Costa Rica: Intro to Pre-Med and Public Health (Session 1) 2024

June 24, 2024

Hey family and beloved friends!

We have had a wonderful first day here in Costa Rica. We started off the morning with a traditional breakfast of rice and beans along with other classic breakfast options. Then, we went into town and got to see the beautiful sights of the province of Alajuela and completed a scavenger hunt. The outcome was hotly debated!

Next we headed to a restaurant and had lunch and watched some fútbol. Then we went to get some groceries and headed back to the villa to learn about the Costa Rican healthcare system. We learned a lot about how to handle certain injuries and which situations are covered under the healthcare system. We wrapped it up with a Costa Rican dinner and played cards together. So far so good!!

By Vaniah and Annika

June 25, 2024

Hi Friends and family!

Today was a very exciting and eventful day! We woke up early in the morning and took a two hour bus ride to San Carlos where we white water rafted. We started by learning instructions to work as a team and to practice communication. We’ve dealt with various scary obstacles, but the experience was once in a life time.

The river seemed viscous at first but it calmed down eventually, allowing us to swim and float. Many of our partners fell into the river and it taught us to react quick to the situation and help them. We took a short break, as we ate watermelon and pineapple.

Once the river got calmer we did some sightseeing of animals that spend their time near the rivers, like sloths and toucans. It can be scary at first when experiencing new things but it will always be worth it. It was a very thrilling experience and definitely has made us all closer as a team.

Afterward, we got food in a monkey filled forest while driving off. We got to share our experiences amongst our new friends seeing which one of us fell off the raft.

To end off the day we went to our new sleeping quarters. We got to end the day watching a Costa Rican traditional dance performance.

The day was such a nice display of the culture Costa Rica including the diverse animals, dances, and food. This was honestly one of our favorite days with the most beautiful sights to see of Costa Rican culture.

By Salma, Elizabeth, and Talia

June 26, 2024

Hola amigos! Today was a very tiring day, filled with new activities including cow milking, processing/making/eating cheese, learning the basics of first aid and becoming students of multiple styles of Latin dance.

The day started early with breakfast at 7:00 AM consisting of cereal, yogurt and milk. We were surprised when the milk touched our lips and were shocked by its warmth.

Interestingly, we learned that all the milk products that we devoured delightfully are all mass produced right here in San Carlos. We had the privilege of meeting the sweet cows and even milking one. Everyone had the chance to milk the cow but not everyone participated. Señor Crisley demonstrated a certain technique that maximizes the amount of milk produced. Kirtan even had a once in a lifetime experience of getting milk squirted directly into his mouth (and on his shirt). Following that we headed to the processing plant to witness them make their famous creamy Strawberry Yogurt. We learned that probiotics are key ingredients in yogurt. The dirty capitalists try to scam Señor Crisley out of his hard-earned colones with outrageous prices for probiotics, but his unprecedented genius allowed him to circumvent the system and escape the matrix. He simply adds store bought probiotic yogurt to his own. We were amazed to see how simple and fast the production was.

As the yogurt was sitting, Señor Crisley took us on a tour of his beautiful farm, showing his many fruits and vegetables. These included star fruits, cacao pods, papayas, guanabana, and leeches. Yusouf thought that most of the fruit was overrated, especially the cacao bean, because the gooey slime of the seeds tasted nothing like chocolate. Señor Crisley introduced us to his many animals and we even got to meet and hold our dinner. On our walk back through the jungle we encountered the lethal poison dart frog. Señor Crisley being an absolute dog, yanked the frog off the tree and showed it who was boss.

Now for the main event, what we have allllll been waiting for. The world renowned, inimitable Crisley Queso. Señor Crisley brought tears to our eyes with his inspiring story of how he beat all odds and defeated crisis after crisis to uphold his family legacy and solidified his spot as the Queso King. With the burning passion inside our hearts we poured our blood sweat and tears into crafting the highest quality of mozzarella chese
throughout the America’s.

