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Eight Americans Graduate in Boost for Cuban Health Care
Eight American students have graduated from a Cuban medical school after six years of free tuition, giving a fresh boost to the reputation of the communist government's health care system.
The first class of US graduates from the Latin American School of Medicine, a Fidel Castro brainchild on Havana's outskirts, plan to return home and take board exams for licenses to work as doctors in US hospitals.
The Americans were among more than 2,100 students from about 25 countries who received diplomas this week in a high-profile ceremony at Havana's Karl Marx theatre. The six women and two men, all from US ethnic minority backgrounds, said they would use their skills to treat poor people, in keeping with the humanitarian ethos of the school.
"Health care is not seen as a business in Cuba," Kenya Bingham, a 29-year-old Californian, told the Associated Press. "When you are sick they are not going to try to charge you or turn you away if you don't have insurance. We have studied medicine with a humanitarian approach."
The school on a former naval base, opened by President Castro in 1999, offers scholarships to students from around the world and is intended to showcase the island's commitment to universal health care. To boast graduates from the US, an arch-foe which has imposed a decades-long economic embargo, was another public relations coup for a government already basking in the glow from Michael Moore's documentary Sicko. The film contrasts expensive profit-driven health care in the US with free treatment in Cuba.
The first class of US graduates, which started the course in 2001, has been followed by about 90 other Americans. A further 18 are due to enrol next month, making the Americans a small but high-profile minority among the more than 5,000-strong student body.
The communist authorities rely on the US Congressional Black Caucus and a non-profit group, Pastors for Peace, to select candidates. Washington's embargo bans most Americans from travelling to Cuba but an exemption has been made for the medical students.
The diploma is recognised by the World Health Organisation but it is not clear if the US graduates will be eligible to sit the two exams necessary to apply for residency at American hospitals. "Do I think there will be prejudices against us when we go back to the States and are looking for residences? Yes, it's inevitable," said Ms Bingham.
However she was hopeful, given that the first US graduate, Cedric Edwards, is now working at Montefiore hospital in New York's Bronx borough. Unlike this week's graduates Mr Edwards started medical studies in the US and later switched to Havana, graduating two years ago as the sole American.
If they make it the graduates will be part of just 6% of practising doctors from ethnic minority backgrounds, according to the US Association of American Medical Colleges.
Conditions at the Latin American School of Medicine are basic. Students share dormitories, eat beans and rice, and use ancient equipment.
Mr Castro, 80, did not attend Tuesday's graduation ceremony. His last public appearance was at last year's anniversary of the July 26 1953 attack on the Moncada military barracks which launched the revolution. Raul Castro, who is standing in as president while his brother convalesces from surgery, is expected to address today's anniversary celebrations.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007
31 Comments so far
Show AllMy great, greataunt for whom I was named was a doctor in Cuba for many years. She was one of the first women to graduate from medical school in St. Louis in this country and went to Cuba to work with a religious order, eventually having a hospital named after her in some remote village. When Castro took over, she had to leave. My only childhood memory of her is a very old, tiny little woman sitting on my grandparents porch. She seemed surprised to find herself here. She had lived there for 50 years. She had forgotten all her English. She sat there for a year or two, looking bemused, and then she died. I always wanted to go there and see the little mountain town where she spent her life. Now they are sending doctors here. Life is strange. Now I am getting old and writing about all the things I have seen . . .
swan
http://goodwordswan.wildflowerstew.com
Great!
The first class of US graduates, which started the course in 2001, has been followed by about 90 other Americans. A further 18 are due to enrol next month, making the Americans a small but high-profile minority among the more than 5,000-strong student body.
The communist authorities rely on the US Congressional Black Caucus and a non-profit group, Pastors for Peace, to select candidates. Washington's embargo bans most Americans from travelling to Cuba but an exemption has been made for the medical students.
The diploma is recognised by the World Health Organisation but it is not clear if the US graduates will be eligible to sit the two exams necessary to apply for residency at American hospitals. "Do I think there will be prejudices against us when we go back to the States and are looking for residences? Yes, it's inevitable," said Ms Bingham.
