Introduction

BT’s Rania Khalek paid a visit to the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, also known as ELAM. Cuba’s socialist government foots the bill for students, who come from all over the world to study medicine for free. Tuition, accommodation and board are free, and they even throw in a government stipend for students to live on. The one condition? Graduates have to return to serve in low-income communities.

A testament to Cuba's commitment to internationalism, ELAM is one of - if not the largest - medical schools in the world, with tens of thousands of students enrolling in a given year from over 100 countries.

During her visit to the campus, Rania had the chance to catch up with current 2nd year medical students from the U.S., and asked them about their experiences studying in Cuba.