Very well organized and executed trip. I especially enjoyed the home stay portion. The clinics were well run. There was a good mix of clinic days and recreation days and the recreation events were fun.

I really enjoyed the efforts that VIDA makes to immerse us in the culture while we were traveling. The home stays and night activities were wonderful and very genuine, which was great!

The clinic days were excellent learning experiences and the local vets we worked with were very helpful and patient.

Overall, a solid international learning program. VIDA has some wonderful relationships with communities around the country and that is priceless.

As a volunteer in the Veterinary program, I found it very eye opening to see how animals are viewed/treated in Central America and how clinics are set up to offer medical services for them. It was also very eye opening for me to see how people in this culture live in rural communities. The food was always so fresh and the people were always warm and friendly. And the country itself was absolutely gorgeous. Although awkward if you don't know Spanish and the family you stay with doesn't know English, it was definitely worth staying in a homestay because it really gives you the full effect of the culture. As for highlights, it felt so good to help out needy communities and to send dogs home with brand new collars and leashes who had come in to the clinic with rusty chains around their necks. Knowing you are not only providing a service for the community, but educating them so that they may make better decisions for their animals makes you feel like you are making a real difference in the world. I experienced a couple of difficulties on this trip. Not knowing much Spanish did make it difficult to communicate with people there; however, there was always someone in my group to help me out. Another difficulty was the fact that they don't use gas anesthesia on patients. All of the anesthesia was intravenous so this made it quite stressful (for me, at least) when monitoring the animal during surgery. But in the end, I would definitely do this trip again!!

I have been to many different countries: Italy, England, Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica. I went on a VIDA trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua last summer and it was by far my favorite vacation of all time! We were doing things that really made a difference in the world. The people were so thankful and it was a very heartwarming experience. Zip-lining was so much fun and the resort we stayed at in Costa Rica was a blast! The views were the most breathtaking scenes I have ever experienced in a country. The only bad thing about my trip was that I got really sick, and I think it was due to parasites and/or bacteria. But, everyone else who was on my trip avoided this problem by taking anti-parasite, anti-malaria, and other recommended medications prior to the trip. If I had the money, I would go on a trip every break I had! Everyone should go on a trip like this! You'll be addicted once you start :)

It was a really amazing experience. We worked hard every day but were allowed a lot of hands on experience and I especially enjoyed the case discussions at the end of the day.

The mere fact that I'm doing an online review of this program speaks for itself that I believe in it and love it so much. I come from a background of no clinical experience, but from the first day of clinic, I was able to ask the doctors and vet techs how to do things, and they would walk me through the entire process, explaining patiently and clearly, so once I heard it once, it stuck. The sheer amount that they let you do is also unbelievable. As long as they think you're confident enough in your skills, they will let you do just about anything, but no worries, they're always watching, so there is no risk to the patient. The homestays were an amazing experience as well, and my Spanish improved so much! And the white water rafting as a recreation day? Let's just say that I found my new favorite hobby. This program is something I absolutely love, and I can't wait to volunteer for them next year.

This experience was AMAZING! I am so glad that I chose to take part in this experience. Not only do you get to experience a new culture, you also get one-on-one experience with people who live within these cultures which makes the experience even more rich! It was truly eye opening, and I will cherish the memories forever!

I did the Costa Rica/Nicaragua trip a few years back, and I still feel it was one of the greatest experiences I have had. The staff were all amazing and devoted, and the hands on you get while just a student is tremendous. I would recommend this trip to anyone.