EVERYONE LIKES PANAMA

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Greetings med studentsaround the world!

If you are reading this is because of the following two things: First, you were accepted for doing a clerkship in this amazing country or second you are considering to apply for a clerkship here in Panama. In both cases this is the page for you. In here you will find the top ten tips for a medical student here in Panama; the main cultural, his-torical and social places you don't want to miss, and contact info so you can plan your social pro-gram way before you even arrive to the Canal country!

If you have any question about anything down here contact us! We will be happy to help you:

Yozman Pineda: NEO-in +507 62532233Geamfran Espino: NEO-out +507 67814137neo@ifmsapanama.org

Panama is waiting for you... Remember you will be here for a month, but Panama will live in your heart forever

INTRODUCTIONIn this magazine we will describe you, the medical students from around the world, all the main things panama have to o�er you now that you are either coming or thinking of coming for a clerkship.

We will give you tips about our country, its costume, traditions, ways of comu-nication, people and places you must visit for a full panamenian experience besides your work in the hospital.Also how to move, how to get to the hospital, and who we are. Enjoy.

1) TAXIS

2) METROBUS & METRO

10 TOP THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Depending of the distance you are taking it will charge you, but most of them is lower than 5$ is cheap don’t worry. But You always have to be carefull where you take it, how the driver looks, how the taxi looks itself and be aware that a lot of them will tell you «no voy».

The metro is brand new and has only one straight line that will drop you right next to the hospital is 70¢ total. The metrobus is 25¢ and has almost all the rutes. You will need for both a card you can buy in malls, farmacy and spots inside the metro

3) DIABLO ROJOSAnother type of bus it also costs 25¢, but it has di�erent rutes that the metrobus doesn’t have, and is quite a experience hopping in. It’s fast, it’s loud with a lot of local music or reggae. Just be a little careful. ;)

10 TOP THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

4) MALLS

5) PROVINCES

There are quite plenty malls in the city and very cheap, depending on the area prices can vary a little bit. Multiplaza and Multicentro are both in Paitilla. There is also Albrook Mall, which is one of the biggest. You will need more than one day to see ev-erything, Metromall, El dorado y Los Pueblos

Panama has nine provinces and you can get to most of them from the «gran terminal de buses» located in albrook mall, and depending of your destination the cost will vary, but is not that expensive. It’s very a�ord-able

Bocas del toro

Mall Multiplaza Pacific

Isla Grande, Colón Boquete, Chiriquí El Valle, Coclé

10 TOP THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

6) MUST VISIT PLACES!There are some places in the city you can’t miss! Like Causeway of Amador, Cinta Costera, Esclusas de Miraflores/Panama Canal, Casco Viejo, Parque omar, Panama Viejo and if you are into seafood be sure to visit El Mercado del Marisco. You can eat very cheap ceviche

7) TURISTIC PLACES This places are located in the prov-inces you can’t leave Panama with-out visiting on of these. San blas, Bocas del Toro, Volcan, Boquete, Valle de Anton, Portobelo, Playa Venao, Isla de Punta Galeta (Smith-sonian), Summit Zoo and Isla Taboga.

8) NEAR THE CITY BEACHESMost of these beaches are very close to the city they could take between 20 minutes to an hour or a little bit more. We have Veracruz, Punta Chame, Gorgona, Coronado, San Carlos, Punta Barco, Playa Blanca and many more.

Causeway de Amador

Portobelo, Colón

Coronado, Panamá

10 TOP THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

9) HOSPITALSSanto Tomas, Centro Metropoli-tano Arnulfo Arias Madrid CSS, Hospital Nacional, Hospital Paitil-la and Hospital Punta Pacifica

10) ENJOY PANAMAWe hope you enjoy our country and just have fun. Get to know as much as you can, try all the food you can find and if you need any-thing just ask. It’s all about the ex-perience so make sure you live a great one!

Hospital Punta Pacífica

·HOSPITAL SANTO TOMÁS·

This is the hospital where most medical students do their prac-tices, and so will you. It’s located in Calle 37 Este in Balboa Avenue, Panama City.

The floor and guard where you will do your clerkship depends on the speciality where you will do your practice in. Doctors, nurses and other students are accesible and decent, just ask and they will lead you around.

·CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES·

FRIDAY 4TH SATURDAY 5TH SUNDAY 6THWelcome

Dinner in +54Mostrorante

Guided Tour in Casco Viejo.

Panama CanalDay

Take one leaving Plaza Catedral at 10 a.m , 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. in the morning. for free.

