Author: Zoe Henkes

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

As a pre-med student, I feel sort of obligated to write about health and the healthcare system here in Costa Rica.  After all, one of the main reasons I chose to study abroad here was to learn about Costa Rican healthcare through the INTL 335 course, “Sociology and Ethics of Health and Health Care in Costa Rica” taught at Casa Adobe by Heidi with the opportunity of an internship in a healthcare setting.

To start, I feel like some people might assume that Costa Rica has a lower standard of health than the United States, maybe due to its location as a Central American nation and stereotypes based on its neighbors like Nicaragua.  While Costa Rica is comparatively “poorer” than the United States in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), it actually boasts similar or even better health statistics.  Furthermore, Costa Ricans pride themselves on their good hygiene.  Especially because it can get so hot here, they like to be very clean, bathing once a day at the least!

Next, the Costa Rican healthcare system itself consists of a social security system called the Caja Costariccense de Seguro Social (Caja or CCSS for short).  The three principles of this program are equity, solidarity, and universality.  Workers and employers pay a fixed percentage of their incomes into this system, in return for standardized healthcare services.  Because nearly everyone is required to pay into the system, nearly everyone receives the healthcare services provided by the Caja.  Two of the main complaints with the system include long wait times to be seen by a doctor and not being able to choose which doctor to see (it is generally whichever doctor is on staff at the time).  Nevertheless, there are private practices in which patients can be seen quickly and see their own doctors in return for paying extra.

Additionally, there is a greater focus on preventative health here.  Inadvertently, the long lines at the Caja for medical attention serve as an incentive to keep people healthy.  In a sense, if they stay healthy, they won’t have to come see the doctor as much!  There is also a public health officer at each local clinic, called an EBAIS, that go around to each house in the neighborhood to do preliminary checkups, provide care to children and women in their child-bearing years, and take data on or educate the public about current diseases spreading around.  Furthermore, an EBAIS occasionally organizes public rallies or other educational events to promote healthful habits in the community.  I was lucky enough to participate in a health parade organized by a local EBAIS, where volunteers, school children, and healthcare professionals marched to raise awareness about healthy lifestyles.  At the end of the parade, there were various tents with informational brochures about child development, healthy relationships, dental hygiene, you name it!  There was also an instructor leading Zumba, which is a fun way for community members to get involved in regular exercise programs.

Finally, if you do get sick while studying abroad, don’t freak out!  At least here in Costa Rica, you will be cared for in good hands.  While in Nicaragua, I got a bad upper respiratory infection.  When we returned to Costa Rica, I was reluctant to see a doctor because I was stubborn and a little nervous.  The cough persisted, so I finally went in.  Heidi took me to the private doctor that she usually brings students to if they get sick.  The appointment itself was 25,000 colones, which amounts to about $45.  The doctor was extremely respectful and knowledgeable, and even spoke English, which I didn’t expect.  Furthermore, doctors in Costa Rica get lots of pharmaceutical samples, so if they have what you need, they’ll give them to you without an extra fee, which was great!  Additionally, if your condition doesn’t get better, you can go in again free of charge, which is a way to encourage patients to be attentive to their own health and not wait until conditions get worse and worse.

Overall, the Costa Rican healthcare system surprised me in its level of care and expertise.  The quality of care given throughout the country is very high, and the fact that care is almost “universal” is something to aspire to.  While there are obvious downfalls with the system, the overall idea that healthcare is a human right is something that is very important to me.  As a future practitioner, I’d like to integrate these principles of preventative health in my own practice and promote more widespread and equalized care for my future patients.

In all, I think that my experiences here in Costa Rica have opened my eyes to other models of healthcare that I didn’t know could function so well.  Likewise, they have helped me develop a more extensive understanding of what really goes into providing quality healthcare and how I can implement these practices in my own career.

Author:  Zoe Henkes

Location:  San Jose, Costa Rica

One thing that anyone should absolutely know about traveling to Costa Rica anytime from about May to November, is that it rains.  It rains a lot. It’s different from the climate in Valpo where winter weather generally lasts from November to March and summer weather from May to September, Costa Rican summer (AKA the dry season) generally lasts from November to April and winter (the rainy season), from May to October.  I’ve been wanting to write about this for a while since it is such a large part of life in Costa Rica, but I thought now would be the most appropriate time since we are finally at the tail end of the rainy season (fingers crossed).

That being said, it’s important to note that during this season, it rains every day.  That is no exaggeration.  It also rains a lot—like cats and dogs, except that if you try and directly translate that into Spanish, you will get some weird looks because that isn’t a real phrase here.  Additionally, the rain generally falls during the afternoon, but it can rain in the morning or nighttime, as well.  One of the nice things, however, is that if it rains in the morning, it usually doesn’t rain again that same day.

With all of that in mind, an umbrella and rain jacket should be at the top of your list of packing essentials for traveling to Costa Rica during this season.  Some packing lists might lump these together as an “either/or” suggestion, more or less, but in my opinion, they are both necessary.  Especially as a student, you’ll be walking to and from different places with a backpack a lot, so you’ll likely appreciate both in preventing all of your schoolwork from getting soaked.

