Esther Kang is an undergraduate student at Scripps College majoring in human biology on the pre-health track. Aside from her passions to improve access to healthcare and higher education, she collects and sells secondhand clothing online, as well as going to the beach at sunset. – She will be writing weekly blogs from her perspective about being involved in the Summer 2024 Pitzer Costa Rica Summer Health program at ICADS
Week 2
¡Hola! It’s Esther again, here to share more about my experience studying abroad in Costa Rica. As a part of my short six-week summer program, I took two courses: Intensive Spanish and Sociology of Health and Health Care in Costa Rica. I also had the opportunity to intern at one of the many public primary care clinics where I shadowed a general practitioner who serves a patient population of 14,000 and sees an average of 32 patients a day.
During my internship and especially my homestay experience, …
I used the wrong conjugation.
Misunderstood directions.
Took the wrong bus.
Left the house too late.
Didn’t plan my trip well.
However, I learned to turn these mistakes into something even better:
Used the wrong conjugation? There are many irregular verbs in Spanish to learn; we’re just getting started!
Misunderstood directions? That’s okay–I’m now one step more familiar with this area!
Took the wrong bus? Public transportation can be confusing!
Left the house too late? I’ll get to my destination on time next time, if not early!
Didn’t plan the trip well? We’ll maximize our time during our next free weekend!
I came to Costa Rica with a limited proficiency in Spanish, which I attribute many of my errors to. However, I was happy to be corrected by locals, my host family, and professors, and now, I’ll never make the same mistakes again as I continue speaking Spanish wherever I go!
Nos vemos,
Esther
