Vida Medical, Dental & Veterinary Programs in Nicaragua

I enjoyed the clinic days the most, when the group worked together and got to know each other, the doctors, interpreters, and patients. The only difficulties were in saying goodbye to everyone at the end! I enjoyed being able to help diagnose and interview patients first-hand... It helped solidify my understanding of what doctors do every day.

I don't usually give reviews for things but the experience I had in Nicaragua with VIDA was too good not to share. The hands on veterinary experience I got was priceless. You get to do so much more then you ever get to do in the US. I learned skills normally only vet techs get to do. The veterinarian I worked with was fantastic and was so patient with us and taught us so much. I couldn't have asked for a better person to work with. The VIDA staff is also great. Our group leader was always there for us if we needed something and I always felt safe because he was always with its or at least telling us how to keep safe when we were on our own. The activities on our days off we're amazing and the cultural experience is something I'll never forget. This program combines everything there is to experience in a foreign country and I am so glad I decided to go on this trip. Best decision ever.

The experience in Nicaragua was a bit different from Costa Rica. The staff was a bit harder to communicate with because of the language barrier. The surgeries took much longer on the whole than they did in Costa Rica.

As being the first group of nursing students in Nicaragua, I had a great experience. The VIDA staff was very accommodating and found interesting places for us to learn and observe health care in Masaya and Managua. I really enjoyed the days spent at El Comejen. I felt most like a nurse here and learned/reviewed old material learned in school the most. It was also a great experience to help those in the greatest need. I would suggest spending at least one more day in this community and taking away one day from the clinic we spent four days at in Masaya. However, I did enjoy the days spent at that clinic as well. One of the struggles was all of the hotel changes at the beginning of the trip; not that it was a big deal, it was just a frustrating moment that, I think, scared a lot of people because we didn't know what to expect from then on. Another part of the trip that really impressed me was that you (VIDA) supplied purified water at all times throughout the whole trip. It was nice not to worry about buying or having access to purified water the whole time. One less thing for us to worry about!

Amy Garache was our group leader and she was amazing! She went above and beyond the whole time! Our experience would have not been the same without her!

This was my first trip out of the country and first mission trip. VIDA was more than wonderful and gave us opportunites and experiences that were excellent learning opportunites. Our TL, Amy, was the best TL we could have hoped for. She was excellent. So well organized and helpful and always had a smile on her face and kind word to say.

Landing in Nicaragua, we didn't exactly know what to expect, but the VIDA staff was simply incredible. Eli, our guide and friend, gave us a warm welcome and made us feel at ease. Dr. Dometz and Eli joked around a lot and set the fun tone for our experience. Drs. Blanco, Cano, and Woodsley were incredibly passionate instructors and their patience, guidance, and compassion helped me learn so much about low-cost clinics as well as working with low-income populations. Our homestay "mom", Maria, was so kind and welcoming, putting all of my anxieties at rest. I really enjoyed traveling as a local, not as a tourist. The local families were so grateful and so interested in their animals' care, and I felt like I was truly making a difference. Over our six clinic days, we took care of around 180 companion animals and around 150 large animals! Finally, VIDA showed us the most beautiful beaches and towns of Nicaragua, like the Apoyo lagoon, Catarina, Granada, and the Pacific beaches. I would love to return, and even work for VIDA some day!

VIDA gave me the opportunity to be hands on with a profession I had only been convinced of doing through shadowing and science classes. The medical experience VIDA gives was the primary way I determined that a career as a doctor would be the right path for me. My hands on experiences have included seeing a congenital disease where the the iris of the patient was missing in one eye, and understanding the effects of long term untreated diabetes on the body. While VIDA may not be as long or as recreational as other trips, there are still many opportunities for fun, and the clinical experience and service are always forefront throughout the program.