Yetunde Akinde (MS3)
Cienfuegos, Cuba
Summer 2016
"I had the opportunity to visit Cienfuegos, Cuba as part of a two-week Global Health Experience through the School of Public Health. While there, I learned about the country's rich culture and infrastructure, day-to-day activities of Cuban life, and the resiliency of the Cuban people. Despite the economic hardships the country has faced, free and available healthcare is a constitutional right to all citizens."
"It was evident that healthcare workers place a great emphasis on primary prevention and health education. One of the things I found most impressive was how family medicine practitioners integrate themselves into the familial households they care for. The physician knows about the financial, physical, domestic, mental and environmental components of each household, leading to better care for the patients.
"From learning about the healthcare system, to salsa dancing with the community members and engaging in lengthy conversations about the culture, food and United States-Cuba relations, I felt warmth, love and kindness throughout my encounters with community members. Being able to learn first-hand Cuba's culture and healthcare system was truly a once in a lifetime experience."
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