MD Pipeline to Community Service
MEDICC programs empower U.S. and international students from low-income communities who receive Cuban scholarships to study at Havana’s Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), pledging to work in underserved areas. Through our MD Pipeline to Community Service, MEDICC accompanies these students and physician graduates, helping them to successfully transition into practice back home.
MEDICC’s Commitment to U.S. ELAM Students and Graduates
The Mnisi Scholarship: Provides support funding to defray costs of courses, preparatory materials and exam fees for U.S. licensing exams required of all medical graduates to practice in the United States.
Community Connections: Reviews opportunities and supports summer medical rotations in public hospitals and community clinics throughout the U.S.
Pathways to Residency: Offers advice for upper-year students and match-ready graduates on residency programs and job opportunities, and provides funding support for registration fees for medical conferences in the U.S. Through our Gateways travel program, MEDICC also introduces medical and public health school leaders to ELAM in Havana and the U.S. students there.
For more information on these MEDICC programs, please contact Sarah Coker, scoker@mediccglobal.org.
U.S. ELAM Graduates in Residency
What ELAM Grads Say About MEDICC
“Sometimes people think a full scholarship to a med school like ELAM is enough. But it’s not. You need support for the U.S. licensing exam materials, exam registration, summer rotations and residency interviews. Without MEDICC’s support I can honestly say there is no way I would have been able to practice medicine back in the States.”
~Lillian H., U.S. Grad
“I appreciated that Cuba’s education taught us to think globally; not just treat disease, but to look at public health and prevention. I felt MEDICC’s help preparing for the U.S. Boards made me a better student in Cuba. It supplemented my studying and improved my knowledge base and ability to communicate all I was learning.”
~Brea B-B., U.S. Grad
About ELAM
The Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) is a six-year, full-scholarship degree-conferring program for global youth, including from the United States. The first two years are spent at the ELAM campus, 22 miles (35km) west of Havana. The remaining four years, including a one-year internship, are spent at medical schools around the country. All courses and materials are in Spanish; a placement exam determines whether a pre-medical course and/or intensive Spanish language bridging instruction are needed.
- Founded in 1998
- More than 30,000 graduates since its founding, from 118 countries
- Women comprise over half the student body
- Posts held by ELAM-trained doctors: National Director of Epidemiology (Haiti); Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (Honduras); Minister of Health (Costa Rica), Vice Minister of Health (Panama)…and more.
Why Study at ELAM?
- Rigorous program with built-in academic support
- International training in a multi-cultural setting with colleagues from more than 100 countries
- Graduates are bilingual English-Spanish and debt-free
How to apply
Details and applications for US ELAM candidates are available here.
MEDICC Support for International
ELAM Grads
MEDICC provides financial support to community health projects led and staffed by international graduates of the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), many bringing health care to entire populations for the first time.
Past MEDICC support includes:
- The first indigenous hospital in Ciriboya, Honduras (Garifuna ELAM graduates, Ciriboya, Honduras), a pioneering project MEDICC continues to support
- Groundbreaking research into a new form of chronic kidney disease targeting poor farmers in Central America (launched by an ELAM graduate, with support from El Salvador’s Ministry of Health, Cuba’s Ministry of Health and PAHO)
- Clinical coverage of the poorest of the poor during health emergencies and beyond (led by various Haitian ELAM graduates)
- Specialized medical Creole-Spanish-English dictionary for use by Cuban and other health professionals working in Haiti, including ELAM graduates
ELAM graduates from dozens of countries joined Cuban health professionals responding to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
“My mission is to help my people get and stay healthy, thereby proving that public health with limited resources is possible. Without MEDICC’s unflagging support, we would not have a free, community hospital on the remote Honduran coast where I’m from – my friends and family and neighbors would still be ill and dying from preventable diseases.”
~Luther C., Honduran Grad
“The MEDICC Glossary was like our Bible in Haiti after the earthquake. It helped us treat patients in their native language – Creole – which is invaluable in these situations and makes for better care and understanding.”
~Emiliano M., ELAM grad responding to Haiti’s 2010 earthquake
FAQs
Mnisi Scholarship
What does MEDICC do to help U.S. ELAM students prepare for working in the US?
MEDICC provides funds on a competitive basis to help purchase exam preparation materials and cover exam fees for the required US licensing exams. MEDICC has awarded over 1,000 scholarships to students since the program’s inception in 2007. Through MEDICC’s Community Connections program, MEDICC also helps place students in US public hospitals and community clinics for summer rotations and connects students with residency opportunities and jobs.
How do I apply for this scholarship?
Mnisi Scholarships are awarded annually; the application period opens in November or December. MEDICC emails the application to all current US ELAM students, year three and above, and recent graduates. The completed application is returned to MEDICC via email.
What years of students are eligible for scholarships?
Third-year students and above, including recent graduates, are eligible for MEDICC’s Mnisi Scholarship.
On what criteria are funding decisions based and who makes those decisions?
Funding decisions are made by a committee of US medical professionals, including members of MEDICC’s Board of Directors and staff. Applications are evaluated based on academic standing, study plan, participation in exam Step Committee activities (for Step 1), commitment to service, and financial need.
When are applications due and funding dispersed?
Scholarship applications are typically due in early January; scholarships are distributed in early February.
What materials do I need to provide with my application?
In addition to a completed scholarship application form, you will need to provide a CV, study plan, and essay.
Why is it called the Mnisi Scholarship?
The Mnisi Fellowship is named in honor of Dr. Thabo Mnisi, a South African physician trained in Cuba who dedicated his life to health equity for his community and patients, directing the Alexandra Clinic in Johannesburg until his death in 2006.
How much financial help does MEDICC provide?
Our funding varies by year, meaning the amount we can offer in scholarships varies. Typically, MEDICC offers all students at least some funding, and usually helps fund the next step of a student’s career journey, including test prep and/or an exam. Past Mnisi Scholarship disbursements have been between $500 and $635.
Is money provided directly or are expenses reimbursed?
Expenses are reimbursed following the student’s submission of a purchase receipt and exam score(s). In cases of extenuating circumstances or dire financial need, MEDICC may be able to release funds prior to prep/exam.
Community Connections
How does MEDICC connect me with a rotation that is right for me?
Students identify potential rotation sites and submit these to MEDICC for review.
How do I apply and what does MEDICC support cover?
By March each year, MEDICC solicits rotation site suggestions from eligible candidates. MEDICC will then vet these locations based on factors such as values, fit for the student, and other factors as relevant. If approved, students will be notified, typically within a month. MEDICC provides financial support for travel and other costs associated with rotations.
Who is eligible for Community Connections support?
Students of all years and recent graduates.
How much financial help can I hope to receive?
The amount varies year by year according to resources made available to MEDICC. In 2024, MEDICC funded two students at $2,000 each.
Pathways to Residency
How do I apply?
Eligible candidates receive an email requesting in which conference/opportunity they are interested. MEDICC reviews these requests and offers funding to chosen applicants.
Who is eligible?
Match ready students or graduates who have successfully completed 2 US NBME exams, have a realistic plan for completing the third in time to be eligible for the Match, and a clear plan for entering the Match.
How much financial support can I hope to receive?
The amount of financial support will depend on the level of funding available and the number of applications received for that funding. MEDICC’s goal is to be able to provide up to $300 per applicant.
MEDICC supports students and graduates of Havana’s Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), the world’s largest medical school, educating socially committed physicians from low-income families in the USA and developing countries.
“For once, if you are poor, female, or from an Indigenous population, you have a distinct advantage.”
~Former WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan, visiting ELAM