Another Costa Rica Vet Experience Trip!

[TurtleLover]

So in addition to the previous mentioned costa rica experience, there is an organization called VIDA which is Volunteers for Intercultural and Definitive Adventures. They provide mission trips for Veterinary, Dental, and Medical/nursing.

There are two week trips and the occasional 4 week trip. They are offered practically every month and I am planning to go on the July 1-13 trip to Costa Rica/Nicaragua.

It seems really exciting! They train you to do suturing and eventually you will be doing spays and neuters as well. You will also gain experience with cats, dogs, farm animals, and exotics. It's basically like a mission trip to take care of the animals that can't afford treatments and vaccinations.

Check out more details at their website:

http://www.vidavolunteertravel.org/veterinary.php

Right now there are only 2 pre vets going on the july trip with me. It's be great if more people joined in! Don't worry about the deadlines they have listed, they will still accept people as long as it doesn't say the trip is full.

Hope to see some of you in Costa Rica!!!!

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[Tine]

man i wish i had the money for these kinds of things, i'd totally be there.

 

[Optimistic 13]

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[TurtleLover]

I have to share the crazy dream I had last night-
I dreamt that I signed up to go on this trip, and when I got to Costa Rica the organization had NO plans arranged for the veterinary services. We just ended up walking aimlessly through the country with nothing to do. And sumstorm, I dreamt that you were there but that you were like 60 years old! hahaha, guess I'm spending wayy too much time on this forum.

HAHA! wow that's pretty funny! Well knowing someone who has taken this trip already, I can pretty much guarantee you that you wont be wandering around aimlessly....and if they do have no plans...you better believe I will find some animals and make my own plans!

 

[DrA]

I'm going on the same trip in July but on the med team

 

[Trilt]

I really want to go on one of the VIDA trips, mainly because of the sloth sanctuary... my biology professor was bragging about going there and bottle-feeding a baby sloth. (She was formerly a zoo curator and has been there, done that with tons of mammals, but still. I <3 sloths.)

Gotta start saving my pennies.

 

[KittyRex]

sigh... another veterinary medical aid trip that I would love to participate in but totally can't afford.

The good news is, once you have your DVM, a lot of these programs will host you for free (or request you pay your airfare/food only) as long as you are willing to teach!

After graduation/getting settled, my goal is to do atleast one of these types of trips (RAVS, VIDA, etc) per year.

 

[Pomona2006]

I've been on a VIDA trip before...and I can tell you that you will get a LOT of hands on experience. Although remember that no two trips are alike and there is NO guarantee that you will be going to the sloth sanctuary or working with wildlife. You will definitely be working with dogs, some cats, and farm animals (pigs, cows, horses, etc).

If anyone has questions, feel free to ask...

 

[Perfbird]

Wow! I totally expected it to cost a ton more, I was actually surprised at the actual cost. Can I ask though--when the trip says "medical, dental, and veterinary teams" does that mean that you'll have to sit through through the other (dental, medical) procedures, or will you constantly be doing veterinary stuff?

I was just curious as I would not want to pay to do 1/3 Dental, 1/3 Medical and only 1/3 Veterinary.

 

[Optimistic 13]

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[Pomona2006]

Can I ask though--when the trip says "medical, dental, and veterinary teams" does that mean that you'll have to sit through through the other (dental, medical) procedures, or will you constantly be doing veterinary stuff?

I was just curious as I would not want to pay to do 1/3 Dental, 1/3 Medical and only 1/3 Veterinary.

Good question.

You are on a team - in your case you will be on the vet team and the vet team does ONLY vet stuff. Vet clinic sites aren't always at the same location as the med/dental clinic sites. You will NOT be doing medical or dental stuff unless you sign up to be on one of those teams.

Hope that helps clarify things...

 

[TurtleLover]

i can tell you one thing...we definitely wont be working with swine anytime soon! I'm so excited that I was able to get 2 weeks off from work to go on this trip. seems like things are starting to fall into place for me.

 

[Perfbird]

That's what I was hoping! I read on their site that they need a minimum of 4 people to have the Veterinary part of the trip, so I wonder if that means that you'll be in a smaller group? That would be awesome!

I'm currently trying to convince my parents that it would be a awesome investment. I would dearly love to go on one of these trips! I took 5 years of Spanish in high school and I am forgetting it fast so I'd love to be immersed in the language for 2 weeks.

Plus I would love to get some more hands on, and it sounds like you get to do a lot.

 

[TurtleLover]

That's what I was hoping! I read on their site that they need a minimum of 4 people to have the Veterinary part of the trip, so I wonder if that means that you'll be in a smaller group? That would be awesome!

I'm currently trying to convince my parents that it would be a awesome investment. I would dearly love to go on one of these trips! I took 5 years of Spanish in high school and I am forgetting it fast so I'd love to be immersed in the language for 2 weeks.

Plus I would love to get some more hands on, and it sounds like you get to do a lot.

Yes, do it! You should definitely come! The last email I got we only had 2 pre vets signed up for it. But I think the minimum of 4 you saw was for the vet only trip, possibly? I hope that's not the case because I really want to go on this! So you know what that means? You and everyone else here, need to sign up for the July trip and come join me! It will be an SDN get together in another country all together!

 

[runnervet]

Why do you think it cost less to go during the winter?


Oh it's for less than 2 weeks.

 

[Pomona2006]

btw...just wanted to mention...

If you are going on one of these trips (or anything like it) be sure to bring a journal or some sort of pen/paper - and EVERY DAY after clinic - write down everything you can remember! I found that writing down everything we saw/did to examples of when we had to use teamwork, problem solving, leadership etc was VERY useful for interviews - especially behavioral interviews! I was able to go over my scribbled notes from the trip and it helped me really remember things that I would have otherwise forgotten. It's also useful when writing up your "duties/responsibilities" on VMCAS.

 

[Perfbird]

Yes, do it! You should definitely come! The last email I got we only had 2 pre vets signed up for it. But I think the minimum of 4 you saw was for the vet only trip, possibly? I hope that's not the case because I really want to go on this! So you know what that means? You and everyone else here, need to sign up for the July trip and come join me! It will be an SDN get together in another country all together!

I wouldn't be able to come in July, unfortunately! Dang summer school is right in the middle of everything. I would be going on the August 1-13 one, hopefully. I still need to call them and ask how many people they have signed up for that session, because I read something about how if there aren't enough Vet people they will go with the Med people. That would not be worth 2800 of my money, lol!

 

[TurtleLover]

btw...just wanted to mention...

If you are going on one of these trips (or anything like it) be sure to bring a journal or some sort of pen/paper - and EVERY DAY after clinic - write down everything you can remember! I found that writing down everything we saw/did to examples of when we had to use teamwork, problem solving, leadership etc was VERY useful for interviews - especially behavioral interviews! I was able to go over my scribbled notes from the trip and it helped me really remember things that I would have otherwise forgotten. It's also useful when writing up your "duties/responsibilities" on VMCAS.

Very good idea!!! I hate writing in the duties/responsibilities sections. I feel like I never can explain it as well. It sucks they give you such a short amount of words to explain it too.

 

[Pomona2006]

I also figured I would include a link in this website to VIDA's youtube page so you can see videos of some of the experiences had by volunteers on the trips. Be aware that some of the videos are geared at the medical and dental groups...but there are some vet ones in there, and I am sure they will be adding more as time goes on since they JUST started the youtube page.

http://www.youtube.com/vidavolunteertravel

Enjoy!