[act-ma] 8/10 Movie “Community Doctors: A look inside Cuba's medical scholarship program"

[July 26th Coalition]

*Community Doctors: A look inside Cuba's medical scholarship program*

How Cuba facilitates Medical Science for the People!

<https://www.facebook.com/linkssocialistrenewal/posts/307005149642512>

This exceptionally moving and inspiring film tells the story of Cuba's 
international medical scholarship program and the young US-Americans, 
many from poor and underserved communities in the United States, who 
were awarded full scholarships to study medicine at the Latin American 
School of Medicine in Havana, Cuba. It follows them through their 
studies and experiences in Cuba and ultimately their work as medical 
doctors following graduation and their return to the USA.

*The producer of the film, Kunle Ekunkonye, will be present for Q and A.*

*Wed. Aug 10th  7 PM*

*MIT  Building 6 Room 120  (see link at bottom)*

Although it is a resource-poor country Cuba has developed a highly 
effective medical system. Their health outcomes are on par with those of 
the United States. Cuba has provided thousands of doctors to work in 
medically underserved areas in countries around the world to restore 
those communities from the impact of natural disasters, epidemics and 
the widespread lack of medical care.

In 1999 Cuba opened the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) to give 
medical scholarships to the brightest from poor areas around the world 
so that they may become doctors that will eventually return and serve 
the communities from which they came.

Due to decades of political animosity between the United States and 
Cuba, of which have only recently began to normalize, information about 
Cuba has been relatively scant. Despite the impasse in diplomatic 
relations, Cuba provided the offer of free medical scholarships for 
students in the United States.

The film tells the story of the medical scholarship program and the 
young Americans, many from poor and underserved communities in the 
United States, who were awarded full scholarships to study medicine at 
the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, Cuba. The program is a 
6-7 year, fully Spanish, hands-on experience that prepares students to 
become doctors that are skilled at preventing diseases and treating 
patients in low-resource conditions with an interwoven focus on 
community building. At a time when Cuba itself remained off-limits to 
most Americans, the students and graduates of ELAM share their 
experiences, challenges, lessons and hopes as they are fully immersed in 
a new culture while learning a unique and radically different approach 
to medicine and healthcare.


This event is cosponsored by MIT Science for the People, the July 26th 
Coalition, the Boston area Cuba solidarity organization, along with the 
National Network on Cuba and the International Committee for Peace, 
Justice and Dignity.

Link to Map with Building highlighted
http://whereis.mit.edu/?zoom=17&lat=42.360235742617455&lng=-71.0904829465082&maptype=mit&q=6-120&open=-1 


Available online at >> http://links.org.au/node/4760

www,july26.org <http://links.org.au/node/4760>


<http://links.org.au/node/4760>