Costa Rica Public Health & Medical Teen Travel Program

This trip brought me close with not only the other kids, but the communities in Costa Rica. I am still in contact with all of my trip-mates and with my host family. The people I met and experiences I had are things that I will never forget. I learned so much about how lucky I am to be who I am and have access to healthcare when so many people struggle to even see a doctor. They were always so grateful for our presence and the joy everyone felt the whole trip is unforgettable.

This trip was a beautiful and life changing experience. I was blown away by the opportunities I was able to have and people I met. My Spanish improved and I have a better understanding of the clinics in Costa Rica. The people I met on this trip were absolutely amazing and I made lifelong friends. One of the best parts was staying in the home stays with a family that spoke only Spanish. Getting to take a look into the daily life of people in a totally different living situation was eye opening for all of us. I would reccommend this trip to anyone who wants to learn more about public health and Costa Rican culture!

The program was amazing, it was very cohesive and easy to navigate. The staff was very fun to talk to and hangout with. They were great people and very protective of us, but they also gave us the freedom we need as teenagers. We got to go to clinics and shadow them and throw ourselves into the language and the culture. The people in the village that we met at the homestays were so nice to us and they honestly felt like a second family to me. My best advice to people joining is that I know no matter how much we say don't worry about the homestays, you're still going to worry. I know because I was the same way. However, the homestays were one of the greatest parts about the trip because the families are just so happy to have you and they do their very best to welcome you into their home. Keep your mind open to new cultures and try to learn as much as you can for as long as you're there. After my trip, I've been obsessed with studying abroad and I want to go anywhere and everywhere and I want to learn what the whole world has to offer.

I cannot begin to express how much fun I had in Costa Rica. As soon as we arrived, the group of students automatically clicked, and friendships only grew stronger as the trip progressed. Even though our trip was changed from Nicaragua to Costa Rica relatively last minute, we still were able to work in multiple clinics and get real insight into the healthcare system in Costa Rica. Our service in the clinics included working with pharmacists to fill prescriptions, sitting in on examination rooms, observing a physiologist, and checking people in. During the homestay portion of the trip, it was amazing to enter into a rural community, and interact with the people our service prescriptions would actually be affecting. After living with our homestay families for 5 nights, saying goodbye was extremely difficult. Even a month later, I still miss my homestay family, along with other residents of the community that we grew close to. Going into the trip, though I was not 100% fluent in Spanish, the trip leaders and other students made active communication with community members and the clinic staff easy. Over the trip, I made many lasting friendships and came home with a greatly improved ability to speak and understand Spanish.

Throughout my journey to Nicaragua with Global works, there was never a moment that we weren't being challenged and inspired. There were an endless amount of once-in-a-lifetime adventures that made this trip truly unforgettable. Our first destination was at a quiet hostel on Laguna de Apoyo in Managua. As the group and I were released from our morning activities and ventured into the warm, blue lake, we pretty much immediately became friends. Together we smiled and splashed in amazement of the natural beauty in Nicaragua. The worry-free atmosphere surrounded us and kept the group close for the duration of the trip. I quickly fell in love with Nicaragua. Passing through small local towns, ordering delicious Mangos at street stands, arriving at another resort on the beach that had the most astounding view of the endless horizon I had ever seen- every moment was filled with happiness. But the best part of Nicaragua was the people. Nicaragua is home to the most cheerful and amiable people I have ever met. When we first arrived at the clinics in Matagalpa, the local children loved to smile at everything. There were times when we would be doing our community service around the clinic and the children would ask to help just to be around us and laugh. Even the adults in the community tried to make small talk while we were in the doctor’s office waiting for the doctor to write a prescription. Everyone made us feel like family. Saying goodbye to Nicaragua was one of the saddest moments of the whole trip, but I came home from this Global Works trip with a new understanding and sensitivity to the issues facing Nicaragua and its neighbors today. I had a sense of confidence in my ability to adapt to new environments. And I felt more inspired to promote cultural appreciation and social change back in my U.S. community. This trip was truly such an amazing experience and I would definitely do something like it again in a heartbeat.

This is what Global Works categorizes on their website as a "Summer Service Adventure." And every part of this title is accurate. This 17 day Premed/Public Health trip occurs during summer in Nicaragua. Don't forget to pack sunscreen and bug spray. It involves meaningful community service. You might shadow local physicians in clinics, help renovate a water tank in a rural village, and build a playground for children at a school. It involves being adventurous. Shop at a market. Stay with a local family. Go zip-lining over the rainforest. Put all of these elements together and you have an experience to remember. I traveled six weeks ago, and since then I have felt a fresh cultural awareness, an increased confidence in my abilities, and a desire to emulate the strength and goodwill of the people I encountered. As far as regrets about the trip? My host mom's handmade tortillas were so good that I now criticize the ones I'm forced to buy in the U.S. A valuable experience for any adventurous high school student. (P.S. You do not need premed experience or Spanish skills to go on this trip. If it sounds great to you, and you're willing to learn, go ahead. Happy traveling!)