How to get Veterinary Experience - the Costa Rica Trip!

[InfiniVet]

International Student Veterinary Association presents:

The Costa Rica Trip!

So, this trip is an amazing experience. It is a two week trip that includes a week full of Spanish classes and volunteer projects around Projecto Asis. This is an animal refuge, so volunteering could mean building cages for recently found animals to anything else they need you to do. This means working very closely with the animals.

The first week includes:
Spanish classes and volunteering with Wild Animal Rescue Center focusing on animal husbandry.

The weekend includes:
A cat & dog spay/neuter day where you can assist & perform (performing probably better left to 2nd or 3rd years vet students) with spay/neuters surgeries.
Then you get a free weekend in the touristy town of La Fortuna - that is a blast!

Then after that the second week is your chance to visit various veterinary fields in Costa Rica.
This includes:
A dairy farm (where you get to palpate and vaccinate)
A beef farm (where you - yes YOU - get to castrate and vaccinate if you so wish to participate)
A horse trainer (you get to see the various breeds indiginous and popular to CR in action).
An exotics veterinary clinic -- where better than Costa Rica?

All of these are GREAT experiences, so I highly recommend it. Besides all of these learning experiences you also get to go on a sight-seeing weekend where you can repel down waterfalls, zip-line through the rainforest, and horseback ride. Tons of stuff to do!

*All veterinary procedures will be under instruction & supervision of English speaking DVMs and veterinary technicians.*

You purchase your own flight (and let me know the flight info) and you will be picked up from the airport no charge and taken to the ranch.
You stay with a very friendly Costa Rican Family who feed you, on the same ranch property as all the other students on the trip. You are picked up every morning and ride with the group. All food/drinks included - and you get to make requests i.e. "Please keep Big Red and Coors Light stocked for me"

Who can go: Anyone that is an animal lover - NO VETERINARY EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!!

Will this look good on my application? Yes!

Contact: Aimee Prause [email protected]

Cost: $1410 (Check made out to International Veterinary Student Association) plus your own airfare.

Dates: July 12 to July 25 2009

Deadline for $200 deposit: May 20th
The remaining balance of $1210 is due June 30th.

Please contact [email protected] for the mailing address to send the deposit to.

Website: http://www.institutoasis.com/index.htm
Please note this is a customized trip for IVSA so it will not specifically be listed on the site.

You book to San Jose and then they will pick you up there to take you to Proyecto Asis. You need to get to San Jose, Costa Rica either on Saturday night (11th) and spend the night in San Jose OR before 12pm noon on Sunday (12th).

You really won't need a lot of cash. There are only a few opportunities to spend it – ie At La Fortuna there are some gift shops, and if you want to participate in some of the local tours: http://www.institutoasis.com/costa-rica-adventure-tours.html those are extra.


Let me know
1. Your flight information.
2. If you have any special requests/needs i.e. vegetarian/vegan/allergies/I go through a six pack of diet coke in one sitting.
3. Contact information for you & emergency contact (your family).

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[cubs11]

what are the spanish classes like? beginner/intermed/conversational?

this sounds like an incredible experience!

 

[InfiniVet]

Beginner/Conversational classes.

Just to let you know, all of the classes & activities are entirely voluntary participation, and they also supply you with your own reading material & booklets (covered in the trip cost).

Also just to make it clear, both veterinary students and pre veterinary students are welcome, so this will be a chance to hang out with some vet students from all over. We already have a few vet students from Iowa & A&M signed up, and I will be there too!

 

[starlene45]

so...you don't need to already be a vet student, or already be an IVSA member???

that is uh-mazing. i might have to try looking under the mattress or something to see if i can scrounge up the $$.

anyone else think they might go?

 

[InfiniVet]

That's correct!

 

[sumstorm]

I would love to, but I would just be coming back from Bon Aire, and dont think hubby would appreciate the extra cost right after that trip (which is the last one we figure we will get to take together for a while.)

 

[DVMorBust]

Is there an option for more advanced language classes? Or does everyone take the same ones?

