Medicine Schools and Programs in Costa Rica

Medicine Studies in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, medicine is a first university degree that students enter directly after secondary school. Graduates qualify as general practitioners; a medical speciality is a separate postgraduate stage. Teaching and clinical practice are in Spanish.

SpainExchange lists 2 schools in Costa Rica with medicine programmes, both in San José: the public Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) and the private Universidad Internacional de las Américas (UIA).

How the medical degree is organised

At UCR, the Escuela de Medicina teaches the Bachillerato en Ciencias Médicas y Licenciatura en Medicina y Cirugía. The programme runs over six years. According to the school, seeing patients is an essential part of almost every course from the third to the sixth year. Study plans are measured in the university's own credits, not in ECTS credits; UCR explains that one credit stands for three hours of work.

The sixth year is the rotating internship (internado). It is compulsory for graduation and for later registration as a general practitioner. The UCR internship has five blocks of 73 days each: surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology and obstetrics, internal medicine, and community and family health. UCR students do it in health centres of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), the public health service. Before starting, they must have passed all earlier courses and an exam for a clinical place set by CENDEISSS, the CCSS body that regulates clinical placements.

The UCR medical school was created by law in 1947, opened as a faculty in 1958 and graduated its first 11 doctors in 1965. The school states that its programme was first accredited by SINAES, the national accreditation system, in 2001 and is now in its fourth re-accreditation. It also holds international accreditation from the Mexican council COMAEM, valid until 15 December 2027.

The UIA was approved in 1986 by CONESUP, the council that authorises private universities, and lists Medicina among its degree programmes. Its academic year has three 15-week terms (cuatrimestres), and new students can start in January, May or September.

Admission and language

Entry to UCR is through the university's admission exam, an academic aptitude test with mathematical and verbal reasoning items. For medicine no other test is required, but competition is strong: the school reports 110 places for applicants entering through the exam, and the cut-off score is the score of the last applicant admitted, so it changes every year. Students from abroad who want the full degree follow the same process.

At the UIA, new students present their secondary-school certificate. A certificate obtained abroad must carry an apostille or consular legalisation and be recognised by the Ministerio de Educación Pública of Costa Rica. Foreign applicants also submit a passport, an apostilled birth certificate and a criminal-record certificate.

Neither school publishes a medicine degree in English. UCR asks non-native exchange students for Spanish at CEFR level B2 or higher, which is a useful benchmark for any applicant.

The UIA states that it is accredited by the Costa Rican immigration authority, which allows it to help with the student permit. Students accepted for a mobility stay receive an acceptance letter addressed to the Costa Rican consulate in their country, which is the basis for the visa application.

Costs

UCR charges per credit, at the same rate for every degree, and bills a maximum of 12 credits per semester. In the 2026 fee table, the full undergraduate rate for foreign students is ₡58,410 per credit, with a ceiling of ₡700,920; scholarship categories reduce it. The UIA is a private university and charges tuition per term; ask the university for current amounts, as the pages consulted do not list them.

After the degree: specialities and recognition

A general practitioner who wants to specialise sits exams set by the CCSS and competes for a training place. According to the UCR school, a speciality takes between 3 and 6 more years, and more than 30 specialities are offered in the country. UCR also has academic master's degrees in the medical sciences, for example in neurological sciences. Doctors can also work in research, teaching or administration.

Anyone with a university degree obtained outside Costa Rica who wants to practise in the country must have it recognised. The procedure is run by the Oficina de Reconocimiento y Equiparación (ORE) of CONARE together with the state universities. The UCR school notes that the internship is an essential requirement when a foreign medical degree is assessed. Graduates who want to work in another country should check its recognition rules.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study medicine in Costa Rica?

At the Universidad de Costa Rica the degree takes six years, including the final-year rotating internship. A speciality adds between 3 and 6 years.

Can I study medicine in Costa Rica in English?

The schools listed here teach in Spanish, and clinical practice takes place in Costa Rican health centres. UCR asks non-native exchange students for at least a B2 level of Spanish.

How do I get a place at the Universidad de Costa Rica?

You sit the UCR admission exam and apply to medicine with your score. The school reports 110 places for new applicants, and the cut-off score changes every year.

Is a foreign school-leaving certificate accepted?

Yes, once it is recognised. The UIA asks for the certificate with an apostille and its recognition by the Ministerio de Educación Pública of Costa Rica.