CU Alternative Spring Break Trip to Costa Rica with the not-for-profit organization VIDA!

Are you a pre-medical, pre-veterinary, pre-dental, pre-nursing, medical, dental or nursing student at Columbia University? Do you want to spend 9 days in Costa Rica over Spring break learning more about the profession you are interested in and getting lots of hands-on experience while helping communities in need and exploring Costa Rica? If your answer is yes, then look no further. This is the program for you!

Welcome to VIDA, an exciting not-for-profit humanitarian volunteer program that offers hands–on, eye-opening and mind-enriching international volunteer experiences to students of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine. We offer unparalleled volunteer experiences for those who want to learn about medicine, discover new cultures and share with those less fortunate while providing free health services to improve the quality of life of impoverished people and of animals in Central America.

Join us for an alternative spring break trip you will never forget! We will be visiting Cartago and Turrialba, where we will set up clinics in various establishments such as schools and churches. The trip will take place from March 13th to March 21st, 2010. The cost of the trip, excluding airfare and the application fee of $100, is $1,395. This price includes ground transportation, airport pick up/drop off, lodging, bilingual health professionals, guides, interpreters, supplies/materials for clinics, most meals and tours.

This trip is also open to students who are still undecided but are leaning toward a certain medical profession or to anyone who just wants to help make a difference. You are not expected to have had any medical experience or to have taken any science classes prior to the trip. NOTE: Students on the veterinary team who wish to participate in surgery at the spay/neuter clinics will need to have observed 25 hours of small-animal surgery at a local animal clinic prior to the trip.

IMPORTANT DEADLINE: The deadline to submit an application for this trip is December 14, 2009. Please go to https://secure.puertoviejosatellite.com/vida/application.php

and select "CR031310: Columbia University Mar 13/10 - Mar 21/10". The application fee of $100.00 is due along with your application. Please go to http://vidavolunteertravel.org/payment.php#paynow

to submit the payment online.

Questions or concerns? Please do not hesitate to contact Rachelle at rdm2110@columbia.edu or rachelle@vidavolunteertravel.org.

For more information:

Please look at the Facebook event page

for this trip to learn more. If you log into your facebook account and view the page you will be to see pictures from a previous VIDA trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Please also visit VIDA's website

and VIDA's YouTube Channel which has videos about the VIDA trip to Costa Rica

, the dental clinic

, the medical clinic

and a sloth sanctuary

that we will most likely visit.