Course Overview.

This program is designed for students with different levels of Spanish fluency.

After 2 weeks of Spanish classes, students at the beginner level will be able to communicate with patients in basic Spanish.
During class time the students will practice, with their professor, how to interact and converse with patients.
The Spanish teachers will explain to the students the grammar with an emphasis on conversational skills. In addition, this program will include a vocabulary concentrating on medical terminology.
Between the conversational topics there will be discussions that will help the student to understand the Public Health System of Costa Rica, positive and negative aspects will be discussed. We will review; the administration of medications, the developing technological equipment, limitations of the public health system, disease control, the system for vaccinations, and other subjects of interest such as medicinal plants of our rain forest and how people use it in Costa Rica.
The students will visit the hospital Escalante Pradilla, public and private local clinics and a farm of medicinal plants in San Isidro de El General. The objective of the visits to the clinics is to observe the difference between Public and Private Health Care service.
The students in this program who actively carry a license in their home country will also have the ability to help care for patients during visits to the nursing homes, hospice clinics, the Red Cross and the public clinics. Also, they can volunteer for one week or more in some of these public clinics.
Each student should bring with them a stethoscope, a lab jacket and a pair of any color scrubs.

During the first week,  the students will have the standard 3-hour program in the morning and two hours of medical terminology and medical activities in the afternoon for a total of 25 hours of Spanish classes per week. After the first week, the students will have 3 hour Language Program in the morning and, in the afternoon we will coordinate activities such as visiting, interviews, assisting in the hospital, clinics, nursing home, Red Cross. Thes activities will take a minimum of 2 hours in the afternoon, every day.

Spanish Classes are from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm, with a 15-minute break at 10:00 a.m. In the afternoon classes will be from 1.30 p.m to 3.30 p.m .  If a student or group of students needs to complete more hours with this program, we can make arrangements with that student or group individually.

Cost of the Program.

   1 Week 2       Weeks           3 Weeks            4 Weeks                 Additional Week

     N/A              US$843           US$1,250           US$1,500                 US$375

Prices include: Welcoming Lunch, city tour of San Isidro de El General, tuition, activities, class materials and book. Also, home stay (private room, breakfast, dinner and laundry). Additional private tutoring hour: US$18

Program Cost without home stay.

     1 Week              2 Weeks          3 Weeks        4 Weeks             Additional Week

       N/A                   US$583          US$860          US$980                 US$245

This programs include: Welcoming Lunch, city tour of San Isidro de El General, tuition, activities, class materials and book.
Tours are not included.
The weekends are free so, the students can enjoy some of the tours we offer.

Directors and coordinators of the medical Program:

Cindy Brand. North American nurse. Commonwealth of Virginia. Department of Health Professional Board of Nursing. License number: 0001133919.
Annmarie Chavarría. North American nurse. Supervisor of Nursing at Abington Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania.
José Amed Guevara Cárdenas. Costa Rican doctor. Director of the Public Health Program in San Isidro de El General Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica.
Sigifredo León Valverde. Costa Rican nurse. Supervisor of the Public Health Program in San Isidro de El General Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica.
Nidia Gamboa. Director of Spanish Language, SEPA School.