Furthermore, if you like to wear rainboots, those might also be helpful.  Although I brought them, I don’t like wearing them on a daily basis, but they also could help you avoid coming home each day with wet shoes and feet.  Another thing to pay attention to when picking out rainboots to bring is how heavy they are for two reasons: 1) packing, since you are only allowed to bring so much on the airplane and 2) the heat, because it could be just as bad to walk around with boots that make your feet sweat profusely as it is walking around with wet feet from the rain.

Lastly, this is not to deter you from coming to Costa Rica during the rainy season at all—Costa Rica is a beautiful country, rain or shine!  In fact, I find that the rain can be quite soothing and exhilarating at the same time.  It also helps to keep the temperature reasonable (usually around 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day), because the cloud cover provides a little barrier from the harsh sunrays.  Overall, hopefully after reading this post, you know a little more about Costa Rican climate, and will be even more prepared than I was, if you are planning on traveling here!

Author: Zoe Henkes

Location:  San Jose, Costa Rica

Studying abroad can be an amazing experience full of new and exciting adventures.  However, there can also be difficulties along the way.  I think that we tend to fixate on only the good things, when in reality, the challenging times can be just as beneficial to one’s experience and personal growth.

The first and probably most obvious challenge that one might face while studying abroad in a Spanish-speaking country is the language barrier.  I expected this to be difficult, but not this difficult.  I have been taking Spanish classes since the 7^th grade, and am also a Spanish minor at Valpo, so I thought I would be somewhat prepared.  This was not exactly the case.  First of all, they talk so fast.  It really catches me off guard sometimes, as it takes a few seconds to process the information.  You wouldn’t think that’s a long time, but the next time you have a conversation, think about how it takes all but a split second for your brain to interpret what is being said and generate a response—it’s fascinating how that works!

Another thing that has been difficult is that there is so much slang used in daily conversation that you don’t learn in regular classes.  For example, if you are talking about a challenging situation or activity, they will say, “cuesta mucho.”  The literal translation is that it “costs a lot” so this really caught me off guard when my host dad said that in conversation with me because I thought he was talking about money.  The phrase is actually used to describe something that is really difficult or enduring.  There are also phrases specific to Costa Rica that I had never used before coming here.  Examples of this are “mae,” which means dude, more or less, and “pura vida,” which one could equate to the infamous phrase hakuna matata.

A selfie with my host mom, Isabel, and host sister, Ashly

At first, I was super overwhelmed by the language immersion to the extent that I was sort of on a sensory overload.  However, I’ve gotten used to it and now I can tell that my Spanish is improving.  My piece of advice for others who plan to become immersed in a different language for the first time, like myself, would be to not get too frustrated or embarrassed if you don’t understand everything right away.  At times, it can feel like you are boxed in because you can’t communicate everything that you would like to or as effectively as you can in your first language, but you have to remember that learning a second language takes time.  Additionally, as a part of the semester program in Costa Rica, you will take intensive Spanish Language courses from the University of Costa Rica during your first month, which helps a lot in jumpstarting your grammar and conversational skills.  In all, even though Spanish has been more difficult than I had expected, I have tried to be less shy about making mistakes, for the best way to learn is to make mistakes.  Even still, I continue to learn new things and take each new day as it comes.

Secondly, the United States is described to have an individualistic culture, whereas Costa Rica has a more collectivist culture.  In other words, in the United States, we tend to like our personal space and privacy.  In contrast, based on what I’ve noticed from living here for almost two months now, there is more of a what’s mine is yours attitude.  In my host family, there is a lot of time spent out in the common space.  To say the least, there’s usually never a dull moment.  Frequently, we have family friends, relatives, or other guests over.  It’s also not uncommon for someone to be blasting reggaeton or pop music (surprisingly, a lot of US pop songs are also popular here).  Sometimes, I catch myself wanting to revert to my room to do homework or read a book, but I have tried to make an effort to spend more time with my host family.  Along those same lines, it’s been an adjustment getting used to living with a family, in itself.  This sounds weird when I put it that way, but think about it: at Valpo, we are on our own and independent.  We live away from our parents and can go get food whenever we have time or whenever we are hungry.  We can go visit our friends in different rooms or dorms even if it’s late.  We can go to the library if we need a quiet space to study almost whenever we please.  Living with a host family is sort of like being back in high school.  By that, I mean that your host family will worry about you if you come back late or if you start feeling a little sick.  They will cook delicious food.  And yes, you do have a curfew named the sun (as in the big star the shines during the day).  While the neighborhood is pretty safe, it’s not advised to walk outside alone at night.  This means that by about 6:00 pm when it gets dark, I can’t really go do anything on your own.  Usually this isn’t a concern, but it can sometimes be irritating if class goes late or I want to go somewhere at night.  Overall, these differences aren’t bad by any means, they just take a little time to adjust to.  Even though there is sometimes a lot going on at once or I miss the level of independence that I have at college, I love the camaraderie and love for one another that my family expresses.  In the end, I feel blessed to say that I have a second family that cares about me and my well-being, and it has truly been an amazing journey getting to know and love them.

In conclusion, I think it is good to reflect on the challenges as much as the successes because the both contribute to the journey as a whole.  In this time, I have been able to construct a bicultural identity in which I am both Tica and estadounidense.  There are aspects of Costa Rican culture that I like and would like to incorporate more in my life, and there are aspects that I don’t like as much.  Likewise, there are things that I do and don’t like about life in the United States.  In all, this time has really broadened my perspectives on different lifestyles, making it more clear as to which aspects I value the most and what kind of person I truly want to be.