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.