My Spanish for Health Professions class ended last week and it´s bittersweet. I loved the class and wouldn´t have minded if it was four months long. I learned so much; How to talk to a patient, find out their personal information, symptoms, how to diagnose and give recommendations all in Spanish. We also learned about common diseases and how people act here in Costa Rica.
I went to a private hospital called Clinica Biblica and it was like a hotel. Each room was private and had a large couch that turned into a pull-out bed for anyone who wanted to stay the night with a patient. There was a large stain glass window of the tree of life and represented all the workers at the hospital. I found out it costs $500 a day to stay there. However, this only includes food, care from the nurses, and cleaning. This means if you have any care from the doctor or order more food, it costs extra. It is clear to see that only the people who can afford it come here. They give great care and my favorite part about Clinica Biblica is that they have a section that cares for the people who don´t have the means to pay for medical attention. They also have connections with indigenous tribes and provide care as well as learn from the indigenous.
Next we went to one of the public hospitals called Hospital Dr. Calderón Guardia. Calderón Guardia could not have been more different from Clinica Biblica. It was packed to the max! There were people waiting everywhere, lining the walls on both sides of almost every hallway I saw. Needless to say there is not much privacy there. The people wait for hours upon hours to be seen, but when they receive care it is great. The benefit of public hospitals is that you don´t have to pay like at Clinica Biblica. So it comes down to either time or money.
However now that Spanish is over I have only two hours of class on Mondays and Wednesdays, four hours of class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and no class on Fridays. This will last for two months until I finish my elective courses (marine bio, cultural photography, and tropical medicine). This means I have long weekends starting Thursday afternoons and ending on Monday afternoons. Life is good. I wish it was like this in the States...so much less stressful. ¡Pura Vida!
I went to a private hospital called Clinica Biblica and it was like a hotel. Each room was private and had a large couch that turned into a pull-out bed for anyone who wanted to stay the night with a patient. There was a large stain glass window of the tree of life and represented all the workers at the hospital. I found out it costs $500 a day to stay there. However, this only includes food, care from the nurses, and cleaning. This means if you have any care from the doctor or order more food, it costs extra. It is clear to see that only the people who can afford it come here. They give great care and my favorite part about Clinica Biblica is that they have a section that cares for the people who don´t have the means to pay for medical attention. They also have connections with indigenous tribes and provide care as well as learn from the indigenous.
Next we went to one of the public hospitals called Hospital Dr. Calderón Guardia. Calderón Guardia could not have been more different from Clinica Biblica. It was packed to the max! There were people waiting everywhere, lining the walls on both sides of almost every hallway I saw. Needless to say there is not much privacy there. The people wait for hours upon hours to be seen, but when they receive care it is great. The benefit of public hospitals is that you don´t have to pay like at Clinica Biblica. So it comes down to either time or money.
However now that Spanish is over I have only two hours of class on Mondays and Wednesdays, four hours of class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and no class on Fridays. This will last for two months until I finish my elective courses (marine bio, cultural photography, and tropical medicine). This means I have long weekends starting Thursday afternoons and ending on Monday afternoons. Life is good. I wish it was like this in the States...so much less stressful. ¡Pura Vida!