After a brief lunch break, we all locked in for the long road ahead consisting of intense instruction and training. We learned the fundamental steps of approaching an emergencywhile assessing the situation safely. We put on our unisex pants and got ready to jump into the trenches of CPR. While in the trenches, we experienced the many struggles of first responders. The constant chest compressions, and the unrelenting pressure to avoid mistakes resulting in imminent death were some of the many struggles we fought through.

To finish the night off on a good note we got to taste the Latin culture and experience three types of dances (merengue, Bachata and Salsa). We danced the night away enjoying music and beverages until we couldn’t anymore. Our legs were finished, our hands were sore, our lungs were empty, our minds were weary, yet, prepared to tackle another day.

¡Hasta mañana!

By Yusouf and Kirtan

June 27, 2024

Hola Amigos,

Today we stumbled out of bed tired from the eventful day before, but found motivation and comfort in the sweet smell of pancakes drifting from the kitchen. Throughout the day we learned new skills to apply to our Wilderness First Aid exam tomorrow. Some skills include how to properly and safety evacuate patients who suffering rom a myriad of different injuries. These injuries could be spinal injuries, fractures, sprains/strains, and various open wounds.

One moment that stood out to us was constructing the backboard unique to Costa Rica. We weaved a cocoon made of paddles, mats, and ropes to support our injured teammate. We used this in our mock scenarios. In addition to larger trauma scenarios, we used moleskin and fake blood to practice our bandaging and bedside manner skills. Though we were bonding skin, we were also bonding within our team over the eight hours of today’s course.

To unwind, many of us took naps or read our books, but the real excitement took place outside playing four-square. After dinner we were serenaded by the lovely voices of the boys singing Blank Space by Taylor Swift. We are all excited to take shelter from the heat and bugs and look forward to zip lining tomorrow. We’ll have a restful sleep listening to the rain and the chirping crickets outside!

¡Buenos noches, amigos!

By Julia and Aimira

June 28, 2024

Hola familias!
Today was a exciting and eventful day, where we passed our first health care hurdle, faced our fears, spent a good chunk of our money, celibrated, and danced until we dropped.

We had a late (for us) breakfast at 8 and started class at 9am, where we powered through our last information session, and then took our WFA exam. Carlos and Bailey put us to the final test where we practiced responding to an emergency situation and we used our new skills to save our Global Works instructers as well as the Crisely children, including our new amiga Valeria. These oppurtunities opened the doors for us to all recieve our WFA certifications and assist in future situations, possibly to come in the near clinic days. (We all passed, yay!)

After this we were met with a delicious nacho lunch and got on the bus towards our next adventures in La Fortuna. The bus ride was filled with singing as we passed agricultura, fruit stands, and the city of La Fortuna. We arrived at the zipline launch with “Thats What I Like”(Bruno Mars) still ringing in our ears. Although some of us were threatened with a fear of heights, we were able to marvel at the wonders the rainforest presented to us as we zoomed through the treetops (and made secret handshakes with the guides). As we reached the last two lines, the misty clouds cleared and we were able to see the beautiful volcano of Arenal. We took some pictures on the deck before heading back to La Fortuna. There, we were set loose for 40 minutes, where we explored the town, wandering shops and stores, purchasing gifts that include an obscene amount of t-shirts and sloth themed slap bracelets. Our spirits were lifted when we stumbled past a gym blasting Hotline Bling. Finally, we all met back up to head to our next destination, dinner at an open food court. Once we arrived, we explored our options of sushi, pizza, and sliders. Although we didn’t get our typical casado we were excited to try more things. A live band played music that got us to our feet and we formed a conga line after using the dances we learned the previous evening (Thanks, Randall). Tired and sweaty, but with smiles on our faces, we headed back to the bus. We embarked on our final adventure of the day, a small convenience store where we grabbed snacks for the adventures ahead (and bus ride of tomorrow).

