Costa Rica Veterinary Experience
Spend your next spring break exploring a renowned wildlife rehabilitation center and going behind-the-scenes at one of the most famous dog sanctuaries in the world.
During your week in the picturesque mountains of Costa Rica, you’ll learn about typical stray animal care procedures, practice your clinical skills, and enjoy walks with the dogs.
Prepare for the future
- Participating in clinical lab rotations to practice skills like using the microscope to conduct ear & skin cytologies
- Creating post-surgery care plans for dogs recovering from procedures, including spay and neuter surgeries
- Honing your clinical skills, including taking stray animal histories and safe handling and restraint techniques
By attending Costa Rica Veterinary Experience, you can earn up to 30 veterinary hours, a required part of every vet school application.
2024 Program Dates & Tuition
Full for 2024
What’s Included
Local meals
Accommodations
10:1 Teaching Vet-to-Student Ratio
Up to 30 veterinary hours
Round trip airfare*
*Roundtrip airfare from the designated international airport hub is included. Any travel costs from your location to that hub are not included.
Program Highlights
Emergency Vet Med
Shadow a teaching veterinarian for the duration of the program as you learn about emergency care procedures like suturing wounds, proper animal handling technique, and specialized diet preparation.
Animal Rehabilitation
Learn what it takes to practice long-term care for animals that have been the victim of wildlife trafficking or who otherwise need care, including for special species like toucans, spider monkeys, porcupines, and kinkajous.
Cultural Immersion
After a full day of learning, you can look forward to a fun, culturally enriching group activity, from taking a dance lesson with a local instructor to a Spanish trivia game to an art project inspired by the motifs of Costa Rica.
Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs
Arenal is an active volcano that provides fertile soil for the highly biodiverse habitat surrounding it. Here you’ll practice your animal identification skills and have a chance to swim in the natural hot springs.
Your Adventure, Day by Day
Day 1
Arrival in Houston
Day 2
Journey to Costa Rica
Day 3
Welcome to the Land of Strays
Day 4
Land of Strays Sanctuary
Day 5
Welcome to Rescue Center Costa Rica (RCCR)
Day 6
Learning Rotations at RCCR
Day 7
Excursion to Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs
Day 8
Departure Day
Image Gallery
What some of our students and their parents are saying…
Dr. Marisa was such a good teacher and vet. She worked with all of us as individuals and I truly felt she cared.”
My experience in Costa Rica was eye-opening, insightful, and enriching. I now feel more confident in my future academic ventures.”
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For the safety of students, staff, and animals, not all animals may be touched or handled by participants. The teaching veterinarian and other professional staff members will advise students of the proper time, place, and method to handle animals when it is safe to do so.