Internship Description

About the Organization:
“CFHI provides life-changing experiences for all students who are passionate about global health and medicine.”

IE3 Global Internships and Child Family Health International (CFHI) together offer an internship that comprises a 10 week rotation focusing on healthcare practices in both urban (Quito) and rural (Chone) locations in Ecuador. Approximately, seven weeks will be spent in Quito and three weeks in Chone. Students will spend the first two weeks in Quito and the second two-three weeks in Chone. Then, return to Quito for the remainder of the program.

Quito is the capital of Ecuador with a population of about a million people. It stretches lengthwise between two mountain ranges. It is nestled among incredible volcanoes and impressive peaks at an elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level. The climate is spring like with warm days and cool nights. Like most cities, this is a live urban center with dancing, dining, historical sites, shopping and museums.

Chone is a rural community close to the city of Manta, Ecuador in Manabi province. Chone is a subtropical climate, with a temperature of 25 – 35 degrees centigrade, with high humidity and frequent rains. It is not far from the coast. Students will take a bus or plane to get to Chone from Quito.

Local Activities:
Quito Portion of the Program:
Interns will be in Quito, living with an Ecuadorian family. Their time will be divided between language classes, lectures, and clinical rotations. Spanish instruction will total 65 hours of instruction in Quito, where the language school is located. The Spanish lessons will focus on medical Spanish as well in communication skills. The lectures will cover common tropical diseases like malaria, dengue, chagas, and parasites. The lectures and discussions will be conducted in Spanish, but all accompanying written materials will be in English. This way, interns will be able to comprehend Spanish lectures with the help of the written materials. Clinical rotations in hospitals and clinics in Quito will enable the interns to practice their medical Spanish in clinical surroundings and also be able to see medicine in a populated urban area.

Their clinical supervisor, and medical director of this program is Dr. Susana Alvear. She is a Family Practice Physician, and in addition to supervising CFHI students and interns, she also runs a local residency program for a medical school in Quito. She loves teaching. She selects other physicians to receive interns in their clinics.
If interns would like to take additional hours of Spanish, they will need to pay per hour- it ranges between $6-12 per hour, depending on whether it is individual or group class.

Interns will also have the local coordinator, Rosita Tamayo, and the language school staff to manage any housing, cultural or language class issues.

Rural Portion of the Program:
In Chone, interns will work at Hospital Napoleon Davila Cordova. This facility has about 150 beds, and interns will work for five weeks during the morning and afternoon in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Emergency. Interns will rotate departments every four days, and may have opportunities to be placed in Emergency during night hours. Interns will observe some of the tropical diseases discussed in the lectures, such as malaria, chagas, leishmaniasis, and dengue. Interns will also probably witness other common "tropical maladies" in emergency, such as machete wounds and snakebites. They will see a wide range of pathology in Chone, and may have additional experience in the lab.

Important Notes:
To come to this area, interns must have Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A and B vaccines. Also, Malaria prophylaxis is highly recommended in Chone.

Students and interns will be together as a group for case discussions and lectures, but may be in pairs for rotations and hospital work.

Job Description:
Students on this internship program will observe healthcare in a variety of settings. The student role is primarily to observe and learn, although some basic patient care may be part of the duties.

Additional Information:
For more information on CFHI and their offerings visit http://www.cfhi.org
For a description of the urban and rural comparative health program
Read a report from a previous intern: Michelle or Amanda

Start Date:
Winter 2008: Jan 5th- March 15th
Spring 2008: April 5th-June 14th
Summer 2008: July 5th-Sept 13th (apply early)
Fall 2008: Sept 27th- Dec 6th

Summer is a particularly popular time, please submit all applications materials (including on campus interview) before the deadline.

Duration:
10 weeks

Number of Positions:
2 per term (offered every term); you may want to also consider the programs in La Paz, Bolivia and Oaxaca, Mexico

Intern Qualifications

Academic Background:
Pre-med students with some prior experience and exposure in the health field (i.e. working as a CNA, volunteering at a hospital or clinic, shadowing a physician). Master's in Public Health students. Nursing students.

Skills/Experience:
Advanced First Aid and/or Nursing Assistant training are very helpful. Prior international studies and travel also recommended.

Language Requirement:
Some Spanish required (a minimum of one full year of university level Spanish), and the more the better, but part of the program will provide Spanish language training for interns who need additional language skills.

Other Requirements:
Cultural sensitivity and competency with respect to Ecuadorian society and culture are necessary. Applicants must normally be over 21 at the time of their internship. The IE3 Regional Director may recommend candidates under 21 who clearly demonstrate a high degree of cross-cultural competency and personal maturity. In every case, though, CFHI reserves the right to make the final determination.

Internship Costs

Program Fees:
The program fee includes tuition, internship site development and placement, pre-departure orientation, international health insurance, internship monitoring and follow-up.
Click here for application information, including the program fee, for your school.
Note: The program fee does not include airfare, housing, living expenses or any other estimated costs noted below.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR JOINT IE3 AND CFHI PROGRAMS:
CFHI internships have a special combined program fee that represents a discount on the normal IE3 and CFHI fees.
Go to the IE3 website for application information, including the IE3 program fee for your school. (See link in preceding paragraph and below under Application Information).
The combined program fee includes the cost of items listed below:

Academic credit on your home campus
Internship placement
Initial Spanish training, if needed
Room and board for 10 weeks
International health insurance
Pre-departure orientation
Airport pick-up
In-country orientation
Please note that program fees do not include local transportation to and from the clinics
Weekly debriefing and on-site supervision

The combined IE3+CFHI program fee for summer/fall 2008 programs is $6440 for Oregon University System in-state resident students and $6740 for all others.

Note: The program fee does not include your airfare, local transportation, incidentals and recreation or any other estimated costs noted below.

Note:
Any financial or in-kind support provided by the host organization is explicitly indicated.

Compensation:
None.

Accommodation:
Homestays will be arranged in Quito and Chone and the cost is included in the combined program fee. Remember that there may be other interns or students on the program sharing facilities and rotation sites.

International Travel:
Approximately $1,100 for a plane ticket to Quito

Cost of Living:
Monthly expenses, such as local travel, recreation, and incidentals, are approximately $200-$225 per month. Interns should also budget up to $500 for recommended immunizations for an extended stay in Ecuador. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ for the list of recommended vaccinations. These out of pocket expenses are not included in the program fee. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ for the list of recommended vaccinations.

Budget Note:
Applicants should use these estimates for preliminary budgeting purposes.
IE3 will issue an official budget after acceptance by the host organization.

Application Information

Academic Credit:
Up to 12 credits available as per arrangement with supervising department.

Application Materials:
IE3 is a program of the Oregon University System.
Students from participating partner universities are also eligible to apply.
Click here for application information and select your school from the list.

Created/Revised:4/15/08