Vida Medical, Dental & Veterinary Programs in Costa Rica

It is different for me because I've been a veterinarian for many years. I am older and not a member of the U of NC group so I felt very much like an outsider. The situation improved over time and the recreation was good fun. i do feel like I was useful at the clinics which was the main reason that I signed up.

This was a truly awesome program, while a bit unorganized every once in a while, you feel very safe and are rewarded with incredible experiences. Definitely worth your time and money.

I thought this program was an amazing opportunity and I had a great experience. It was very eye-opening and I wouldn't trade the experience I had for anything. I learned an incredible amount with the hands on medical training. Just knowing you changed the lives of many of the local people by treating them was a great feeling. I would encourage any one to go on this trip. With the medical training in the clinics, learning about the culture in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and recreational days, it is truly a great opportunity for anyone.

VIDA is extremely organized. You have a group leader who makes sure everything runs smoothly and doctors and interpreters who travel with you and educate you on the countries' history, government systems, ecosystems, and anything else you want to know about the culture. They provide clean drinking water at all times and plenty of meals during clinic days.

A huge issue for me was feeling safe. I can honestly say that I felt safe 100% of the time. When we had free nights to explore the towns near our hotels, the interpreters were kind enough to come with us and help us communicate with the locals. I never felt like my suitcases were in danger, either. The hotels we stayed at were really nice.

The clinic was the best part of the trip. You don't need to have any prior medical experience. I personally did, and it felt great to be able to teach my peers what I already know. There is a crash medical course the first day, and the doctors walk you through every step of the way. You will learn a lot about patient-care: how to take a health history, vital signs, and determine if they are normal or not. After interacting with the patient, you get to come up with a diagnosis, which you will present to the doctor. The doctor will then walk through all of the symptoms with you and explain what the real diagnosis is and why. The doctors are amazing teachers! I learned so much. Its an amazing feeling when you can start relating things from your science classes to actual patient care. The doctors help you to connect the dots.

This trip was enlightening and I feel like I came back to the US with a whole different perspective on my life and what I want to do in the future. This experience made me want to continue volunteering abroad with VIDA. I will definitely recommend VIDA to everyone and anyone.

I've travelled a lot in my life but I've never travelled for the sole purpose of helping others, which I found to be extremely enriching in all aspects. What I loved about VIDA is that there were clinic days mixed in with down days so it wasn't all just hard work because to be honest, the clinic days wear you out and you need the break of recreational days. We began the trip in Costa Rica in San Jose for orientation and then travelled via bus to Liberia, Costa Rica for our first 2 clinic days. During clinics you have time to play with the local children, which was a lot of fun even though I did not know a word of spanish. On each of the first two clinic days the dental team, which I was a part of, saw 56 patients; so in total for Costa Rica we helped 132 people. Since the dental, vet, and medical teams all volunteered in the same building we were able to observe how the other teams worked. I personally really enjoyed watching the vet team work because it was hands-on just like the dental team. During clinics my eyes were opened to how serious the people needed our help. The first clinic day was a day to get adjusted to how things will work for the rest of the trip and to practice using the tools in doing cleanings as well as aiding in extractions. After the first two clinic days, we headed to La Cruz, Costa Rica to relax and enjoy the sun. And trust me, use sunscreen! I'm still peeling! At La Cruz we stayed at a resort where we were able to take a short boat ride to a near by island for a hike and snorkeling (although it was too rough for us to snorkel). Although the hike was pretty tough, it was very rewarding when you got the top to see a 360 view of the bay. After La Cruz we headed to Nicaragua for our 2nd two clinic days in Masaya where we stayed with a local family. To be honest, at first I was terrified of the homestays because I didn't know what to expect nor did I know any spanish, but VIDA did an excellent job with pairing volunteers with the families and I'd have to say it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. After the last clinic day we headed to Managua, Nicaragua to zip line, which was a blast! Before I knew it I was on my home and upset that the trip had ended so fast.

Even though the trip was semi-pricey, it was worth every cent and I'd do it again in a heart beat! It was very rewarding knowing you made a difference in so many peoples lives. I could literally go on and on for days about this experience but I'll keep it kind of short. At the end of the day, I would 100% do this again and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone!!!!!

From the clinics to the free days this program was incredible. Clinics ran very smoothly because of the patience and willingness to teach of the Dentists, and the volunteers felt like we actually made a difference; considering we were actually assisting as opposed to only shadowing. We had the unique opportunity to interact with the locals, leaving memories that I will forever cherish and never forget. On free days, we did exciting things like horseback riding, tubing, and we even spent an entire day on the beach. All in all, it was an unforgettable adventure that I hope to repeat sometime in the near future!

After clinic set ups, the doctors would diagnose the patients and tell the volunteers what as needed to be set up for each procedure. We had the opportunity to watch several procedures such as extractions and bad scaling cases. We got to talk with our patients and helping and giving to the kids as a unique experience in and of itself because we for to directly give them gifts that they otherwise would never have been able to afford. Seeing their smiles after we served them was enough reason for me to come back on this trip.

I would highly recommend this program. I am a pre-veterinary student, and it was wonderful to get all of the experience of preparing animals for surgery. We set catheters, intubated, did physical exams, gave vaccines and medications, shaved, administered anesthesia, and got to help clamp, cut, ligate, and suture during the surgeries with a vet's supervision. Every student usually got to assist with 1 or 2 surgeries per day. We worked in pairs and followed each patient through all of the steps: intake, surgery, and recovery. Lots of the animals were fearful and many had fleas/ticks and were underweight. The clinic days were about 8 hours long (8am - 4pm) and we set up clinics wherever we could (churches, schools, community centers, private property). It was much different from any veterinary experience I have had in the U.S. and I could really tell that we were making a difference, which was wonderful!
All of the staff was very helpful and I always felt comfortable and safe. We just always stayed in groups of three or more when we left the hotels, and didn't have any safety issues. We stayed in hotels for most of the time, and then stayed with home-stay families for a few days after crossing into Nicaragua. We only got a few warm showers on the trip, but since the weather was fairly warm and humid, I didn't mind! The main food items were black beans, rice, chicken, and plantains. Several people got sick in Nicaragua, but nobody got sick in Costa Rica. In addition to all the clinics, we did some fun stuff like playing on the beach, playing soccer, taking a dance class, and going ziplining. Spanish was helpful so that you could communicate with the home-stay families and people in the community, but all of the staff spoke English very well, so it was not necessary to know Spanish.
Overall it was an truly remarkable experience and I am looking forward to returning next year!