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Costa Rica View mapAre you in the medical profession? Learn Spanish and advance your career and job satisfaction at SEPA Spanish School!
“As a nursing assistant, working in the Boston, Massachusetts area, I assist at least one Spanish-speaking patient during each work shift. I felt it would be a good idea to take a Spanish class at SEPA SCHOOL, to improve my ability to speak more effectively with the patients and broaden my Spanish language skills in medical terminology. This was an experience I will treasure the rest of my life!” Sandy Jones, Massachusetts.
Finally, a medical and nursing program to learn Spanish in Costa Rica designed just for you!
Imagine your satisfaction at finally being able to communicate at a deeper level with your Spanish-speaking patients! Classes are designed to give you the skills you need not only to speak with your patients, but to interact with them in a meaningful way. We’ll teach you grammar while emphasizing conversation. Medical terminology and conversational vocabulary blend together to give you a word base that allows you to not only explain things to your patients but also to put them at ease. It’s all about context!
Concerned about your fluency level? No worries. This Spanish program is designed for students at all communication levels.
“I now feel better equipped to care for my Spanish-speaking patients, and look forward to returning to SEPA for more Spanish immersion!” Wendy Hounsel, RN
Course Overview
How SEPA Spanish School makes it happen for you:
During your first week, you’ll be placed in groups of 2 or more, based on your level, to take 3 hours of basic general and medical conversational Spanish classes each morning. This is followed by an afternoon of 2 hours of intensive medical terminology and medical activities, for a total of 25 hours of Spanish instruction per week.
As part of your afternoon classes you will enjoy discussions regarding the public health system of Costa Rica – both the positive and negative aspects, such as administration of medications, development of technological equipment, limitations of the public health system, disease control, the vaccination program, and other subjects of interest no matter where you work. Some of our medical Spanish students find especially interesting discussions regarding medicinal plants that our rain forest provides and how people use them in Costa Rica.
After your first week you will continue with three hours of Spanish language classes in the morning (2 hours of general Spanish and 1 hour devoted to medical terminology). Your afternoons are filled with such fascinating activities as visiting, interviewing, and assisting in our public hospital, clinics, nursing homes, and Red Cross. One especially popular excursion takes you to a farm of medicinal plants in San Isidro de El General. These afternoon excursions take a minimum of two hours.
Do you carry a health care license?
Students who are medically licensed can share in our Spanish Abroad volunteer medical program where they help care for patients at nursing homes, hospice clinics, the Red Cross, and public clinics. Many former students have found this time intensely rewarding. One can also volunteer for a week or more in a public clinic.
*If you are licensed and wish to participate, just bring your stethoscope, a lab jacket and a pair of scrubs (any color).
Class schedule: Spanish Classes go from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 11:00 pm, with a 15-minute break at 10:00 am. In the afternoon classes go from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. If a student, or group of students, needs to complete more hours with this Spanish medical and nursing program, we are happy to make arrangements that will satisfy any additional requirement. We are here for you!
Individual lessons: If you don’t come with a group, you can enroll as an individual Spanish medical and nursing student to receive private tutoring. Your program is intensively tailored for you and as such, consists of 2 hours of Spanish instruction and 1 hour of medical terminology per morning for a total of 15 hours of specific Spanish language instruction per week.
This program is engineered entirely around your language level; therefore it is very precise, requiring less time to accomplish the same goals as group lessons. You can start volunteer work the first week in which your level of Spanish allows you to interact with staff at different volunteer sites. Private tutoring classes go from 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
Prices for our Spanish Language Medical and Nursing Immersion Program in Costa Rica. We are working in prices for 2023.
Prices include your homestay accommodations (which provide you with a private room, breakfast, dinner, and laundry), the welcoming lunch, a city tour of San Isidro de El General, tuition, activities, class materials and your textbook.
During your first two weeks of class you will receive 3 hours of Spanish classes in the morning plus two hours of specialized medical and nursing vocabulary and phrases in the afternoon. On the following week you will start your volunteer program from 7:00am to 10:00am five days a week and three hour classes of Spanish from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Any student wishing to have additional private tutoring can do so at US$18 per hour.
Recreational tours are not included; however, your weekends are completely free so we will be happy to coordinate tours for you (for an affordable additional cost) if you want.