Panama Canal DayNationals: B /. 3.00Foreigners: B /. $ 159:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

Metropolitan National Park

Option #2

Rates for Visitors: Nationals and Residents with ID: Ages 18 + $ .1.00

Foreigners 18+ (Students) $ .4.00

Because as medical students, that are also young and still fresh, we need our

dose of fun…..here are some events you can go while staying in Panama

JULY

Casco Viejo

·CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES·

FRIDAY 11TH SATURDAY 12TH SUNDAY 13THOption ·1

Boquete,ChiriquíOption ·2

The ValleyOption ·3

Isla Mamey, ColónDEPARTURE: From

Friday afternoonFee: Bus Terminal in Albrook Mall. Less than 5$ and buses leave every half an hour.

DEPARTURE: Friday afternoon the Albrook bus terminal

Fee: 18.50$ Direct Terminal

Only on Sundays

Fee:Less then 7$ Boat round trip.

SATURDAY 19TH SUNDAY 20THOption ·1San Blas

Beautiful Paradise More Information In

the upcoming pages.

Option ·2Bocas del ToroBeautiful Paradise

More Information In the upcoming

pages.

You Defiantly don’t want to miss this!

·CASCO VIEJO·

Casco Viejo is the second only to the Panama Canal as a tourist des-tination in Panama. However, the streets are not crowded with tour-ists and there are not the typical solicitors in the streets as you would find in many other cities in Central America.

Essentially, Casco Viejo is a melt-ing pot of many cultures converg-ing in one place which is truly unlike any other!

Casco Viejo is also home to the Presidential Palace. The plazas of Casco Viejo, such as Plaza de Cat-edral, Plaza Bolivar, Plaza de Fran-cia, Plaza Herrera and others, are social meeting places for resi-dents and visitors alike.

There are restaurants (some of the best in the city in fact), cafes, bou-tiques, shops, beautiful buildings surrounding the plazas and im-maculately manicured gardens.

Visit www.cascoviejo.org

·PANAMA CANAL·

Since its opening, which occurred on August 15 of 1914, has had the e�ect of shortening over time and distance maritime communica-tion, boosting the economic ex-change by providing a path of short transit and relatively cheap between the two oceans and de-cisively influencing patterns of world trade, boosting economic growth in developed and devel-oping countries, in addition to providing the basic impetus for economic expansion in many remote regions of the world.

The best place to visit is the Canal Visitor Center at Miraflores Locks. Only 20 minutes from downtown Panama City. The center includes a museum with interactive exhib-its about the history of the Canal, heroes, the ecosystem, as well as an excellent film about the con-struction of the Canal.

Visit www.panamacanal.com

·METROPOLITAN PARK·

The Metropolitan Natural Park is located in the district of Panama, in the area of Ancon. It is the only Rainforest Park in the American Tropics, located in a city. This is a small portion of land of 232 acres reverted to Panamanian administration in the eighties after being administered by the United States since the beginning of the canal era. Today is part of a relatively continuous vegetation belt extend-ing along the east bank of the Canal of Panama, consisting of the Sovereignty and Camino de Cruces National Park, besides the Met-ropolitan.

The park conforms with the Camino de Cruces National Park and the Metropolitan Park biological corridor that stretches along the east bank of the Panama Canal.

You can explore and observe the flora and fauna of this unique habitat as the road of Mono Titi or the Sendero La Cieneguita.Visit : http://www.parquemetropolitano.org/espanol/

·The Valley of Anton·

El Valle is a village in the province of Coclé. Is also known as the home of eternal spring for its pleasant climate and flowering plants all year. El Valle is a unique community because it is the only inhabited volcano in the world.

Places of InterestThermal wells: There are two cement pools below the canopy of the jungle, filled with hot mineral water (38 degrees Celsius). An-other attraction is a clay mineral which is used for facial masks or cover the entire body. There is also a recreation area and a play-ground. Open daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Price: Adults $ 3.00Chorro Macho: It is the largest waterfall in the region with a fall of 70 m in height. It is only 30 minutes walk from the town center. Open daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Admission: $ 3.50Mercadito del ValleLa India Dormida

·The Valley of Anton·

How to get to Valle de Anton?

The bus cost is less than $ 5.00 per person. Panama-The Valley Buses depart about every half hour. The trip takes about 2 hours depending on tra�c. Almost all journey is done on the highway last 28km up the mountain and down into the crater in a street of asphaltenes. The first bus leaves the city of Panama, around 7:00 am and the last out of the Valley to Panama at 4:00 pm.

If you miss the bus Panama- El Valle, the bus from San Carlos-El Valle o�ers until 6:00 pm or 7:00 pm. Only for $ 1.00 dollar will transport you from the Valley to the Interamerican Highway, where you can then take a bus to take you to the city of Panama or elsewhere.