Upon our return to the Crisley farm, we gathered in the dining hall and surprised our friend Ellie with a birthday party and some yummy dulce de leche cake(Yay 15!). To end our night, we were given the privilege to follow Señor Crisely on a night hike where we could see the forest of Costa Rica at a new time. Although tired from our exciting day, we have gathered so much knowledge and are grateful to the Crisely family for hosting us, and Carlos and Bailey for being wonderful instructors. As we come to a close on our first week, we look back at the experiences, opportunities and challenges we have worked through, and we look forward to the ones yet to come.

Goodnight from Costa Rica, hasta mañana!

By Nona and Mac

June 29, 2024

Hola amigos! Today we woke up early and headed to a local chocolate farm to learn how the handsome amigos make chocolate. On the way to the factory we witnessed a combo Disney/Taylor Swift karaoke performance consisting of the girls and Kirtan. He sings like a muy guapo songbird. Before we made it to the factory after 3 hours of Blank Space, we determined that if Nico was a bird he would be a flamingo and Diego a Capybara.

We got mogged by the chocolate men as we experienced the artistry of Costa Rican cocoa hombres. We tasted cocoa beans, and were given two drinks: Bitter and spicy hot cocoa, and regular hot chocolate (which was a solid 11/10 by the way). We helped our handsome amigos to grind the cocoa beans along with sugar and spices to make our scrumptious drinks. We also made sugarcane juice, grinding a couple of sugarcanes. It was really tough, it could be a really nice arm and chest workout.
The juice was delicious, it tasted like lemonade but wayyyyyyy better.

That’s enough yapping about drinks, let’s talk about chocolate. We made chocolate turtles and butterflies, mixing dark, white, and milk chocolate along with salt, sprinkles, cinnamon, coffee and cocoa beans. We left our creations in the freezer while we went on a really exciting hike, where we saw a baby sloth with its mama, cocoa trees, and tons of ants.

Then we took a long bus ride home to the new hotel and rested our heavy heads.

Until tomorrow!

By Diego and Max

June 30, 2024
Today we got ready for a full day of learning. We started the day off bright and early with a delicious breakfast then we met our amazing teacher. In the classroom we learned about psychological first aid and how to respond to someone going through a crisis.

We learned so much about training for psychological first aid. It was truly a shocking experience. I never knew there was so much to learn about helping someone in a panic attack or having a crisis.

We learned what it really means to be in a crisis and how people react to crisis in different ways. We were taught how to deal with the different emotions and strategies for being able to communicate with people. We also learned the importance of approaching a person properly and calmly. We took a short break to put nutrients into our bodies and rejuvenate our minds, then we got back to learning.

After that amazing class we moved on to more materials with another great teacher and we learned some shocking new things like how to make stitches and how to inject someone with a needle. We practiced doing stitches on bananas and had a great time even though it was really hard. In this class we had an amazing hands-on experience and we really got to experiment with what it felt like to inject an orange with a needle. It was a real taste of what being an actual doctor feels like.

After that we spent time bonding with each other in the swimming pool. We played a number of fun games such as taps, colors, and don’t let the volleyball touch the ground. It was a truly unique experience for all of us to get to have some down time and play fun games with one another.

We then ended the day watching a very nostalgic movie called Rio which had us all weeping in tears of joy in the end for the poor Birds.

Nos vemos!
Isabella y Nico

July 1, 2024

Hello friends and family! Here’s a little sneak peak of how our first day at the clinic went.

We started our day with an early wake up followed by delicious pancakes and fruit. We boarded the buses at 6:30 to head the the clinic, FIMRC in Alajuelita.

As soon as we arrived, we were split into groups. One group went to a mobile clinic, in a local soup kitchen, and the other stayed in the clinic to help patients there.

At each clinic, there are four immersive clinical rotations. In the waiting room, the job is to take vital signs and check people in. In the patient examination room, we shadowed the doctor. Others worked at the pharmacy, where they counted and sorted medications. After the patient received their medication, our team of health educators briefed the patients on how to take their medication properly.