However she was hopeful, given that the first US graduate, Cedric Edwards, is now working at Montefiore hospital in New York's Bronx borough. Unlike this week's graduates Mr Edwards started medical studies in the US and later switched to Havana, graduating two years ago as the sole American.
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Wouldn't it be great if some of those graduates could serve the poor population of neglected New Orleans (who are increasingly latino and latina in their make up.)
Viva Fidel! Viva La Revolution! Viva Sicko!
People the world over (from Java to Pakistan to Bolivia to
Angola to the US) know of the generosity of Cuba. Hopefully, Americans will to after watching Sicko.
It is high time that progressives stopped stigmatizing Cuba, a country that has maintained its dignity for almost fifty years of continuous siege.
Bravo! There is hope for uninsured Americans afterall. Perhaps a free/reduced price clinic can be started by future graduates. It's a shame the US can't do better.
One of the best books on Cuba is "Cuba for Beginners" by RIUS.
I wonder how long it's going to take for conservatives to nullify their degree here. Another threat of a good example.
This really heaps shame upon the US. Normally these kids graduate with thousands of dollars worth of loans. In essence college grads are indentured servants for much of their lives trying to repay loans. I think this says a lot about what our country stands for versus Cuba and right now I'm not feeling very comfortable with what the US is doing with its wealth. Great article! Loved it!
Jeeze one wonders how these doctors are going to manage without three or four hundred thousand dollars of debt hanging over their heads
Sounds like an awesome way to experience Cuba!
Hopefully, the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus will make sure that these graduates are able to practice medicine in the United States.
Excellent!!!
Carry on the good work, Cuba.
Cuba exports doctors. We export terror and death. Which country should be considered a pariah nation?
I bet anybody that within one year, 7 of 8 are happily running over the poor in their new Beamers...bought and paid for by Big Medicine
In Canada, medical school though not free like Cuba, is HIGHLY subsidized...
Every spring after graduation, there is a mad rush of shiney new doctors to the US border, where they can made 10 times what they earn here.
While the Cubans teach people from other countries how to become doctors, the US teaches people from other countries how to become torturers at the School of the Americas.
It took a revolution to get health care in Cuba and it will probably require a revolution here in the US to get a better health care system.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION
Universal healthcare will NEVER come to the US as long as the Conservatives hold any kind of power and influence (which probably means FOREVER). Or until we can somehow fight ignorance - a very BIG factor in America. How many of the poor, through religious beliefs and reinforced by rightwing media, are bring duped by the rich and powerful into voting against their own interests.
I loved this article. This shows that we can learn from one another, instead of having a supremacist worldview. It is highly appreciable that Cuba is training doctors with humanitarian ethos.
This reminds me of the day when I took my wife to a hospital in the US for an emergency. She had to be in the hospital lounge for an hour suffering with stomach pain, before her name was called. Then she had to attend an "interview" with a doctor. Then she was taken to a room and they did all the tests, including the scan. She was in the hospital for eight hours. The final "verdict" was that she did not have any problem. For that we received a bill for about $12,000. Even after she returned from the hospital she continued to have severe pain. After a month she went to India and consulted our family doctor. He told her that she should undergo surgery immediately, otherwise it would be fatal. She paid less than $1000 for surgery and one month nursing care in the hospital after the surgery!!! She does not have any more complications till now.
If the patients are treated as "means for profit", then it not only denies value of life, but makes such medical professionals "monsters", who care only about the "profit" and not the life of the patient.
It gives hope to the common people to see countries such as Cuba, where medical profession is not a profit-making business, but treating other human being as a human being.
Continue the good work, Cuba.
This DVD all about Cuba's health care system just came out http://www.saludthefilm.net
It's an absolutely wonderful film.
Big drug companies do not have any influence in the mentality of how the students learn at the School of medicene in CUBA. The ideals of the student body at this school must be very noble ,with intentions to help the needy, and not as profit get rich minded doctors graduated in the US, Lets not forget that during the Katrina tragedy, CUBA and Venezuela did offered to send doctors and any medical supplies that they could afford to give, But NO Mr. BUSH had to do the proud stupid thing, to refused the offer of help at the spenses of sacrifizing the already neglected population of New Orleans. What a great example the CUBAN government has shown to the world. The so called industrialized well to do nations of the world should take a good look at Cuba and should try to do better than CUBA if their greed lets them. By the way for those that have a bone to pick with CUBA for having a communist political system, before you try to shame Castro for that, Start with China first and its leaders. We try to destroy Cuba financialy, while we give CHINA prefferential bussiness status, Is not China a Communist Nation also?.