Lodge Options

Hostel Cariguana: Rooms for 2 people (B/.55) and 4 (B/.77) have availability for the dates.

http://hostalcariguana.galeon.com/

Hotel Don Pepe: All rooms come with 2 beds initially to B /. 49 (includes TV, bathroom with hot water and ceiling fan). If they want to add a bed is $ 10 per bed. Have availability for the dates.

http://www.elvalle.com.pa/hoteles/hotel-don-pepe/

·Boquete, Chiriquí·

Chiriqui means "Valley of the Moon 'for indigenous Ngobe-Bugle. A province full of culture, tradition, manners and above many places to meet. Among these, the district of Boquete that is an at-tractive region located in the highlands of this province. It is in a charming valley with such tourist sites as Boquete, Bajo Boquete, Los Naranjos, Caldera, and Palmira. The slopes of the mountains surrounding this beautiful valley are covered with co�ee and flower plantations, two of the most im-portant products of the region. This district is known for having a template climate, unlike his province and most of the country, be-cause the district is settled in the Central Cordillera.

Ecotourism is the main tourism district. Apart from the routes to the top of Volcan Baru, walks are through the Quetzal Trail, which connects the district with the town of Boquete, Volcano.

·Boquete, Chiriquí·

Places of Interest

Boquete Tree Trek: In here you doing canopy and if you want, go to the co�ee tasting http://www.boquetetreetrek.com/tours.phpCanopy: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm. Duration: 4 hours. Cost: B/. 65.00Co�ee tour: 9:00 am- 1:00 p.m. Duration: 3 hours.Cost: B/. 30.00The lost Waterfalls Chiriqui River Rafting http://www.panama-rafting.com/The climbing rock http://panamarockclimbing.blogspot.com/

How to get to Boquete?You can go from Panama City to Boquete taking a bus ($ 18.50) from the Albrook Bus Terminal to David and take a taxi or bus that leaves every hour in Boquete and costs B/.1.00

Lodging Options

Hostal Mamallena: We have 3 bedrooms with 4 bunk beds each (8 people per bedroom). All bedrooms are mixed. 12 dollars per person. http://www.mamallenaboquete.com/

·Isla Mamey, Colón·

Isla Mamey is a place with lots of peace and quiet to relax and get away for a while, short of complete isolation, as it is a fairly acces-sible. People are very friendly and there is a beautiful landscape, characteristic of our Panama.

This is a small island (about 4000 m2) in Costa Arriba of Colon province, just 200 meters from the mainland and just over one nautical mile of the community of Puerto Lindo. Part of Portobelo National Park.

The place is ideal for camping and snorkeling. You need to bring water and food from the mainland.

·San Blas·

Guna Yala is a comarca, or indigenous territory, in Panama in-habited by the Guna ethnic group. Its capital is El Porvenir. It borders the Caribbean Sea to the north, the province of Darién and the Emberá- Wounnan indigenous territory to the south, Colombia to the east, and the province of Colón to the west.

Guna Yala in the Guna language means "Guna Land" or "Guna Mountain." The area was known as San Blas up until 1982, then later as Kuna Yala. The name was changed again in October 2011 when the Guna people asserted that the letter "K" is not pronounced in their native language and Kuna was switched to Guna. The o�cial name for the region is now Guna Yala.

·San Blas·

How to get to San Blas?

A 4x4 vehicle should be used for this trip, taking the Pan-American Highway from Panama City towards the province of Darién. At the village of El Llano, turn left and northwards to ascend the mountain range and then back down on the other side until you reach the Caribbean Sea. Here the Guna will be waiting with their boats to take you to the di�erent islands.

·Bocas del Toro·

The province of Bocas del Toro is located in the Caribbean Sea. The city of Bocas del Toro, located on Colón Island, has a very tropical and festive environment. The archipelago is composed of 9 islands, 50 keys, and more than 200 islets with beautiful beaches.

Also, Bocas has one of the best nightlifes in the region. Just as with everything in our world, there is something for everyone.

ACADEMIC TOUR $195.00

IMPORTANT

The package includes:·Round trip Bus tickets·Boat Rides to Colon Island and Almirante·Stay of 2 nights and 3 breaksfasts.·Tours: -Friday: ·Tour around the town and visit to the Research Center of Smithsonian. ·Bus ride to Boca del Drago and Playa Estrella.-Saturday: ·Tour on Dolphin’s Bay, Cayo Coral and Red Frog Island.Sunday: ·Tour on Carenero Beaches and visit to La Fortuna.·Snorkel Rental·ANAM Taxes

Departure: Centennial at 11:45 P.M. on Thursday, july 17th Return: Sunday, July 20th before 2:00 P.M.

Contact: Professor Matilde 6982-9717 e-mail: maborue@hotmail.com

·Bocas del Toro·

·Last Details·

·Websites·

If you are planning on going to one of this events, trips or provinces please let us know on the mail we gave you

before to count you in. Remember that these event’s fees are not included.

You can also enter our wikis for more information:http://bit.ly/ifmsapanama

http://bit.ly/ifmsapanamaconditions

http://hospitalsantotomas.gob.pahttp://www.thevisitorpanama.com/

http://www.visitpanama.comhttp://www.acp.gob.pa

·Contact us·oficiales@ifmsapanama.org

EVERYONE LIKES PANAMA

enjoy panama!