Latin American Students Pursue Medical Degrees in Cuba

By Froilan Parra Suarez / redaccion@ahora.cu / Friday, 05 February 2010 11:29

Ines, Rosemary, Genaro, Paola Melissa and Duveyza are Bolivian students who met for the first time when they arrived in Cuba to study medicine, thanks to a bilateral program that grants scholarships to low-income students.

Now they are attending the Holguin Medicine School, located in Cuba’s easternmost province.

Some of them, who are currently pursuing internships at the Octavio de la Concepción Paediatric Hospital, shared some of their experiences with Ahora.

"I learned about this opportunity to study medicine in Cuba through a classmate. At the time, I was studying medicine in Bolivia. I just filled out the form and here I am," said Ines.

”When we first arrived in Cuba we were shocked,” said Paola. “Not only because of the high temperatures,” she jokes, “but also because we realized that all the bad things we had heard about Cuba were pure lies.”

Rosemary recalls the warm welcome at the “Celia Sanchez” Social Workers School: “There were people waiting for us there. They were very nice to us and helped us overcome cultural differences and our fear to the unknown.”

Since there were not enough dorms for so many students, Cuban families offered their houses to their Bolivian brothers and sisters.

“Cuban families welcomed us as their own children, and we feel part of these families now,” says Duveyza.

Cuban surgeons speak highly of the efforts these student make, their work at the hospital and the time they devote to study.

"I remember that my mom used to suffer from gallbladder stones and frequent indigestions. When Cuban doctors arrived in Bolivia, they diagnosed her and operated her. Currently there are hundreds people in Bolivia affected by treatable diseases, but they cannot afford medical attention. We want to change this situation,” said Genaro.

Lastly, when asked about their plans once they are back to Bolivia they said: “We’ll be supporting the transformation process initiated by the government of our President Evo Morales. That is a duty for all the Bolivians trained in Cuba.”

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