Any feedback on Child Health International Rotations?

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Hello,

Despite the price, I'm seriously looking into doing an international rotation with Child Family Health International. If anyone who has completed any of their programs would provide some feedback about the pros and cons, and whether it is worth the cost, it would be GREATLY appreciated. I'm looking into the Pediatric Health in La Paz, Bolivia and Reproductive Health or Andean Health in Quito, Ecuador. Any info. on those programs specifically would be lovely!

Thanks a bunch in advance!
Peace&Health

i did a rotation with them last year in Mumbai, INDIA. It was absolutely waste of time and money. Poorly organized and really didn't do anything. Even when you could do something it was mostly observational. I would never do it again.

Originally Posted by frankysine

i did a rotation with them last year in Mumbai, INDIA. It was absolutely waste of time and money. Poorly organized and really didn't do anything. Even when you could do something it was mostly observational. I would never do it again.

Thanks for the feedback!!

does anybody know about their south african rotation? I would be going as a 4th year so hopefully it wouldn't be as shadow-y

I did the andean health rotation in ecuador. It was basically all shadowing. You even had to sign something saying that you wouldn't touch the patients. We also had medical spanish classes everyday for about half the time we were there, which were tailored to your own level of spanish. I thought that it was interesting as a premed and had a lot of fun, but if you're looking for some great clinical experience, I wouldn't really recommend it.

If you are a medical student I definitely would not recommend traveling through CFHI. The clinical experience that you get is very poor. I traveled to India as a pre-med with 4th year medical students who, like myself, sat for 4 weeks watching a physician interview patients.

Originally Posted by DrThom

does anybody know about their south african rotation? I would be going as a 4th year so hopefully it wouldn't be as shadow-y

I had a largely positive experience in South Africa, no thanks to that God-awful program. Honestly, CHFI is a total sham. The preceptors are simply paid to babysit you, and the local coordinators aren't at all concerned with the quality of the trip, or the experience of those involved.

I made my trip what I wanted it to be. I told the coordinator where I was going to go and I went. I got involved, asked questions, and as a result was much more involved than I had expected I would be.

Anyway, unless you want to be highly proactive and independent and do your coordinator's job for him/her I recommend going with a different outfit.

South Africa is a wonderful country to do rotations in. The infrastructure is the best on the continent, the people are friendly, and the public health issues that the country faces are really quite fascinating.
Also, the sightseeing really can't be beat (Shark-diving, game drives, surf lessons, Cape Town, etc.) If you find a non-CHFI, school-affiliated program by all means go!

Hey does anyone know the name of the WHO handbook that is akin to the Harriet Lane that is used in most developing countries?

I went to Oaxaca (mexico) on one of their programs in undergrad. I got to assist in deliveries which was pretty cool (especially back then), but it really depended on who was the preceptor there at the time. A little risky for the price if you ask me

Hi all,

I appreciate the feedback. I decided to go to Ecuador, the urban rural health program. So when I get back, I'll let you know how it goes.

I will be there in March.

Oops, posted this elsewhere before seeing this thread.

I did two months of Andean Health in Quito last summer after my first year. Had an AMAZING experience. My best friends did Bolivia, both in different years. So here's my run down.

Bolivia
Much less actual clinic time than Ecuador and more b.s. like counseling of troubled youth, less modern equipment, and less quality language classes and more students per teacher.

Ecuador, Andean.
4 hours a day in clinic, 4 hours of language classes (one on one, in June. Three on one in July) The program offers social events and two group meetings each week. Do not go to either, they are a complete waste of time.

Each week you are in a different hospital and different specialty. You can submit requests for either surgery, family, emergency, or OBGYN. Trading is possible if you don't like what you get. All preceptors are very happy to help, but please please please know Spanish. They do not have time to translate between patients, so if you don't speak it you will be bored and lost and leave like so many other of my program people did. Every person in our program who was unhappy was unhappy for this reason.

If you can speak it, however, you will get a lot out of the program doing TONS of physicals and observing a high volume of diseases and ill patients that you cannot see in the states. My preceptors were very happy to explain everything and I learned an absolute monster amount.

My Favorites were:

Emergency
Only truly sick patients show up, absolutely no primary care time wasters. I got to do a lot of needle sticks and wound cleanings, but I was the exception do not expect or demand this. Cannot possibly describe the crazy sh*t I saw, the sheer list of acute and rare diseases just goes on and on. The very best rotation.

Ob Gyn.
Wow. At least several births a day. Can be hard to get in to see the C-sections but I saw natural births that included forceps deliveries, twins, breach, and a foot presentation.

Family
Expect extreme malnutrition in the children and diseases that have been weeks in the making. The best part of the rotation was looking in lungs and throats and listening to lungs and hearts. Felt much more confident at the end of the week.

Surgery
I only lasted two days before trading back to ER I was so bored, but that is true with US as well. Saw a gallbladder, fasciotomy, Achilles tendon repair and a neurosurgery.


The people who did Rural Medicine had an amazing time, too. Again the only negative responses I heard while in country were from non fluent speakers.

I just got back from participating in CFHI's Child and Maternal Health Program in Pune, India. First off, I will say the exposure you get to different premedical specialties and procedures is excellent. The doctors are very friendly and answer your questions, while explaining what they are doing (they are always VERY busy so this is saying something). I will say that the program is commensurate with your experience; for example if you are in medical school you will most probably get to perform simple medical tasks. If you are like me, your exposure is limited to shadowing but that was still very enlightening, also just because of the wide breadth of healthcare settings you are taken to on your rotations.

I would definitely recommend this program to a pair or group of friends just because it makes the evenings and weekends so much more enjoyable to explore India. If you are seeking medical experience and volunteer work abroad, this is a great opportunity. They also have scholarships available, so apply for those!