Medical Student Honduras La Ceiba Past Review
By rachel w (Registered Nurse, University of Central Lancashire) - abroad from 01/01/2017 to 01/15/2017 with
Volunteer Honduras La Ceiba: Pre Dental Program
100% worthwhile, many patients at the hospital and clinic, we did rotation in each area and manage to deal with all type of issues, many patients with diabetes.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned and saw so much that I wouldn't have been able to see as a volunteer in the U.S. I got to take vital signs, help out in wound care, and I learned to start IV leads and administer medications and vaccines. I got to witness live births and hear about the surgeries that other ABV volunteers witnessed. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our coordinator, Rafael, has been wonderful. He's always looking out for our safety and likes to be informed our plans. He tries to help in any way he can, takes the time to listen to our concerns and does his best to accommodate for that. He's readily accessible through Whatsapp and is always checking in on everyone to make sure everyone's alright. I'm really grateful for everything he's done to make sure we've gotten the best experience out of this program. And no worries about not having enough photos, Papparazi Rafael has you covered. He also speaks and understands English well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really enjoyed my stay at Rafael's place. I felt entirely safe- Rafael provided us with a key to lock our doors and another for the house so we felt like a part of his family. The meals were excellent and filling for me- just keep in mind that dinner isn't as heavy as their lunches so you might find yourself walking to a nearby fast food place after dinner. There is WIFI here so I was able to update my family on my status. |
| * Food: |
The diet here is heavily based on rice and beans and plantains, all of which I still love despite having them so much here. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
we lived with a local host fmaily, they served local food and we spend afternoons talking with them, with the patients in the hospital they were so nice anf friendly, I will go back again to this city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have an issue, but another volunteer did had street food and got some stomach issues, he was fine in a couple of days after the coordinator gave him some medication. |
| * Safety: |
The house was very safe, gated and guards in the neighborhood, I didn't have any issues while in La Ceiba, during the week we would work 8 hours at the hospital and clinic and on the weekends we would take tours around the region |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
We had hands on experience, we got training in aspects we didn't see in the US, we saw how the local medical treatments are provided to locals and how they can work with so little |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
$100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I only had expenses with the tour I took, everything else was covered |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | La Ceiba is cheap, so will not spend much |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Only some doctors and nurses speak English, but we would use google translator app to try to communicate and we also took Spanish lessons in the afternoons |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Begginer |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Learn basic phrases and keywords prior traveling, get a translator apps for your phone, and just try your best while in the program to speak Spanish , the locals will appreciate the effort |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It's mostly hot and humid there and it also rained almost an entire week we were there, so all you need is shorts and T-shirts/tank tops and 1 raincoat just in case. You really don't need jeans or pants but maybe pack a sweater and a pair of tights for the cool nights or if you're sensitive to the cold. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
