Costa Rica for Nursing and Health Care Professions

Academics

ELIGIBILITY
The program is open to all academically eligible undergraduate students. You must be in good academic standing, and with a minimum cumulative resident GPA of 2.3 to apply. UW-Eau Claire students must complete NRSG 212, or have consent of the NRSG instructor, to participate in this program. Although you may apply as a freshman, you must have sophomore standing by the start of the program. No prior study of Spanish is required.

COURSES
The academic program consists of two courses. Introduction to the Costa Rican Medical System (UWEC's NRSG 377, 3 credits) is taught in English. You will also take a 5-credit Medical Spanish course at the appropriate Spanish level for you, beginning to advanced.

Credits grant for the Spanish class are:

Span 101 (4 cr) and Span elective lower division (1 cr)
Span 102 (4 cr) and Span elective lower division (1 cr)
Span 201 (4 cr) and Span elective lower division (1 cr)
Span 202 (4 cr) and Span elective lower division (1 cr)
Span 320 (3 cr) and Span elective upper division (2 cr)

This program was designed to engage you in the Costa Rican healthcare environment and will guide you in effective communication, in Spanish, in real-life medical situations. You'll also have the unique opportunity to learn about the Costa Rican medical system in the classroom and during interactive field trips. You will build communication skills so that you will learn to successfully communicate in situations such as:

-Reception and patient administration
-General physical exams
-The discussion of a patient's symptoms and their prognosis.
-Meeting with a patient's family

ACADEMIC CALENDAR
The program runs for 8 weeks, from early June to late July. Exact program dates are determined the semester prior to departure.