San Jose, Costa Rica awaits me 🙂
By: Jayme Flores
Hello everyone! My name is Jayme Flores, and I am a Behavioral Neuroscience major at Florida State University. I am a Global Scholar for the 2025-2026 cohort, and will be conducting my summer experience in June of this year. The Global Scholars program is a great experience not only in developing an experience and seeing it come to life, but also in helping students understand how a specific topic can apply to different parts of the world. This program, to me personally, has provided me with guidance not to settle for surface-level answers to prominent problems in our world, but rather to want to know the who, what, when, how, and why things happen in our world. As I have gone through the spring theory course at FSU, I have learned a great deal of information about what it means to be curious and want to probe into different people and cultures, as well as the importance of understanding how to be ethical and responsible about it. I plan on using this Global Scholarship experience by stepping into unfamiliar spaces and creating connections with the people in Costa Rica, which will allow me to form new perspectives on healthcare, professionalism, and most importantly, culture.
This summer, I will be traveling to the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose. My experience will include volunteering in assisted living centers for elderly and disabled individuals. As a pre-med student intending to work in primary care, I believe this opportunity will provide me with a global context for healthcare and its limitations. As a volunteer with IVHQ, I will be tasked with providing companionship, assisting with feeding and bathing, changing beds, and organizing physical and mental relief activities for the patients. Being from a Hispanic family, I am most looking forward to immersing myself in the culture.
A big part of why I chose to base my experience in Costa Rica was my ability to speak the language and my familiarity with the food and culture. I hope to build memories and provide a lasting impact on the patients I come across. Already, from my work in healthcare, I have learned many lessons and stories, and this experience will provide a new light into lives that are completely different from my own. However, because I will be in a new country for a long period of time, I do feel some apprehension about entering a vulnerable environment like the clinics. I understand and will bring forward my patient and cultural awareness to ensure that the people I encounter feel comfortable with me.
My CBI focuses on how socioeconomic status influences access to healthcare resources in Costa Rica. Based on research I have done previously, Costa Rica has a clear barrier between the wealthier and lower-income communities, which causes limitations for many people. I chose to investigate this topic because my family in El Salvador has had many deaths due to living in rural communities, and because of their poor financial state, they don’t have access to private physicians or even transportation to local hospitals at times. This topic heavily resonated with me, and when deciding on my country of focus, Costa Rica stood out for its consistent problems with this issue. To further investigate this topic, I plan on using semi-structured interviews with patients and healthcare workers. I plan on basing my interviews on open-ended questions. I also want to provide my interviewees with the opportunity to speak from their hearts and share what they feel needs to be communicated through my project. My research will be documented through daily journals, notes, and, if allowed, audio recordings. I expect the impact of my research to give a voice to patients who are overlooked. I intend my research to highlight the barriers and the emotional effects of healthcare inequality.
During my time in Costa Rica, I will be living with a host family. I plan on integrating myself into the community by participating in events, being out in the community, and sitting down and having a conversation with them. I also want to prepare some fun “American” activities and introduce them to things from the USA, and this will provide a safe space for them to be open with me as well!
HSF House Blogs 