Ann Oluloro and Stella Chiu, both students at the University of Oregon have received scholarships awarded by the IE3 Global Internships Program. Many other students from participating IE3 Schools will attend CFHI programs this year and will receive credit from their home institutions. Oluloro and Chiu, “…stood out among their peers…” according to the IE3 Field Blog Website.
Ann Oluloro Bound for Bolivia
Ann Oluloro will be participating in CFHI programs in Bolivia starting in July 2010. In her CFHI application she identified several reasons for seeking entrance to a CFHI program in Bolivia. Becoming a fluent Spanish speaker is important for her professional goals. “Being fluent in Spanish is an important part of my future career because I plan on working in public clinics. Currently, as a volunteer at White Bird Community Clinic, I often see the doctor communicate with patients in Spanish. By being able to speak another language, the doctor is able to break down a communication barrier that would have otherwise existed and is therefore able to provide the patient with the best care she possible can.” She dreams one day of working with Doctors Without Borders and she believes that her CFHI experience, “…will give me a deeper insight into international medicine…” and help her “…learn about a culture and a way of life that books and textbooks cannot provide.” She hopes that her time in Bolivia, “…will give me a glimpse and understanding of a culture that I may otherwise not have a chance to learn about first hand. In addition, the internship will teach me about the structure of public health systems and how such systems are implemented in under developed nations both in rural and urban settings. Ann has done her homework, reading about the challenges faced by many countries to provide healthcare to their populations. “I am highly interested in how some under developed nations are still able to find ways and means in which to implement effective public health systems.”
Stella Chiu will be participating in CFHI programs in South Africa. Stella’s goal is to become a doctor and also to have an impact on underserved populations. She sees being part of a CFHI program as, “…a perfect match for what I want to do with my future. I want to become a physician and gain clinical experience, but I also want to help underdeveloped countries with public health efforts.” For Stella, it is important to be immersed in another culture, “I hope to gain clinical experience in a setting that is different from that of the United States. I believe this would make me a better physician in the future because it will help me see beyond the privileged population and be more competent in serving the less privileged. I hope CFHI will provide me with opportunities to learn and experience things first-hand.”
Both Ann and Stella will be reporting on their experiences so we look forward to more in their own words. We wish these students well as they embark on a summer that they will surely remember forever, and good luck with the tremendous potential of career opportunities that await them in the future.