Veterinary Academy: Costa Rica
Immerse yourself in the wide world of veterinary medicine! You’ll spend two weeks in Costa Rica, working and learning at a stray dog sanctuary and at a wildlife rescue center.
At the dog sanctuary, learn to perform physical exams, explore common diseases, diagnostic techniques, treatments, and preventative care, and develop veterinary skills through hands-on practice labs. At the rescue center, help provide care and enrichment to animals rescued from human impact, accidents, or illegal activities while learning about their rehabilitation and welfare.
Prepare for the future
- Participating in clinical lab rotations to practice skills like using a microscope to conduct ear and skin cytologies
- Assisting veterinary professionals during a community spay/neuter campaign for cats
- Honing your clinical skills including safe handling and restraint techniques, physical exams, and hands-on practice using teaching models to perform injections, blood draws, catheter placement, and suturing
By attending Veterinary Academy: Costa Rica, you can earn up to 80 veterinary hours, a required part of every vet school application.
2027 Program Dates & Tuition
- 14 Days
- June 20–July 3
July 25–August 7
- $7,999
What’s Included
Local meals
Accommodations
15:1 teaching vet-to-student ratio
Up to 80 veterinary hours
College credit is included with tuition. Students attending high school Veterinary Academy programs are eligible to receive college credit(s) through George Mason University. Credits are included in the cost of tuition and are awarded for successful completion of the program and credit requirements. Learn more.
Program Highlights
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.
Wildlife Volunteer Rotations
You’ll rotate through a variety of hands-on roles, including shifts in the on-site “Baby Hospital,” “Rescue Hospital,” and general husbandry of the enclosures. Help provide daily care for resident wildlife by implementing enrichments, preparing and delivering meals from the animal kitchen, and shadowing clinical staff as they assess patients and provide treatments.
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.
Spay and Neuter Project
On your final program day, you will assist the clinic veterinarians and professional staff to provide a free spay and neuter clinic for the pets of local community members.
Your Adventure, Day by Day
Day 1
Journey to Costa Rica
Day 2
Learning Rotation I
Day 3
Learning Rotation II
Day 4
Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 5
Learning Rotation III
Day 6
Learning Rotation IV
Day 7
Excursion to Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs
Day 8
Travel to San José
Day 9
Welcome to the Land of the Strays
Day 10
Domesticated Animal Care
Day 11
Rescate Rescue Center
Day 12
Hike with Dogs
Day 13
Spay & Neuter Day
Day 14
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.