Health Sciences in Costa Rica is a short-term (2-week) study abroad field experience program designed to expose pre-health students to the delivery of healthcare for vulnerable populations in another country.
Students will travel through Costa Rica experiencing: rural healthcare, private and public hospitals, clinics, university/professional school settings, vulnerable community home visits in preparation for pop-up community clinics, cultural diversity, and the Spanish language in Latin America. Program participants will learn about suturing, injections, pharmacology, and medicinal plants in seminars as well as cooking and salsa dance classes. Students will also spend time beach-combing in a service project for the fishing community. Latin culture will be explored while touring a farmer’s market and coffee plantation. Students will be engaged in nature with recreational zip-lines, hot springs, and snorkeling experience. In all its facets, this program emphasizes experience-based learning in another country’s healthcare system and exposes students seeking to be in healthcare additional views of international healthcare systems.
Program Dates:
July 10-23, 2023
Requirements:
- Minimum GPA: Students must meet the minimum GPA requirement for their declared HSS concentration:
- Pre-Medical/Dental - 3.2
- Pre-Physicians Assistant - 3.2
- Pre-Physical Therapy - 3.2
- Health Professions - 2.75-3.0 (depending on catalog year)
- Minimum Classification: Students must have 60 hours of credit completed
- Valid passport at the time of application deadline
Majors and Minors:
Spots are prioritized to Health Science Studies majors, but all majors will be considered if room allows.
For more information, contact Faculty Director Dr. Tricia Blalock.