Way Cool - NM's Jessi Barreto, med student in Havana, interviewed by NPR

Jessi is a fifth year medical student at the Latin American International School of Medicine outside of Havana, Cuba. Along with 5 other New Mexicans and about 90 others from the US, Jessi is studying under a full scholarship provided by the Cuban government. Thousands of other students from throughout the world, especially from Latin America and Africa, are also studying under scholarship at the school.

Students at the school make a commitment to return to their home countries to practice in medically underserved areas. This program should provide obvious benefits to New Mexico, which is ranked #2 in incidence of population with no health care insurance.

Oh, btw, there are no guns in Cuban schools. No police either, for that matter.

This interview ran on National Public Radio's "Justice Talking" program this past week.

070813_BarretoExtra.mp3

You can hear other interviews with medical students and learn more about the school at http://www.justicetalking.org/viewprogram.asp?progID=614