On major difference between health care in the US and in Cuba is that Cuban Doctors make house calls. That doesn't seem like much, but think about it.
Assuming you have a doctor, does he/she know where you live? do they know if you have 3 flights of stairs to climb to fix dinner? Or if you live alone and have pets? Have they any idea who mows your lawn, or if you have a lawn?
Are they aware of other family members and their needs? Are you both a patient and a Care Giver? Can someone drive you to the clinic? Do you have kitchen facilities? What about refrigeration?
Many medical problems could be easily diagnosed if the doctor had any idea how you live. Instead of that, we get the Bozo with the BMW who looks at your chart, looks at you and says "Lose 10 pounds and get more exercise" even tho you are not overweight, and are working yourself into an early grave.
They have a set of statistics, and assume everyone fits the 90 percentile picture.
Fidel and the Cuban people are proving that there is far more to life then chasing the almighty dollar!
Up The Revolution: 26 July, 1953
I like their dictator better.
HOT OFF THE PRESS!!
16/07/2007 – 16:14 – Posting number 776:
FIRST INDIGENOUS BRAZILIAN DOCTOR GRADUATES IN CUBA
Maria da Gloria Oliveira da Silva, of the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe, has completed her degree in medicine. The first indigenous woman born in Brazil to have completed the course in Cuba, she affirms the desire to return and live with her people in southern Bahia. "The committment was to return and to work in the community", she said in a telephone interview.
Glória began the course in 2001 and intends, in Brazil, to specialize in gynecology and obstetrics or in pediatrics. Arriving in Brazil she still needs to face the challenge of having her diploma validated.
She says that one of the great lessons during her stay on the island was to learn to face difficulties. "Despite all the difficulties, that not just we students have, but also all the Cuban people, what we learn is that to be conscious of what we have and what we do not have, and to improvise when necessary. Even with the difficulties in their lives, the people here are always available to help, they are by habit humanitarian".
The scholarship for the students, linked to the social movement is offered by the Cuban embassy in Brazil, and includes the course, housing and meals of the students. CIMI has supported the program for the Indigenous peoples by facilitating contact between the Indigenous movement, the communities and the Cuban Embassy. This year no fewer than eight Indigenous student need to go to study in Cuba.
Cimi – Conselho Indigenista Missionário
www.cimi.org
BrasÃlia, 26 de julho de 2007
Cuba is a country that practices Socialism. Its' government exists for the benefit and welfare of the Society.
America is a Fascist State driven by capitalism. It's government exists for the benefit and welfare of a very small minority; the most aggressive, ruthless and asocial members of its' population. There is no society in America.
relayer@q.com
Cuba is a country that practices Socialism. Its' government exists for the benefit and welfare of the Society.
America is a Fascist State driven by capitalism. It's government exists for the benefit and welfare of a very small minority; the most aggressive, ruthless and asocial members of its' population. There is no society in America.
Yo quiero vivir en Cuba.
Read "Democracy in Cuba and the 1996-97 elections" by Arnold August.
Everything we are told about Cuba, it's leaders and it's revolution is a lie.
Viva Fidel,
Viva Che,
Viva Revolution!
What's the fastest possible way to learn Spanish?
relayer@q.com
SoundChaser wonders:
What's the fastest possible way to learn Spanish?
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Get dropped iknto aySpanish speaking city with no money, food, or job--it's called "total immersion".
A sophisticated criminal cover up; that´s all this is.
Enrique I. Alonso
Citizen of the Republic of Cuba
P.S. If you are interested in truth please go to the debate on Castro at http://www.alternet.org/story/56497/ where I posted many comments. Read through them to inform your conscience further.
That's what I'll do. I'll go to Cuba to learn medicine. :)
Seriously, these people probably got a better education for free in Cuba than they could have ever gotten in the U.S.