Please note this program is an unpaid global health education program. There is a program fee required to participate. This program fee pays for on-site services such a lodging, language classes (if relevant), 24/7 emergency support, coordination of rotations and/or placements, and on-site staff. CFHI is a nonprofit organization committed to fair-trade partnerships around the world. Please use the following code “HandshakeCFHI” in order to have the application fee waived when applying for a program on the CFHI website.
Optional Sub-Focus: Women’s Health
Join a program spanning two distinct regions of one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world. Quito, located in the Andes Mountain Range and home to a more cosmopolitan and educated population is a stark contrast to Nanegalito, a small city in the tropical lowlands of Manabi province – about an hour from the Pacific coast. Visit both of these cities during the program and learn how resources, diseases, and access to care differ vastly within this diverse country. Come away from an understanding of how lifestyle, behavior, and environment influence urban and rural health outcomes.
In Quito, experience a range of clinical sites and services including government hospitals delivering higher-level diagnostic, specialized, and emergency care that is free of charge and accessible to all, as well as community level clinics on the outskirts of the city serving low-income populations. Other rotations include a public maternity hospital where high-risk pregnancies are managed, and a military hospital focusing on internal medicine and surgery.
Next, travel to the small rural town of Nanegalito, about 1.5 hours west of Quito. Although not far from Ecuador’s capital, students will experiece first hand the health challenges in clinical settings that represent the rural and urban divide in Ecuador. At the main local hospital, participants will join physicians in the the diagnosis and treatment of the most common diseases that are treated in a hospital: respiratory infections, parasitic infections, as well as tropical disease like dengue. Additionally, participante may also have the opportunity to join local health brigades to visit outlying communities, offering health advice and assisting with workshops.
Become immersed in Ecuadorian culture and language while living with local families in Quito and Nanegalito. CFHI participants may also organize weekend trips from Quito to destinations such as Tena in the Amazon region, known for its waterfalls and adventure sports like kayaking and zip lining, the town of Mindo and its subtropical forest, and Otovalo, an indigenous community with a bustling weekly market. From Nanegalito, travel to the popular coastal surfing towns of Montañita and Canoa.
