Vida’s International Veterinary Training Center (IVTC) in Costa Rica offers advanced students and graduated veterinarians a supervised, hands-on educational experience to enhance surgical and anesthesia skills. Simultaneously, it provides high-quality, ethical, and low-cost spay and neuters to local animal shelters.
Semi-private hands-on training with sessions of up to three participants (PSA/CPE candidates only). You will be primarily responsible for conducting surgery under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian. This is a popular option with the most value. During group sessions, participants rotate within anesthesia and surgery to ensure that everyone has the same exposure level to these areas.
Group sessions with two participants have 5 days of clinics, and three participants have 6 days of clinics.
Private Sessions will be customized to your specific needs. Whether you want to develop skills or increase your confidence, our team will make it happen. This is a 1-on-1 session with our technical staff, making this option a great one for those looking for specific results. It is open for advanced students, recent graduates, or PSA/CPE candidates.
Private Sessions have 4 days of clinics.
Your program fee includes one-on-one time with a team of experienced veterinarians and technicians. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), all the materials needed for surgical procedures, transportation to and from the airport, lunch during the clinic days, and participation certificate.
The average of surgeries is 2 per clinic day per participant. Surgeries adjust depending on the number of participants so it doesn’t matter if you are in a group of three or two. We work with averages as many factors may impact the surgeries’ duration, including but not limited to the participant’s skills. Our technical staff recommends not to focus too much on a specific number of surgeries but on achieving your learning objectives.
We understand that due to the ongoing pandemic, rapid changes may still occur, and travel restrictions may be enforced. As a nonprofit organization, we want you to feel comfortable securing your spot, which is why we are implementing a flexible Cancellation Policy.
If you are sick with symptoms of COVID-19, have recently tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, or have been exposed to a person with COVID-19, we will help you reschedule your training session.
We will schedule your covid test appointment for you at a nearby lab so that you can get it on time before your departure. The cost is around USD $100 for the PCR, the antigen test is a bit cheaper and they send you the results within a couple of hours.
Costa Rica does not require isolation upon arrival. Entry requirements established for travelers include travel health insurance and filling in a digital epidemiologic form.
*For group sessions of two participants the last day of clinic is Friday (5 clinic days)
