My summer abroad surgical shadowing experience in Perugia, Italy, was truly life-changing. I had the incredible opportunity to observe skilled surgeons, network with doctors, and connect with other students from around the world. Most of the main doctors spoke English, but downloading Duolingo and embracing the Italian culture made the experience even richer. Exploring the city and hospital taught me so much, not just about medicine, but about myself. This program solidified my decision to pursue surgery, and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in this program and was able to learn so much about the medical system in Europe, especially how different countries varied from each other. In doing so, I was also able to compare how the European medical system differed from the US healthcare system. Besides learning, I got to travel so much, try new foods, and immerse myself in the culture and history of the countries I stayed in. I got to meet so many amazing people throughout this trip and had lots of fun!

This was a super meaningful and memorable program! I really enjoyed meeting individuals from different backgrounds and learning more about the Greek healthcare system. Additionally, my city managers were so kind and helpful, and I hope to continue my friendships with everyone I met. Witnessing 10+ surgeries and shadowing different departments was a very unique and rewarding experience for me that made me realise how dedicated I am to providing such care to future patients. I recommend this program to everyone.

I really enjoyed shadowing in Budapest over the summer through the Atlantis pre med program. I learned a lot at the hospital I went to and became friends with all of the doctors. Some gave me letters of recommendation and some I am still in contact with. Also it was cool to see how healthcare is done in another country other than America where I live. There were a lot of cool differences. It was also cool to do excursions on our trip like taking a boat on a lake and eating at nice restaurants. This trip was the best moments of my life up to this point and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of going to become a doctor as it teaches you a lot about what it is like to be a doctor and you get to have fun doing it.

Over the summer, I participated in the Atlantis shadowing program in Lisbon, and I loved it! I got the chance to interact with many different medical providers which allowed me to get first-hand perspectives on what it is like to work in the medical field. One thing that pleasantly surprised me was the fact that I was not only able to interact with physicians, but I also got to interact with other professionals such as nurses, which also offer a unique perspective on the field. It was very interesting to observe how the medical system works in Portugal, as it opened my eyes to how medicine differs and is similar around the world. Additionally, I loved getting the opportunity to learn more about what life is like in Portugal. Personally, I enjoyed being able to live life as people typically do in Lisbon, such as being able to walk everywhere and take public transportation. I loved learning about the Portuguese culture, especially through my amazing city managers! Overall, this experience was incredible and allowed me to learn more about medicine while simultaneously learning more about a culture different to my own.

This experience was amazing. I finally got to travel on my own which I was nervous about but Atlantis made it very easy to navigate. I had so much fun, I got to learn so many new things from both the medical side and personal side. I got to experience a different culture and try so many new foods. I loved that we didn’t have to stay at the program location on the weekends and we could travel outside as well, we ended up going to madrid and portugal. I also made some great new friends and we still talk to this day.

I really loved being in Spain to grow myself in medical field. The country was amazing, I loved the architecture, culture, and people as well. Of course the hospital experience was amazing itself as well. Everyday I learned something new which made me gain more knowledge in medicine. I was able to do more than 60 hours of shadowing and the hospital staff was very helpful and friendly. Also the fact that I shadowed in both private and public hospitals it helped me to understand how healthcare works in both sides.

I experienced amazing things in the hospital. Staff is so wonderful, I saw so much and more than expected. I learned an incredible amount about Cape Verde and medicine in general. Besides the shadowing, the experiences from the island and the activities we did taught me the rich history of a country I didn’t know existed. On those journeys and in housing, I also made lifelong friends. They are people I still talk to, including the city manager. Atlantis staff and the locals loved having us come and wanting to learn about their country. It’s definitely somewhere I will be visiting again.