 

[robeezy08]

so...you don't need to already be a vet student, or already be an IVSA member???

that is uh-mazing. i might have to try looking under the mattress or something to see if i can scrounge up the $$.

anyone else think they might go?

I would looove to go but will be too busy w/ my move back west. Is this the only international trip offered this year through ISVA?

 

[wyattsmommy]

WOW!! I really would love to go, but don't know if I would be able to this summer. Is this trip offered every summer?! Will it be offered next summer, in particular?

 

[thereservoirdog]

Or you can save $1400 and do the same exact thing with RAVS.

Sorry, but I don't think people should have to pay huge amounts of money to volunteer. Maybe I'm too cynical(or realistic, idk) with things like this, but there are a million organizations exactly like these, and they all look like businesses. I mean, if you add on for airfare, that's going to be around $2000, is that really worth it for 40 hours of experience?

 

[JustCats]

There's also the Esther Honey Foundation. Has anyone volunteered with them before?

Or you can save $1400 and do the same exact thing with RAVS.

 

[laurafinn]

There's also the Esther Honey Foundation. Has anyone volunteered with them before?

I haven't, but a fair number of Massey students do and find it rewarding.

 

[DVMorBust]

Or you can save $1400 and do the same exact thing with RAVS.

Sorry, but I don't think people should have to pay huge amounts of money to volunteer. Maybe I'm too cynical(or realistic, idk) with things like this, but there are a million organizations exactly like these, and they all look like businesses. I mean, if you add on for airfare, that's going to be around $2000, is that really worth it for 40 hours of experience?

Eh, I don't think it's just about the 40 hours of experience. I love to travel, but hate taking vacation...

 

[JustCats]

Thanks. I've been curious about volunteering with them for a couple of years.

I haven't, but a fair number of Massey students do and find it rewarding.

 

[InfiniVet]

Wow I'm really excited about the interest this trip has generated!

To answer a few questions...

1. DVMorBUST
You can make it as 'advanced' as you want it to be. They are all bilingual at the center. You can speak fluent spanish to everyone there if you wish!
2. robeezy08
This isn't the only trip offered by IVSA, but it is the only IVSA trip organized by me, haha! I believe you can go to the IVSA website and see what else they have going on this year.
3. wyattsmommy
Whether or not the trip occurs is dependent on how many folks at TAMU are interested. It may be offered again next year, but that will depend on whether the club officers will continue it when I am a 4th year and will no longer have a say in anything anymore lol.
Most 1st & 2nd years at TAMU had already gone on the trip we had last winter, but there are a few of us who REALLY wanted to go again this summer, so I could only scrounge up a few - hence why I posted it on SDN. Will my successor post it on SDN next year? Probably not because so far I'm the only A&M Veterinary Student I know of on SDN unfortunately.

So jump on it while it's offered is my advice.
4. thereservoirdog
Whoa, whoa, whoa...hold on a second. Don't get me wrong - I admire the snot out of RAVS but you cannot compare the two.
1st off, you have to APPLY for RAVS, and a year in advance at that. Whether or not you get it is partially dependent on how much EXPERIENCE you have already, and even then you are low man on the totem pole. RAVS is for the rugged...specifically it advises on the website "Don't sign up if you're not willing to go a few days without a shower or modern restroom facilities. You may sleep on a gymnasium floor, bring & carry all of your own personal items including a sleeping bag. If you want to sight see you must make your own arrangements, rent your own car and you're on your own."

Well that ain't for me. Call me a princess but I draw the line at calling 'running water' an unneccesary luxury.

The Costa Rica trip is family run, you stay on site with a family, right next door to another family housing another student. In a house. Comfortable living accomodations. You are in a group of about 10 students supervised by 1 to 2 veterinarians. That's 1 on 1 hands on education right there. When you go to the beef farm, they throw you a BBQ that evening and everyone hangs out sipping cervezas for cryin out loud.
You don't have to worry about a thing as far as scheduling goes - its all taken care of. And 40 hours of volunteer work? No.
40 hours veterinary supervised veterinary experience. Of which
8 is beef
8 is dairy
8 is equine
8 is exotics
8 is companion animal surgery

Plus

40 hours volunteer work at a wildlife refuge center in Costa Rica.