These were just basic tasks that we performed, but in reality, we did so much more. There were a total of 7 glute injections and one of which was done by our fellow student Mac! The patient said that she had a “soft and steady hand”. We had a patient with an extremely high blood sugar over 340, and too many adorable babies that we didn’t want to leave.

In the afternoon, we created skits to teach people about how to deal with different medical emergencies. Based off of this experience, some of us may have a future on SNL.

The wait for dinner was longer than expected the food tasted heavenly. We never knew that Mediterranean food in Costa Rica would be so good.

Today we learned so much more than we ever would in a classroom. From the knowledge gained to lessons learned, today was on of the best days we had on the trip. It was incredible to see the doctors in action helping people.

Until next time, Sophie and Ellie signing out.

July 2, 2024

The day started off bright and early with breakfast at 7am. We took a short bus ride to our clinical rotations at FIMRC and our mobile clinic. The whole group got back together for a delicious lunch of rice, beans, fried plantains, and veggies. Lunch was followed by our emergency first aid presentations to people with disabilities at Casa Club. After heading back to our hotel, we met with a doctor to review the proper care for serious medical emergencies. Finally we had dinner and Chalo gave a presentation on the environment and its effects on health in Costa Rica.

-Sofie and Riley

July 3, 2024

Hola Amigos,

First, our amazing group woke up pretty early to begin our third clinic day!
We separated into two groups, one at the mobile clinic and one at the main clinic. At the mobile clinic we split up once again. Some people worked at reception were they practiced their Spanish. Others gave injections and handed out medications. Everyone enjoyed bonding with the children at the day care in the mobile clinic.

The people at the main clinic got separated into their last two rotations. Some students hastily divided up medications and measured out prescriptions, others shadowed a doctor and watched the proper way to handle patients and communicate effectively while also working on their Spanish comprehension skills. Those who did waiting room had to master their Spanish speaking skills since it requires a lot of communication with locals. You must ask where they live, what diseases or issues they might be having, as well as take all of their vitals. Those in health science information had to communicate the proper way to take medication and what not to do once you receive your prescription from the pharmacy.

The entire group met up at the main clinic for a delicious chicken, tomato and lettuce sandwich along with some freshly squeezed juice. Next, we planned our presentations for the brave women group who we will meet with tomorrow. We created Canva slide presentations about topics such as stomach cancer, migraines and gastritis. We had to do a presentation to our group leaders and the heads of the clinic in Spanish to make sure our Spanish was comprehensible and clear.

We headed back for a few hours of free time where we played pool, did just dance in our room and looked at a TV that froze on Shawn Mendez’s face. Then we took a Tae Kwon Do class, where we learned how to defend ourselves from being choked and grabbed. We also played a game were one person wore a blindfold and tried to tag us. We had a delicious Mexican dinner with shrimp and beef tacos that were delectable as well as crispy and tender chicken nuggets. To wrap up the day some of us played pool, listened to music and read.

Nos vemos,
Aimira and Vaniah

July 4, 2024

Hola amigos!

Today was a learning filled day as well as our last at the clinic. We got to sleep in until 7:30 and then ate a buffet breakfast at 8:00. Soon after we headed off to start our last and final day at the clinic.

Everyone got to their stations and began their work, which included painting a beautiful mural of a sloth. Many new people were met and new experiences were had. Midday we had homemade chalupas for lunch. Shortly after that, we presented to Mujeres Valientes (Brave Women) who eagerly listened to our presentations on migraines, gastritis, and stomach cancer. They were smiling and applauding even though our Spanish wasn’t perfect.

As we left the clinic, we took with us the memories and learning opportunities, but left behind the amazing people we met along the way. Once we arrived back at the Hotel Brillasol, we had some much needed rest time and made many bracelets. For dinner we stayed at the hotel and had delicious traditional food.

