International Health
Central American Institute
PO Box 1677-2100
San Jose, Costa Rica

Contact Information
Phone: 011-506-2276564(office) Email: ihcail@racsa.co.cr
Fax: 011-506-26-156-85 Website: None
Supervisor: Dr. Mario Tristan, Director
Main Contact: Dr. Mario Tristan
Best way to contact: Office


Setting
Type of institution: Primary Care Clinics
Setting of main facility: Rural
Comments on setting: It is a national health system, social security clinic.
Students will have a choice of three sites.
Site #1 is Limon Valle de la Estrella Clinic located in the south of Limon province.
Site #2 is Barva de Heredia Clinic located 16 kms north of San Jose.
Site #3 is San Pablo Clinic located in San Pablo de Heredia.
Duration of elective (min.) 2 months

Local Costs
Tuition or Fees: $150 administrative fee to IHCAI
Housing Costs: $125 US per week for urban areas
$125 US per week in rural areas
Housing Availability: six students can be accommodated per rotation
Comments on Housing: IHCAI will arrange student accommodations with a Costa Rican family.
Accommodations costs include room, meals, laundry, and local telephone.
Local Travel Costs: Minimal
Other Costs: Departure tax at airport of $25 US

Miscellaneous
Primary Language: Spanish
Secondary Language: English
Level of Proficiency: Fluency in Spanish
Institution Partner(s): Tulane SOM Department of Family and Community Medicine
University of Costa Rica

NOTE: An intense one-month Medical Spanish course is available at www.ihcai.org. You must be fluent in Spanish before taking this course. The tuition is $1600, which inclues housing and many meals. Special scholarships are available to Tulane students. The scholarship covers approximately 50% of the tuition. Students must apply for the course and the scholarships. Students attending the Medical Spanish course must also do a clinical month.

Additional Comments:
After a brief introduction to the Cost Rican health system at the University, the student will be assigned to a community site to work as part of an integrated health care team. Working with the medical director of the health center of the community, the student will see patients in various settings; in the health center, in health posts of that center, and through home vists. The studen will work with the health care team members in the disciplines of social work, nutrition, pharmacy, home health, nursing environmental health, clinical preventive medicine, and clinical diagnostic and therapeutic services.
The student will work with members of the community in health education, with community volunteers, community associations and committees, and with trained community health workers. Emphasis will be on preventative services, including immunizations, maternal child services, prenatal care, growth and development of children, nutrition, community education, community sanitation and environment, and continuity of care in chronic cases.