Cerca Abroad

Cerca Abroad Reviews

Michael
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Finding My Future in Neurosurgery

Hi, my name is Michael and I am a Canadian student coming from the University of British Columbia. I chose to do this internship because my goal is to become a doctor. When I first came I wanted to be a cardiologist, but after spending some time here I realized I am more interested in Neurosurgery. Athens is a beautiful place and I have had a lot of travelling and experiences and I got to do and see so many things. The food here is like none other. I got to see a lot of Greek islands and it has been absolutely beautiful. I would recommend this program to anyone. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sure. The people from Cerca were awesome; they would take care of everything including the housing and transport. They were very easy to work with and made me feel safe and comfortable the whole time. I will be forever grateful.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The most surprising thing for me was how quickly Greece made me rethink my entire medical path, neurosurgery.
Pros
  • Clear shift in medical interest toward neurosurgery
  • Stunning travel experiences across Athens and the islands
  • Strong support and comfort provided by the program's team
What other participants should know
  • Nothing
Rylee-Grace
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Exploring Dentistry Around the World

Hi, my name is Rylee, I am from North Carolina and I came here as a rising junior. I chose to study in Athens, Greece, because it’s beautiful and I love immersing myself in new cultures. Greece has a wonderful culture and I love learning about new dental fields and the different paths around the world. During my internship here—a three-week one—I got to watch a lot of extractions, crowns, and placing crowns—I just loved it. The doctors have been very informative and I’ve learned a lot of new anatomy terms, as well as learning about the instruments. I’ve had some hands-on experience on stone teeth. I got to prep them for a root canal; I really loved watching root canals as well. It has been a really cool experience. Cerca Abroad has been really informative. Throughout the whole process we’ve had 24/7 contact with them. When we really needed them, we could text and it’s been really great. Thank you.

What was your funniest moment?
I'd say the funniest moment was when dentist handed me a perfectly wrapped souvlaki to test my grip strength and I nearly dropped it because I was laughing so hard.
Pros
  • The dentist was eager to explin every step
  • Great balance between learning and a relaxed atmosphere
  • Easy immesion into Athens life
What other participants should know
  • Nothing
Devin-Danielle
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wildlife Conservation Work

Hello, my name is Devin-Danielle and I am a rising junior at the illustrious North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, in North Carolina, in the United States. I chose this internship because I am particularly passionate about wildlife conservation and biology and this opportunity provided me with the perfect experience for hands-on learning. So, one thing that I’ve found interesting was using these cameras to check the population density of wolves, bears, and other native species in the area. Apart from this, we track the paths of these animals and we also collect DNA of bears by going to their scratching posts and collecting hairs. Overall, I am pretty pleased with the coordination of my experience and I really enjoyed my time here. Thanks.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The most surprising thing I did was collecting bear DNA by visiting their scratching posts and gathering the hairs they left behind.
Pros
  • Unique wildlife monitoring techniques like using cameras to study population density
  • Hands-on DNA collection from bear scratching posts
  • Well-coordinated and enjoyable overall internship experience
What other participants should know
  • N/A
Sophia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Discovering My Favorite Medical Specialty

Hi. My name is Sophia and I am from Arizona. I chose a medical internship to explore different possibilities in the medical field and to kind of shadow and gain experience in a hospital. Something very exciting here was looking at different specialties. My favourite was Orthopedics, which was the highlight of this trip. The coordination was really good. It was very easy getting around. It was all very simple. Athens was gorgeous, it’s a very interesting place, so I would come back. Overall, the experience helped me appreciate how much growth can happen during a short program.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The moat surprising thing was witnessing how quickly I adapted to the clinical environment and how naturally I connected with the medical team during real patient cases.
Pros
  • The clear guidance from the team
  • The easy adjustment to the clinical setting
  • Th overall smooth experience throughout the program
What other participants should know
  • N/A
Taylor
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Path Toward Becoming a Physician

Hi, my name is Taylor, I am from Connecticut, I go to Colgate University in upstate New York. I chose to do this program to become a physician in the future. My experience with Athens so far has been wonderful. The people are incredibly friendly and even help you explore the city. My experience with Cerca has also been wonderful. They were even super helpful throughout the city, the hospital, and with the doctors here. It truly made this journey feel even more meaningful, inspiring me every day.