To end our last night in Alajuelita, we gathered in the pool room for a fun night of karaoke. We sang and danced, joining each other on stage and enjoying shared company. When we finished, we all headed back to our rooms with smiles on our faces as we sang songs. Making it back to our rooms for bed preparing for our long day of travel tomorrow.

With love,
Annika and Mac

July 5, 2024

Hola amigos!

Today we traveled from the Central Valley to Puntarenas province. We said goodbye to the Alajuela province with some delicious pancakes and Gallo Pinto, accompanied by a glass of juice and a slice of bread. We were kinda sad to leave our beautiful hotel and the clinic behind, but we were excited for the adventures that await us at Uvita.

We took a long bus ride, where we entertained ourselves singing and listening to Yusouf’s beautiful reading skills. In the middle of the ride we stopped to have our scrumptious lunch, which consisted of a large buffet and empanadas (which were fire btw), and after that we got ourselves some snacks for the rest of the trip. We arrived at the hotel and got our rooms.

We took a visit to a local supermarket and enjoyed caressing a chunky dog and a chunky cat.

To end the day, we had a fantastic dinner, and watched the Copa America match, which was Canada vs Venezuela. After watching those men cook at the soccer pitch, we went to sleep, excited for the next days at the beach.

-Diego & Ellie

July 6, 2024

Hola amigos!

We started off the day with an early breakfast of costa rican classics with pancakes as well. The second and final phone calls home were made. At 9 we walked down to the beach and made friends with the perros and gatos along the way. We arrived at the beach and met our surf instructors. We learned about the different types of waves and practiced surfing on shore before hitting the water. It is safe to say that everyone took a few tumbles but for the most part we were able to ride it out. ‍♀️ After a few hours on the waves, we gathered on shore for some fresh pinapple and watermelon. Muy delicioso! We then walked back to the hotel for a hardy lunch. Very tired, we returned to our rooms and us in particular enjoyed our Dance Moms marathon. At 4:30 we took a quick trip to an outdoor yoga studio. We truly feel that we harnessed our inner peace. Back at the hotel we had a delectable dinner and are about to head up to our rooms for more dance moms.
Namaste!

-Calleigh and Nona

July 7, 2024

As many of you know, most of us come from cities, and today’s adventure really tested our ability to navigate through the trenches of the rain forest.

First off, we woke up early in the morning in preparation for our hike. We got a chance to help plant trees, aiding Costa Rica’s efforts in conservation. Almost immediately starting the hike, our legs were demolished as we walked uphill and were sweating bullets along the way. We were slipping through mud, panting throughout the hike and keeping our stance until we got to the waterfall.

In order to get to the waterfall we had to cross a river twice. We had a rope to help us cross the river but in the process many of us lost our balance, and unfortunately shoes as well that we will never see again. At the end, we were able to refreshed ourselves by entering the cold water which felt like a reward and it cooled us off from the humid air.

We stood under the waterfall letting the pressure hit our backs helping us soothe the aches we just received. The hike was nothing like the pavement streets back at home, in fact even shorter, but it was more intense than any other thing you can do in the city. The hike included sights we rarely get to see at home, and it made for all the complaining we had throughout the hike. This hike was out of our comfort zone for many of us and it prompted growth. Although I would never do it again, I can say that I did accomplish something outside my comfort zone. It was a once in a life time opportunity, and I’m glad I had the chance to do it.

After we returned, we ate fresh watermelon and pineapple slices, a nice treat after the many obstacles we overcame. Then we arrived back at the hotel to give ourselves some rest. Moments later, some of us went to the beach so we could enjoy our last day of seeing the beautiful view and have some fun in the ocean. The ocean was clear, no trash in sight. You were surrounded only by nature giving you break from the bustling city. Our lives in New York City are very different from the past weeks we spent in Costa Rica, and has been a major help in our growth. We’re going home soon but we’re returning as new people that have acquired survival instincts and have broken the bounds of our regular lives.

-Elizabeth and Salma (from Bronx and Brooklyn)