The $1400 Trip cost includes
- First/last nights' hotel accomodations (if needed to accomodate your travel plans).
- Round-trip transfer to Proyecto Asis.
- 1 week of Spanish classes (20 hours) and text material.
- 1 week (5 days) of field trips to different work-study locations.
- Homestay (including private bedroom, shared bath, all meals, laundry).
- Weekend trip to La Fortuna town.

Yes it is really worth it. Think how that is going to look on your application! Think of the hands on experience, wrapped up in a comfortable vacation. There is NO application process, and its great for those who have trouble getting their foot in the door with clinics due to lack of experience. Plus you hang out with vet students from (so far) Colorado, Iowa, & TAMU and get the inside scoop on these schools.

 

[IHeartGoldens]

I'm dying to go on this trip. Maybe if I get into UofE and don't need summer classes, I shall go! I wonder if I can get this or some of it to count towards EMS. hmmm...

 

[all605]

Wow, this trip sounds amazing. I'd like to go, but I'm just freaked out by the idea of traveling alone. I've never traveled alone before, let alone to a completely different country. Plus I don't know if I'd be able to come up with the money.

Ugh, it seems like such a great opportunity though!

 

[InfiniVet]

Also there is a probability of going on a orange plantation tour, coffee plantation tour, and an open air livestock auction during the 1st week...no extra charge of course.

 

[InfiniVet]

Update: There's only a few spots left.

What's been really interesting to me is that it's been largely veterinary students that are jumping all over this rather than the pre-vets. That's sort of surprising to me.

 

[CatVet2Be]

Trips like these are worth every penny. The experiences you get are things you just can't replicate here in the states because of the cultural influences. It's a wonderful and safe way to visit another country because you're with a group of like minded people that look out for one another. And everyone on the trip loves animals which in my book = nice people right off the bat.

I went on a similar trip to the Galapagos Islands through a group called Animal Balance. This group hosts spay/neuter campaigns in different countries throughout the year and are always in need of volunteers, especially experienced ones but will take anyone.

The money is always an aspect to consider but don't let the anxiety of traveling alone stop you. I traveled alone on my trip not having met any of the people previously and had only spoken to them through e-mail and 1 phone call. It felt like an adventure and I met some really, really great people that 2 years later I still correspond with. If you ever have an opportunity to take one of these tips absolutely do it!!!! Aside from great vet experience you'll get wonderful people and cultural exposure that's hard to find in other places. I've heard people say that many of these trips are life changing for them. One volunteer assisted after Katrina and said it was the most life changing experience of her entire life.

 

[InfiniVet]

The Costa Rica Summer 2009 Trip is now full!


The upside to this is that since there was such a surge in interest, now there is both a winter trip in December 2009 and a summer trip for 2010, which if you wish I can put your name and email address on the very top of our contact list. Let me know!


I am very pleased to say that we have veterinary students from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, and Texas Veterinary Schools on this trip. In addition we are very privileged to have several pre-veterinary students joining us - and as our future colleagues we know to get them the inside vet school 411 and help them along their way to becoming a veterinarian.

Pictures from 2008 trip
http://www.institutoasis.com/Vets/Vetgroup08.html

 

[InfiniVet]

Bump!

If you want on the waitlist for winter 2009 and summer 2010 please contact [email protected], there are still spots left!

 

[yousif]

Sounds awesome!

 

[flyhi]

Bump!

If you want on the waitlist for winter 2009 and summer 2010 please contact [email protected], there are still spots left!

Do you know the dates for each?

 

[CurrySpice]

I'd like to know the dates for the December 2009 trip! It sounds like a wonderful experience, but my school gets out relatively late for winter break...

 

[InfiniVet]

The dates for the Winter 2009 trip are: December 12th - December 23rd

The Summer 2010 dates have not been determined yet.

Please let me know if you would like to put your name down to reserve a spot.

 

[nawrlin57]

I'm really interested in getting onto the list for the winter 2009 trip. Is this the same cost and to the same place? Thanks.

 

[InfiniVet]

It is indeed. Same place, same price.