What was your funniest moment?
The funniest moment was when the doctors tried teaching me Greek slang and I completely butchered every single word, making everyone in the room burst out laughing.
Pros
  • Friendly doctors who helped you explore Athens
  • Supporrive guidance from Cerca throughout the hospital
  • Warm, welcoming atmosphere that made the experience enjoyable
What other participants should know
  • Nothing negative to report
Tayyibah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A First Look Into Medical Life Abroad

Hello, my name is Tayyibah and I am from the University of Bradford, I am twenty years old. I chose the medical program for the experience because I wanted to take a look at something different overall and the medical placement was a good experience for me. The people and the doctors were nice and helpful. Overall, I believe that I’ve had a great experience. The staff are helpful, nice and kind. So, during my medical placement I’ve seen a lot of different surgeries. Medically, it was a different experience for me overall. Athens itself is a beautiful city. The people are nice and helpful and there are a lot of tourist attractions as well.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The most surprising part was how naturally I adapted to observing so many surgeries!
Pros
  • Saw a wide vairety of surgeries
  • Worked with kind , supportive medical staff who made the experience smooth
  • Enjoyed learning in Athens, a beautiful city full of welcoming people and great sights
What other participants should know
  • Nothing
Reece
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Seeing Psychology in a New Culture

Hi, my name is Reece, I am from the University of Newcastle, Australia. I am in my second year of studying Psychology and I chose to study abroad because I really wanted to see what it was like studying in a different culture and also for some personal and professional experience. I really enjoyed studying here with Cerca Abroad in the Iasis Centre, because it has given me such a good example of group therapy and it’s given me motivation to work in group therapy one day and it truly broadened my perspective.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The most surprising thing was seeing how group therapy works in a different culture and realizing how strongly it motivated me to pursue it in the future.
Pros
  • Strong exposure to group therapy in a new cultural setting
  • Boost in professional motivation
  • Valuable insight into therapeutic dynamics
What other participants should know
  • N/A
Sophie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Veterinary Medicine and Stray Animal Care

Hi, my name is Sophie, I am from Washington, U.S., and I go to Washington State University. I chose to do this internship because I wanted to have a hands-on experience in the area of medicine and I just wanted to see how it works in another country. I got to see some really cool surgeries and I also saw some interesting work with stray animals. I am very happy with the coordination of this internship by Cerca Abroad, they would always answer questions, there was always someone to answer them, there was a lot of support. I really enjoyed my stay in Thessaloniki, it was really fun to see some very cool restaurants and also go to the beaches and there were things to see outside.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
Honestly, seeing how calmly the vets handled a stray animal that came in unexpectedly was the thing that caught me most off guard.
Pros
  • Great exposure to real clinical cases
  • Excellent support and communication throughout
  • Fun, easy stay with beaches and great food nearby
What other participants should know
  • Nothing
Eesha
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Finding My Medical Path in Greece

Hi, my name is Eesha and I come from San Diego, California, in the United States. I decided to join this Greek medical program just to explore other specialties in medicine and figure out which would interest me the most. One of my highlights was scrubbing into a carpal tunnel surgery, which in America I would never have been able to do for another five or six years, so that was really cool. The coordination was super easy, and they were able to send taxi and information responses quite fast. My favorite thing about Athens is the food and shopping.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
Scrubbing into a carpal-tunnel surgery years earlier than expected was the moment that truly stunned me.
Pros
  • Early expose to real surgical procedures
  • Smooth, fast coordination throughout the program
  • Great food and shopping in Athens
What other participants should know
  • N/A
Ashley
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My First Experience With Small Animals

Hello, I am Ashley, I am from Kansas City, Kansas, at Kansas State University for my undergraduate. I decided to go through this program to get more experience with small animals because at Kansas State I do a lot of agricultural and environment animals and this just gave me the chance to experience working with small animals, what this is all about. I’ve had a lot of good experiences here, I’ve been able to see a lot of surgeries and physical exams on animals and see in a lot of different animals what’s normal and abnormal. The vets here have been really nice, they’re really good about making sure I know what’s going on. Here in Athens it’s been great. Even during the winter time for me it’s pretty warm and not that difficult to walk around and just see the sights because just by walking around you can get to see a lot of things. Cerca Abroad has been really good about making sure I was comfortable wherever I was going, from providing the apartment to the vet clinic and how to get there and everything. So, it’s been a good overall experience.

What was your funniest moment?
The funniest moment was when a tiny puppy tried to help during an exam by constantly climbing into my lap instead of staying on the table.
Pros
  • Great exposure to real small animal cases
  • Kind vets who explain clearly
  • Easy, comfortable setup from Cerca
What other participants should know
  • Nothing