Costa Rica Summer Med Program Overview
Expand your knowledge and experience in the field of medical science in the beautiful Latin American countryside. Work alongside trained medical professionals in a community where your assistance is truly appreciated. Earn up to 30 hours of community service while building your skills in real clinical settings.
For this summer med program, Travel For Teens partners with a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of families in the developing world through innovative and self-sustainable health improvement programs. We will help provide access to medical care for underprivileged and medically underserved families in Costa Rica. This program for high school students will involve a multidimensional strategy to best serve the community including clinical services, extensive community outreach efforts and health education programs.
Participants will get hands-on experience in the healthcare field, work in global health initiatives and get to be a part of sustainable development. We will work side-by-side with medical professionals who are on the front lines of providing health care to communities in need.*
Some of the hands-on projects available on-site may include collecting vitals, helping with pharmaceutical organization, working with a program for adults with disabilities, and organizing health education meetings. To complement our hard work we will also experience the adventurous and culturally relevant aspects of Costa Rica that make it one of the most coveted destinations in Central America to visit.
Zipline through lush rainforests, visit an animal rehabilitation center specializing in herpetology, hike to waterfalls and even learn to surf in the locally acclaimed surfing village of Jaco.
*Please note that working directly in the healthcare field is dependent on the current patients in the community and service may be focused on helping other areas of need as the non-profit sees fit.
During this program, you will:
- Donate your time and energy to meaningful medical based community service projects
- Shadow medical professionals and participate in a variety of health initiatives
- Work directly with a support group for adult’s with disabilities
- Volunteer with local children at a soup kitchen and recreational center for families in need
- Swim, surf, and sunbathe while staying at a tropical paradise along the coast
- Visit Tortuga Island with white sand beaches and crystal clear water
- Zoom through the lush jungle canopy on an adrenaline-pumping ziplining tour
- See the abundant animal life that Costa Rica is famous for, including sloths, capuchin and howler monkeys, iguanas, parrots, toucans and more
- Take a surfing lesson at a local beach
Trip Itinerary
DAY 1: DEPART FROM MIAMI (MIA)
DAYS 1-3: JACO BEACH
To begin our journey, we head to the local surf town of Jaco Beach. Here you’ll have the chance to try surfing in a hidden gem of a beach destination in Costa Rica. You’ll have the crystal clear waters of the Pacific Ocean almost to yourself. We’ll even take a boat cruise out to Tortuga Islands hang out on the white sand beaches and snorkel the surrounding reefs looking for local marine life.
DAYS 4-11: SANTA ANA
After a few days of fun at the beach, we’ll head to our home base in the beautiful Latin American country of Costa Rica, a short distance from the capital city of San Jose in beautiful Santa Ana. We will have access to incredible waterfalls, lush rainforests, and a community where we can enhance our skills in the field of medicine.
Our partner organization addresses the community’s most
pressing issues by offering primary care services and patient education. The clinic also maintains a psychologist to address mental health issues that often accompany poverty and immigration. We will help provide families with the tools necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Projects include working alongside trained healthcare professionals in mobile clinics, assisting with taking vitals of local patients, shadowing psychology appointments, and creating wellness programs for those in need.
Other opportunities include working with a support group for adults with disabilities and assisting with a women’s support group. This organization also partners with a soup kitchen and recreational center dedicated to providing a safe space for children and families in the local community. Our group will have the opportunity to lend a hand and participate in all facets of healthcare including both mental and physical.
We will also visit the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center where we can see some of Costa Rica’s most exotic animals on their way back to good health.
DAY 11: RETURN FLIGHT TO THE STATES
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is unique about the Costa Rica: Healthcare Education & Medical Outreach trip?
Costa Rica: Healthcare Education & Medical Outreach participants have hands-on opportunities to learn about medicine and healthcare in developing communities. In addition, our participants have the opportunity to explore Costa Rica’s hidden treasures. Participants who are interested in learning more about the medical field will find this program fulfilling and meaningful!
Costa Rica: Healthcare Education & Medical Outreach participants have hands-on opportunities to learn about medicine and healthcare in developing communities. In addition, our participants have the opportunity to explore Costa Rica’s hidden treasures. Participants who are interested in learning more about the medical field will find this program fulfilling and meaningful!
Where do we stay?
Students stay in centrally located, safe, and well-supervised accommodations in each city.
They are well suited to facilitating group supervision and usually within walking distance of the main attractions. We do not use large, impersonal chain hotels on the outskirts of cities; we prefer to select smaller, family-run hotels where we establish personal relationships with the owners.
For safety reasons, we do not publish the names of the accommodations we use. We do not feel it is safe to publish the name of a hotel where a group of teenagers is staying abroad. After registering, participants and parents are given access to our secure parent website where you will be able to see the names of all of the accommodations for a program.
Students stay in centrally located, safe, and well-supervised accommodations in each city.
They are well suited to facilitating group supervision and usually within walking distance of the main attractions. We do not use large, impersonal chain hotels on the outskirts of cities; we prefer to select smaller, family-run hotels where we establish personal relationships with the owners.
For safety reasons, we do not publish the names of the accommodations we use. We do not feel it is safe to publish the name of a hotel where a group of teenagers is staying abroad. After registering, participants and parents are given access to our secure parent website where you will be able to see the names of all of the accommodations for a program.
What is included on the Costa Rica: Healthcare Education & Medical Outreach trip?
Tuition cost includes: ground transportation; accommodation; chaperones and guides; program-related activities and admissions; taxes and tips; all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Not included in cost (this is not intended to be an exhaustive list): airfare; visas and visa application fees; personal and medical expenses; activities and admissions that are not program-related or referenced in the itinerary; beverages other than filtered water at meals; participant expenses that are outside of the program description, such as excess baggage fees and damage to hotels; expenses related to unforeseen circumstances, such as transportation strikes and natural disasters.
Tuition cost includes: ground transportation; accommodation; chaperones and guides; program-related activities and admissions; taxes and tips; all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Not included in cost (this is not intended to be an exhaustive list): airfare; visas and visa application fees; personal and medical expenses; activities and admissions that are not program-related or referenced in the itinerary; beverages other than filtered water at meals; participant expenses that are outside of the program description, such as excess baggage fees and damage to hotels; expenses related to unforeseen circumstances, such as transportation strikes and natural disasters.
What is the food like on this program?
The food on this program is authentic, delicious, and a central part of the cultural travel experience.
We prioritize eating at local, authentic establishments rather than Americanized chains, encouraging students to sample the local specialties wherever we go. We fully accommodate all dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten allergies, and other restrictions.
The food in Costa Rica is delicious! Expect to eat seasoned rice, beans, chicken, steak, tropical fruit and veggies, plantains, and many other foods flavored with unique Caribbean spices! Vegetarians will have no issues eating well on the trip. Also, unlike in Europe where a light breakfast of coffee and toast is the norm, ticos (Costa Ricans) eat big, savory breakfasts—and so will we!
The food on this program is authentic, delicious, and a central part of the cultural travel experience.
We prioritize eating at local, authentic establishments rather than Americanized chains, encouraging students to sample the local specialties wherever we go. We fully accommodate all dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten allergies, and other restrictions.
The food in Costa Rica is delicious! Expect to eat seasoned rice, beans, chicken, steak, tropical fruit and veggies, plantains, and many other foods flavored with unique Caribbean spices! Vegetarians will have no issues eating well on the trip. Also, unlike in Europe where a light breakfast of coffee and toast is the norm, ticos (Costa Ricans) eat big, savory breakfasts—and so will we!