Program Reviews

I participated in this program as veterinarian from the US. The program was well organized and provided an excellent experience for me and for the students. The students gained real world experience to help with grad school admissions and a life changing experience helping those less fortunate than themselves. The home stays allowed a more indepth exposure to the culture and the recreational days showed off the country and were great fun. I would certainly recommend this program to any veterinary, medical or dental student.

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 went on the Veterinary Trip through VIDA and was so impressed with how involved, knowledgeable and helpful all the staff was. I was also pleasantly surprised by how quickly we were all joking around with each other and how at home I felt. I was also super impressed by how hands-on my experience was. Rather than standing next to a vet and watching them give an injection, prepare an animal for surgery or preform surgery, a vet was standing next to me and watching ME do all these things. They do a phenomenal job of making sure that you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it that way. The only thing that was a bit confusing is that some of the vets had different techniques, so you have to remember which ones to use around each vet. The recreational days were a lot of fun as well (though we all missed clinic on those days, haha). Recreational days were jam packed with traveling around to local markets, historical sites and activities like zip lining. Home stays were also really cool because we got to experience everyday life in Nicaragua. It was so much fun chatting with my host mom and wandering around town with my host brother and the rest of the VIDA volunteers with whom I was staying. I can't wait to go again next year!!

VIDA enables volunteers to get real clinical experience in the culturally rich environment. In the clinics, I learned how to take patient histories, take vitals (including blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and heart and lung sounds), give abdominal exams, witness PAP smears, and even begin to diagnose and recommend medications. In addition, VIDA immerses students in the Nicaraguan culture by placing students in host families and side-trips to local tourist sites. The staff was enormously helpful with translating and informing our group on local customs and history. I felt that I left Nicaragua with a much broader sense of their culture and greater wealth of clinical knowledge. I highly recommend this trip to any pre-med student with a sense of adventure and interest in other cultures!

Volunteering with VIDA was one of the best decisions I made. The experience was more than I could ask for. It truly was a hands on experience in clinic because we sat with the patients, took their medical histories, talked about their complaints, and worked with the doctors and our peers to come up with a diagnosis. This program definitely gives you an idea of what being a doctor/physicians assistant/nurse would do during their job so even if you are not sure if the medical field is for you, it's a great experience to learn whether or not it is! Not only did you get hands on experience, but the cultural enriching aspect of the trip was something I'll never forget, and I will cherish it for the rest of my life.

I was so worried to travel down to Central America and I thought I was getting myself into something I would regret, but as we progressed into the trip in Guatemala, I realized this is something I want to do again. I enjoyed spending time in the clinic helping all of the people that came to get dental help. I liked how the dentists I shadowed wanted to teach me something while I watched what they did. I learned more from the 4 clinic days than I did by shadowing dentists here in the USA. The friendships I made on the trip were strengthened by the experiences that we endured together. Not everything on this trip was perfect, as 8 of my travelers got Salmonella, but this experience makes you realize that there is a whole world out there to be discovered. I am happy to have helped the people I helped. I really feel like I made a difference in their lives because VIDA gave me a chance to interact with them and learn about their lives. This trip has ignited the flame in me to really work hard to get into Dental School so that I may help others in this world.

I had a terrific time on this trip. I learned so much, not only about patient interaction, but about disease and medicine itself. The staff was patient, knowing that each student was at a different level in their education, and always teaching with every opportunity. I felt safe, but not smothered by the trip leader. Every problem that happened on the trip was handled wonderfully by the leader. Activities were planned during our time off so we weren't wandering aimlessly, but free time was also given.

I went to Guatemala not expecting much, but what I experienced while I was there was beyond anything I could have imagined. The VIDA staff was wonderful and all of the people that went on the trip were amazing. I arrived there not knowing any of the other volunteers personally and we all left as good friends. I would go on this trip again tomorrow if I could.

The only bad part of the trip was when nine students got Salmonella from eating pink hamburgers in Antigua. Also a different student lost his passport. Both situations were handled really well by the staff. The rest of the trip was amazing. It made me appreciate what I have. In Guatemala toilet paper can't be flushed because of the bad plumbing system. I love the people there. They are so much more friendly and accepting than Americans. I had fun ziplining in Panajachel and going to the bars in Antigua. Edo was a great team leader, Luis was a great assistant team leader, the doctors were fantastic, and the interpreters became good friends. If you have a chance to go on this trip, do it, no matter the cost, because it's worth it, even if you don't know if you are for sure going to med school or dental school. JUST DO IT!

I came to VIDA with a few goals in mind, but those goals changed by the end of my trip. I used VIDA to possibly make my application stronger for medical school, but when the trip finished my heart stayed in Guatemala. The culture immersion was fun to see and the clinics we went to were very eye opening. It made me realize how comfortable and good we have it in the United States, compared to others living in developing countries. Everyone has their own insights and passion about serving others, but my heart never left Guatemala due to the things I've seen. I am already thinking about doing another trip with VIDA in the next coming up years (if time and money permits). Some areas of Guatemala may be more dangerous than others, but our team leader warned us before doing anything. This is actually a great benefit to the trip, because it shows how living in another area is so different from living in America. Some of the people I served in the clinic made me cry because it's sad to realize how hard they have to work for their food, not to mention their chances of seeing a medical professional for help.