ternate in Cavite, where we visited the Rural Health Unit and all 10 barangay health stations in a single day. We also toured several tertiary hospitals, including Philippine General Hospital (the country's largest public hospital), St. Luke’s BGC (one of the country's leading private hospitals), and Quiapo Memorial Medical Center (a local community “hospital”). This urban component was thoughtfully structured to provide students with a strong foundation before entering the island immersion. We first understood the country's historical context, then explored its primary healthcare system through the barangay health stations and Rural Health Unit, before progressing to the varying realities of tertiary healthcare. The entire experience was incredibly organized, and I considered it an essential foundation before beginning the rural portion of the program. For the rural immersion, we were assigned to Carabao Island, an isolated municipality composed of five barangays with a population of around 12,000 residents. We shadowed the Municipal Health Officer, who also served as the island’s only primary care physician. Our internship was both structured and spontaneous, making the experience feel authentic and reflective of real-world practice. It was structured because we had scheduled visits to different barangay health stations throughout the week, allowing us to complete clinical rotations across all five barangays. At the same time, it was spontaneous because our daily activities depended largely on the island's ongoing health programs and community needs. During our rotation, we participated in cervical cancer screenings, ultrasound consultations, PhilHealth YAKAP registrations, anti-rabies vaccinations, family planning services, well-baby clinic immunizations, insertion and removal of contraceptive implants, planning for a Nanay-to-Nanay peer support program on nutrition, and many other community-based health initiatives. We were also entrusted with leading patient history-taking under the guidance of our preceptor, which allowed us to build meaningful conversations with residents while applying our understanding of the social determinants of health to better appreciate the context behind their health conditions. Unlike the urban exposure, much of what we learned during the rural immersion depended on how deeply we allowed ourselves to become part of the community – how curious we were about the local health situation, and how observant we were of the island's environmental, social, and cultural context. Personally, that became both the greatest challenge and reward. The lessons were rarely spoon-fed to us. Rather, they had to be intentionally sought out. Fortunately, the local health team was among the most welcoming and accommodating groups of people I have ever met. Because of them, I left the internship having learned and grown far beyond what I could have imagined. I am incredibly grateful to the entire CFHI team for giving me the opportunity to experience my own country through a different lens and for helping shape me not only as an aspiring healthcare professional but also as a human. I entered this internship hoping to gain experience and exposure, but I left with a deeper passion for global and public health and a much clearer vision of the kind of physician I aspire to become. If I could do it all over again, I absolutely would. But today, I know the best way to honor this life-changing experience is to carry its lessons with me as I move forward in my journey toward becoming a physician.🩺 [Additional] Outside of our internship, we also made the most of our weekends by exploring Carabao Island and its neighboring islands. We joined a 5 km fun run, went parasailing and cliff jumping, completed an 18 km bike ride, played pickleball, and experienced so much more. Those side-quests made the program even more memorable, reminding me that some of the best connections and lessons happen outside the workspace as well.

I had the opportunity to intern for the Child Family Health International (CFHI) Global Health in the Philippines Program under the Friends of the Philippines Scholarship. This experience was an extremely eye-opening immersion into the Philippine Health System. Our program started off in Manila, the Philippine capital. We observed and learned about the various tiers of health systems in the city, including the highly-regarded public Philippine General Hospital, private St. Luke’s Medical Center, and local Quiapo Medical Center. We even took a day trip to Cavite, a more rural community close to Manila where we were introduced to the healthcare system within rural communities in the Philippines. I found this introduction to the Philippines valuable prior to our journey on the San Jose island as it provided cultural context and awareness, along with a baseline comparison of how health systems functioned within the mainland. Then began our program on the island of San Jose in the Romblon province. Here, we stayed in a lodge within Poblacion, the main barangay (or small village) in the island. For the next few days/weeks, we interned at the San Jose Rural Health Unit (RHU) underneath the Municipal Health Officer (MHO), who was also the only primary care doctor on the island with a population of over 12,000. We experienced clinic days within the RHU, where the doctor would communicate, assess, diagnose, and prescribe treatments to various patient complaints. The doctor involved us in the clinic by supervising our own health history interviews and discussing various symptoms with their corresponding diagnoses and treatments. The RHU was also heavily involved in family planning, prenatal care, animal bite treatment, and dental care, so we were able to observe ultrasounds, birth control injectables, baby vaccinations, anti-rabies injections, etc. I was happily surprised by the organization of the health system on this island. They offered various free services to the people, including health assessments, basic screenings and lab tests (i.e. cervical cancer screenings, urine and blood sugar tests, H&H labs, etc.), and commonly-needed medications (i.e. antihypertensives, diabetes, tuberculosis, etc.). In a lot of ways, I found their system more organized and accessible than from where I come from! The doctor and local government were passionate about providing accessible and equitable care to the entire community. This routine would continue throughout the week in various Barangay Health Units, or smaller and more accessible sectors of the RHU. On weekdays, we were able to enjoy life on and around the island. We visited Boracay beach (one of the world’s most beautiful beaches) , ran a 5K marathon together, biked around the entire San Jose Island, went caving and cliff jumping, sang karaoke, and explored Kalibo, a city within the mainland. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed by the people and the community and were encouraged to immerse ourselves within the culture. We ate Filipino food, participated in the weekly flag raising ceremony, and watched the procession of Flores de Mayo, a May Festival devotion to the Virgin Mary. Overall, I found this program to be an amazing immersion to learn, observe, and experience the Philippine Health System through various settings and sectors, while also involving ourselves with the Philippine people and culture. Each part of this program felt very genuine and purposeful in providing a holistic and well-rounded learning/immersion experience. The local preceptors and coordinators were more than accommodating and talented in not only planning this program, but also teaching and encouraging us and being responsive to all our questions and ideas. I would do it all over again if I could!

I signed up for the CFHI Durban program in April 2026, and honestly, it felt like stepping into a whole new world. Forget the dry program descriptions—this was real life, full of warmth, culture, and a few surprises along the way. My homestay with the Siwela family was unforgettable. Picture evenings filled with indigenous meals, laughter, and stories that made me feel like part of the family. I didn’t just learn about Zulu traditions—I lived them. And in the clinics, I saw doctors who didn’t just treat patients, but truly knew them. Their empathy and non‑discriminatory approach was inspiring, and it reminded me why I chose medicine in the first place. Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. My exams back home shuffled around, so I arrived late and had to play catch‑up. But CFHI staff were absolute lifesavers, helping me settle in quickly. If anything, I’d say clearer orientation materials for late arrivals would make things even better. Overall, this program gave me more than just clinical exposure—it gave me perspective. It was about health, yes, but also about justice, equity, and community. If you’re looking for an experience that challenges you, feeds you (literally and figuratively), and leaves you with stories worth telling, CFHI Durban is it.