Payment and Additional information:
- Enrollment form required at least 3 weeks prior to joining us.
- Payment required at least one day prior to first day of classes.
- Prices include homestay, tuition, welcome lunch, city tour, activities, and class materials.
- Tours are not included but you can sign up for weekend tours at affordable prices.
- Homestay includes breakfast, dinner, laundry, and a loving family (included in all programs).
- Alternative Lodging (not included in our programs): Hotel or apartment lodgings are significantly more expensive. If you choose not to stay with a Costa Rican family this time, we can arrange for you to stay in a hotel.
- Learning with personal trainer, if no groups available: In the event that there are no groups at your level, your program switches to intensive individual instruction with a personal trainer for 2 hours per day for the same price as the 3-hour group rate.
- Learning with personal trainer for all your instruction: On the other hand, if you choose to work with a personal trainer, regardless of whether there are groups at your level, you can receive one-on-one instruction at $18 per hour.
- Learning with personal trainer after group instruction: Personal trainer instruction is available for one-on-one teaching in addition to your daily group instruction for $18 per hour. (All prices are in US dollars).
- Walk to and from school: Nearly all home stays are within walking distance of SEPA.
- Schedule: Spanish classes are Monday to Friday, 8am to 12pm with a 15-minute snack break. For those taking afternoon classes, classes are from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, with a 15-minute snack break.
- Services available on campus: Wireless, Internet, Snacks and Drinks
Are you ready to do this? You won’t regret it and neither will your patients! Enroll now!
Testimonial - Sandy Jones --- USA--2010.
My experience with Spanish Language and Environmental Protection Center (SEPA) was one of the best things I have ever done and well worth the money. As a nursing assistant, working in the Boston, Massachusetts area, I assist at least one Spanish speaking patient during each work shift. I felt it would be a good idea to take a Spanish class to improve my ability to speak more effectively with the patients, and broaden my Spanish language skills in medical terminology.
When I began my search for a summer Spanish class I knew I wanted to be in an intensive Spanish program with the opportunity to work in the community where I could apply the skills I gained in nursing school. I chose a school in Costa Rica, rather than the United States, because I had been to Costa Rica several times and felt it was a safe, fun, an unique place to be where I would be fully immersed in the Latin lifestyle.
I found SEPA online, in San Isidro de General, Costa Rica, and became very excited about the programs they had to offer. The program I chose was designed for nurses and doctors and focused on medical terminology and explored the Costa Rican Healthcare system.
A major highlight of the program was the work I did in the community. My community work was done at a long-term senior living home. For two weeks I work for four hours in the senior living home and then returned to the central area of town to meet with my instructor. The senior living home was a wonderful representation of Costa Rican community health. I fell in love with the people working and living there. This was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life!
Here is a little more information about SEPA. I entered the program for two full weeks. Nidia and Wilbure, the Directors of SEPA, went out of their way to ensure my experience was the best it could possibly be.
My communication with the school was fast and efficient and they were always available for any questions that I had prior to my visit. SEPA took the time to make sure I had all the information and even customized the program for me, because I was not part of a group. The school was able to determine my level of Spanish and ensure the learning was applicable to my specific level of Spanish.
I was paired up with a fantastic instructor, Ana Yancy. She spoke entirely in Spanish and was able to determine where my difficulties were. My sessions were one-on-one and this made the sessions intensive. Ana was creative with her teaching style and was extremely patient with me. She has a wonderful personality as well.
Some of the classes were at the SEPA location, which was in a gorgeous setting overlooking the mountains of San Isidro de General. When we were not at the SEPA location, we spent time exploring the amazing city of San Isidro. Some days we walked in and out of stores, or restaurants, chatting with the locals and my instructor corrected my Spanish when needed.
Other days we visited health institutions such as, the private and public hospitals, local clinics, and the Red Cross. Aside from the local institutions and organizations directly in San Isidro Centro, SEPA went on a field trip to a private reserve, Quebradas, which contained a botanical garden with several plants that are used in treating and healing illness.
My time at SEPA exceeded my expectations and fulfilled everything I was hoping for in a Spanish school with the emphasis in the medical profession. I intend on returning there soon to pick up where I left off and continue my Spanish language skills in medical terminology and community health.
If you have specific questions regarding SEPA, please contact me by e-mail, sando21jones@gmail.com Do it! You will not regret it!
