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.

Fun trip, surprised by the quality of two of our hotels- much ritzier than expected. Eye opening and humbling to see and live with the communities. I feel like this trip gave me both the tourist's view as well as the local's view of the country. Couldn't have asked for a better experience! Great people and great staff!

From the hands-on day-to-day surgical procedures to the homestay in Turrialba, this trip was truly memorable. The extra activities (rafting, volcano trip, beach day) were also a great way to see Costa Rica. I'd love to go back and do this again someday.

The vets were very knowledgeable and were very good teachers. The amount of hands on experience was just what I needed before I started my last semester of vet school.
The communities were thrilled when we showed up to help them out. Very friendly.
The hotel accommodations were wonderful. In very beautiful locations. Also seeing a new country was great.

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.