Cuba, January 2009

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the director of Cuba's National School of Public Health developed an intense 8-day course for 8 MPH students.  With funding support from Alumni Giving, the students were provided the opportunity to visit many urban and rural health care facilities at which they received thorough presentations by high-level health officials, from hospital directors to top research specialists, and were provided numerous publications.

The students that participated in this field experience were Lisa Aslan, Jessica Carda, Beth Dunbar, Laura Grossmann, Siri Michel-Midelfort, Nicolas Napoli, Sarah Preston, and Stacey Rittmuller. Bearing witness to Cuba's outdated medical equipment and crumbling medical facilities proved to them that magnificent health outcomes can be achieved with minimal resources. More importantly, they became enlivened by the nearly ubiquitous Cuban excitement for increased collaboration due to new U.S. leadership. The students felt that the Cuban healthcare system epitomizes what happens when basic public health interventions are implemented and sustained.  The funds for this field experience was an immensely enriching trip that successfully laid the groundwork for potential capstone topics for these students.