Pre-Veterinary Medicine in Costa Rica
Pre-Veterinary Medicine in Costa Rica
The two-week Pre-Veterinary Medicine in Costa Rica program is intended for students interested in veterinary medicine who wish to experience the astonishingly diverse fauna of Costa Rica. Students will spend one week at each of two wildlife research, rehabilitation, and conservation centers: the Costa Rica Rescue Center in Guacima, Alajuela and the Latin American Sea Turtles (LAST) Association on the Osa Peninsula. At the Rescue Center, students will care for injured Costa Rican wildlife and victims of wildlife trafficking as the animals are rehabilitated with the goal of reintroducing them into the wild. At the LAST center, students assist in monitoring sea turtles in their natural environment and assisting in the center’s sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation and mangrove reforestation programs.
Educational components relevant to the missions of both centers will be provided by the in-house veterinary staff at each center and by UGA Biomedical Physiology faculty and veterinarian Dr. Paul Eubig. Additional planned activities include visiting Manual Antonio National Park, Poas Volcano, and Corcovado National Park, nature hikes, and swimming and snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean.
In addition to these experiences, participants will enroll in one UGA course: BIOL 4910 Advanced Topics in Biology, 4 credit hours.
BIOL 4910 - Advanced Topics in Biology
This program meets UGA's experiential learning requirement.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, some aspects of this program may be modified to ensure
the health and safety of the participants while in Costa Rica.
This course focuses on veterinary medicine in the context of animal physiology. The course will integrate the program's experiential learning elements through didactic and hands-on sessions. Participants will learn about various animals' natural environment, the impact of the human environment on natural habitats, and how understanding physiology is integral to veterinary care.
Participants will identify how treatments vary in two separate locations and with different species based on animal physiology. They will also have the opportunity to practice professional communication skills in two distinct settings. They will understand veterinary medicine in the context of non-profit organizations and international standards of animal care while exploring the impact of veterinary care on exotic animals and the influence of volunteerism impacting animal habitats and environments.
Important notes:
Program participants will be required to attend pre-departure orientations and academic meetings in the spring semester.
Accommodations:
Students will spend one week at each of the two wildlife research, rehabilitation, and conservation centers: the Costa Rica Rescue Center in Guacima, Alajuela and the Latin American Sea Turtles (LAST) Association on the Osa Peninsula.
Program participants will live in rustic bungalows in both locations. Three meals a day are included in the program fee.
Scholarships:
Students applying for this program are eligible to apply for the OGE GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP.
Apply early!
General Information
Program Dates: June 11, 2023 - June 26, 2023
Estimated Program Fee: $3,450 (includes lodging, breakfast, several lunches and dinners, program-related
transportation, and entrance fees for program-related academic and cultural activities).
It does not include plane fare, UGA tuition or UGA fees. Prices will vary depending on enrollment,
but should not exceed the current estimated program fee. Click here for more details.
Application Opens: October 4, 2022
Application Deadline: November 4, 2022
Program Contacts: Ms. Amanda Spohn (aspohn@uga.edu) and Dr. Hilda Mata (hmmata@uga.edu)
Applicant Eligibility
- Open to all students at the University of Georgia.
- Required
- Students must have completed or be enrolled in BIOL 1108 by the time of application. BIOL 1108/L is a prereq for the courses taught in the program.
- Have university credit for at least two science courses (in biological sciences, chemistry, ecology, physics/astronomy) prior to application.
- 3.0 or higher GPA.
- Satisfactory academic and disciplinary records.
- Preferred
- qualified students enrolled with a pre-vet intention will be given priority.
- successfully completed at least two sciences courses (in biological sciences, chemistry, ecology, physics/astronomy) for a grade (A-F) at UGA.
- successfully completed at least 30 credit hours at UGA prior to application.
Admission Process
- Begin an application on the studyaway.uga.edu portal. Complete all pre-decision materials by the deadline (11/4/2022) to be considered.
