Summer in Costa Rica - Hospital Shadowing & Medical Spanish (in English) - ISEP Direct
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
• Engage directly with Costa Rica’s public health system through clinical observation at Hospital Clinica Biblica or community-based service projects, depending on your Spanish proficiency.
• Earn 6 U.S. credits by taking a Healthcare in Latin America course taught in English, along with a Spanish Language for Health Sciences course based on your language level.
• Spend four weeks learning alongside medical professionals while building your Spanish skills through immersive and meaningful community engagement opportunities.
LIFE ABROAD
Spend your summer in San José, Costa Rica’s capital, where mountain views frame the city and public parks, cafés, and cultural venues shape the pace of everyday life. Participate in hospital rotations and wellness initiatives in the local community, gaining insight into Costa Rica’s healthcare system while improving your Spanish and understanding of public health in a global context.
Experience & Cultural Engagement
If you have intermediate to advanced Spanish proficiency, you’ll observe medical professionals during hospital rotations, and if you’re a beginner, you’ll contribute to community wellness initiatives through service-based placements in local neighborhoods. Coursework connects academic study to Costa Rica’s approach to public health, allowing you to see how policy, prevention, and patient care intersect in real time. Participate in included cultural activities such as Latin dance classes, visits to Indigenous communities, coffee plantation tours, and cooking workshops that deepen your understanding of the country beyond the classroom. A guided city tour introduces you to San José, and program-included excursions to the beach and the mountains offer space to reflect, explore, and experience Costa Rica’s landscapes firsthand.
Live & Dine
Experience the warmth of Costa Rican hospitality by living with a carefully selected host family in San José to encourage cultural exchange and language immersion. Host families provide students with a private room — furnished with all the basic elements for resting, studying, and living comfortably — and 14 meals per week, including daily breakfast and dinner. For lunch, prepare food at home or purchase an affordable meal on campus for about $6 to $10.
Explore Costa Rica
Use San José as your base to explore Costa Rica’s biodiversity, from the misty trails of Monteverde Cloud Forest to the dramatic slopes of Arenal and Poás volcanoes. Travel primarily by bus to explore Costa Rica’s beaches, rainforests, and mountain towns, making weekend adventures both accessible and rewarding as you experience the country’s natural beauty.
What We Love About This Program
We love that this program combines rigorous health science coursework with meaningful service in one of the world’s most ecologically diverse countries. This program blends academic focus, cultural immersion, and hands-on engagement in a way that feels purposeful and deeply rewarding.
See ISEP Direct budget and estimated expenses
Course Description
Students will enroll in two courses during the program:
Health Care in Latin America
This course is intended to create a unique interdisciplinary professional experience for students interested in Latin American and Caribbean health issues. Within the field of public and private health, its particular focus is on public health assessment strategies. Through this course, students will be exposed to current challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean to reach an understanding of the way global public health issues unfold in the region. The course will provide students with concepts and updated material that will prepare them to look into issues related to people, places, and politics to assess the delivery and quality of health care in Latin America.
Syllabus - Health Care in Latin America
Spanish for Health Sciences
This is a Spanish course for specific purposes, designed for health personnel. The objective is to provide the student with the necessary tools to acquire the linguistic competence that allows him to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients and their respective families. This course is offered at the beginner, intermediate and advanced level.
Syllabus - Spanish for Health Sciences (Beginner Level)
Academics
Other Academic Conditions
A basic level of Spanish is recommended but not required. A B2 is required to participate in clinical rotations. Students with a beginner or intermediate level of Spanish assist in health-related community work
Students will complete a written and oral exam to verify Spanish proficiency and placement in clinical rotations.
Native Spanish speakers must indicate their Spanish language proficiency in order to participate in the clinical shadowing component of this program. Clinical shadowing is arranged in advance of the program and students must respond to ICDS in a timely fashion in order to participate.
Passport: All students must have a valid passport to participate in this program. If you do not have a valid passport, we suggest you start the application process as soon as possible.
Semester & Prices (based on your filters)
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