IHCAI

Healthcare research, training programs and clerkship

Clinical rotations

All our clinical rotation programs are carried out in the Costa Rican health system. They may have an emphasis on primary care or the third level of care. Fluent Spanish is required to participate in these programs. The student meets many goals beyond the clinical. She practices and improves her medical Spanish in cultural immersion and can get to know Costa Rica’s health system and social reality in depth. Students who participate in this program also participate in academic and social activities led by IHCAI staff. 

The IHCAI Institute has been running this program since 1992. IHCAI has hosted more than 500 students on clinical rotations from various health fields from 13 different countries (United States, Canada, England, Switzerland, Germany, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Mexico, and Guatemala).

If you want to participate, you have the following options:

P01: Global health clinical rotation for senior medical students in Costa Rica

The goal of the International Health Elective is to offer students an opportunity to learn about health and healing with a more global perspective by living and working in another country. Students will have the opportunity to live in a new and different culture, usually with little of the technical and medical facilities he or she is accustomed to using. The student will have a chance to see a different way of organizing health care to achieve good results in the health situation of the population, as is the case in Costa Rica. The resources that are taken for granted in the developed countries like USA, Canada and Europe may be lacking at times. The students have an opportunity to be of service to the community and to broaden their thinking about future medical practice.

P03: Global health clinical rotation for senior physician assistants (PAs) students in Costa Rica

This rotation is designed to give the student the opportunity to participate in the activities of the health team in the primary care network of Costa Rica. The goal of the International Health Elective is to offer students an opportunity to learn about health and healing with a more global perspective by living and working in another country. Students will have the opportunity to live in a new and different culture, usually with little of the technical and medical facilities he or she is accustomed to using. The student will have a chance to see a different way of organizing health care to achieve good results in the health situation of the population, as is the case in Costa Rica. The resources that are taken for granted in the developed countries like USA, Canada and Europe may be lacking at times. The students have an opportunity to be of service to the community and to broaden their thinking about future medical practice.

P06: Global health community based clinical rotation for pharmacy students

This rotation is designed to give the student the opportunity to participate in the activities of the health team in the primary care network of Costa Rica. The goal of the International Health Elective is to offer students an opportunity to learn about health and healing with a more global perspective by living and working in another country. Students will have the opportunity to live in a new and different culture, usually with little of the technical and medical facilities he or she is accustomed to using. The student will have a chance to see a different way of organizing health care to achieve good results in the health situation of the population, as is the case in Costa Rica. The resources that are taken for granted in the developed countries like USA, Canada and Europe may be lacking at times. The students have an opportunity to be of service to the community and to broaden their thinking about future medical practice.

P017B: Clinical Rotation-Clerkship for Costa Rican Senior Medical Students at Harvard Medical School

For senior students from Costa Rican medical schools (Interns in the internship year). They can be Costa Rican or of other nationalities. Duration: two months. Location: The Boston hospital circuit affiliated with Harvard Medical School (HMS) is a world-renowned network of 15+ premier clinical affiliates and research institutes, primarily anchored in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area. These institutions provide training and research for HMS, with major, flagship institutions including Mass General Brigham (Mass General, Brigham and Women’s), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Eligibility: Only outstanding students who have been awarded an IHCAI-HMS scholarship are eligible to participate. The process is completed through the AAMC VSLO portal. Important: Students interested in applying for this scholarship should do so well in advance.

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