- Qualified applicants will be invited (via UGA email) for a brief interview with the program faculty. Please note that an interview does not guarantee admittance into the program due to the limited number of spaces. Interviews, however, are a mandatory part of the selection process.
- Once all interviews are completed, applicants will be notified via their studyaway.uga.edu application portal whether they have been admitted or waitlisted.
- Admitted students will have one week from the date of acceptance to commit (or withdraw/decline) and pay a non-refundable $300 deposit. Waitlisted students will be admitted as spaces become available.
Faculty
Dr. Paul Eubig
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. American Board of Toxicology
Biomedical Physiology Program
Lecturer
University of Georgia
Amanda Spohn
Coordinator
Pre-Professional Advising Office
Office of the Vice-President for Instruction
University of Georgia
Location
Itinerary
|
6/10/23 |
Atlanta, US |
Departure for Costa Rica |
|
6/11/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Arrival, pick up at airport, Transport to Costa Rica Rescue Center, CRRC Intro and facilities tour , Loop Abroad orientation and welcome dinner |
|
6/12/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Learning rotation: Animal team/ Sloth team/ Vet team / Enrichment Team Introduction to coordinators, vet team, and CRRC Lecture: Wildlife Capture and Restraint Vet meeting and rounds Lecture/lab: Physical exams, behavior, and enrichment Salsa night |
|
6/13/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Vet team volunteering Learning rotation: Animal team/ Sloth team/ Vet team / Enrichment Team Lecture: zoonotic diseases Vet meeting and rounds Learning rotation: Animal team/ Sloth team/ Vet team / Enrichment Team Trivia night |
|
6/14/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Manuel Antonio National Park day tour Nature hike with animal spotting and identification (lab hours) Beach time Return to CRRC Game night |
|
6/15/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Pre-meeting lecture Vet Shadowing and procedure Lecture: Ethics and animal welfare Vet meeting and rounds Learning rotation: Animal team/ Sloth team/ Vet team / Enrichment Team Movie night |
|
6/16/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Learning rotation: Animal team/ Sloth team/ Vet team / Enrichment Team Lecture: veterinary diagnostics and therapies Lecture: intro to suture patterns and hematology Labs: suturing, clinical skills, hematology Karaoke night |
|
6/17/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Depart for Poas volcano Poas volcano trip Waterfall trip Lab: Wildlife immobilization and dart marking Lab: Blow dart practice Farewell to CRRC dinner |
|
6/18/23 |
Playa Blanca, Puntarenas |
Transport to LAST sea turtle project Lunch stop en route Arrive at LAST project Safety orientation and project overview Welcome dinner |
|
6/19/23 |
Playa Blanca, Puntarenas |
Orientation to mangrove research Mangrove project work Turtle research and presentations Ocean day orientation Beach time (snorkel and swim) Lab: restraint practice (sea turtle model) |
|
6/20/23 |
Playa Blanca, Puntarenas |
At-sea field research day (7 hours) Turtles in net: restraint, measure, tag, release Evening night hike - wildlife spotting |
|
6/21/23 |
Playa Blanca, Puntarenas |
Kayak tour Mangrove research activities Intro to spay neuter: anatomy and monitoring Beach time: snorkel and swim Lecture: Corcovado National Park and biodiversity of region |
|
6/22/23 |
Playa Blanca, Puntarenas |
At-sea field research day (7 hours) Turtles in net: restraint, measure, tag, release Intro to veterinary Spanish |
|
6/23/23 |
Playa Blanca, Puntarenas |
Full day visit to Corcovado National Park Guided hikes within park Lab: drug dose calculation and heart rates |
|
6/24/23 |
Playa Blanca, Puntarenas |
Sterilization clinic (11 hours) Rotation through stations including: Admit, prep, surgery, recovery, and Veterinary shadowing Farewell dinner LAST |
|
6/25/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Alumni meeting and reflection Transport to San Jose Check in to hotel San Jose |
|
6/26/23 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
Transport to San Jose airport Depart for USA |
APPLICATIONS WILL OPEN ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2022
