Cerca Abroad

Program Reviews

Brooke
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Beloved travel in a beautiful country

Hi, my name is Brooke, I am from Los Angeles, California, in the U.S. I just finished my undergraduate with premed. I chose to come to Greece because it is so beautiful. I’ve loved traveling all around here, having seen all the islands and the beaches. But also because I was getting a lot of the exposure that I wasn’t able to get in my country. For example I was able to sit in on a lot of surgeries that I wouldn’t be able to in America, so that has been an amazing experience for me.
Some highlights would be traveling, riding a moped, seeing Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, traveling through the city, that has been amazing. I’ve made some really close friendships here as well, and the food is also very good to eat. In matters of coordination they have been great, everyone has been super helpful. they’ve been nearby when you needed them- gladly we had not really need them on this trip, but they would be very happy to help and easy to talk to. So, it’s a bliss.

What was your funniest moment?
My funniest experience was when I was cycling on the pedestrian paths around the Acropolis. It was a truly beautiful moment, gazing at the magnificent view and gaining a sense of history. I felt like a child discovering the world.
Pros
  • Happy people
  • Amazing landcapes
  • The experience of observing a surgery
Cons
  • None
Logan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Watching surgeries as the best part of a great travel experience

Hello, my name is Logan Peck, I am from Oklahoma, I go to Oklahoma State University and I study biology premed. I wanted to do this internship so I can build my resume and get a more hands- on experience within the medical community. The best part of the internship for me was going to the hospital and see all the surgeries. It was very interesting to actually see and kind of get-to-do a hands on experience with that. It’s just something that I would never get to do in the US, as I have to guess.
The actual program was run very well, I had a really nice apartment, the metro is very easy to use and the hospital staff was great. Athens in general is such an amazing city, it’s so beautiful, the history and the culture is so rich. I really loved to see the Acropolis and (it was all very nice). It was a great experience.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The best part of the internship for me was going to the hospital and see all the surgeries. It was very interesting to actually see and kind of get-to-do a hands on experience with that.
Pros
  • Building my resume
  • A hands on experience
  • Athens is an amazing city with culture and history
Cons
  • Nothing to say
Isabelle
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A beautiful program to get a better understanding of dentistry

Hi everyone, my name is Isabelle Joffe. I’ve currently just finished my last year at Adelphi University and I’m starting dental school in July. I decided to do his program to just get a better understanding of dentistry before I start my dental school journey. I’ve loved working with the doctor here. He was amazing and extremely educated in his craft. He showed me so many things I haven’t seen before. He even let me drill on a real tooth. He showed me how to prep a crown and do a routine and all that staff- it was so awesome.
The Cerca Abroad staff was amazing. On Whatsapp, someone is always there. You can text them any second and they will respond as soon as possible.
I also loved Athens, it’s so beautiful here, the people are amazing, the food is amazing, the metro system is really clean and accessible and I just loved my whole experience here. I would recommend it to anyone.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
That the doctor let me drill on a real tooth.
Pros
  • The doctor was amazing and extremely educated in his craft
  • A better understanding of dentistry
  • The people and the food are amazing
Cons
  • Nothing to say
Ankita
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Real life experience in gorgeous city of Athens

Hi, I’m Ankita, I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and I go to school at the University of Pittsburgh. I chose the internship to go abroad this summer because I’m going to graduate school in a year and I wanted some real life experience in something other than the US
About my internship, it was really interesting being here, I am at the Iasis day center, and we don’t really have something like a Day Centre back home in the States, so it was really cool to see a psychiatric work that occurs outside of the country and how it occurs in different locations. I am right now in Athens Greece and I’m doing my internship with Iasis as I said before, and I am so happy with the coordination from Cerca Abroad. This experience is something like, I never would have thought I would be able to go through a helping with group therapy and help with planning activities with patients and having a one- on- one connection. It’s just so incredible. I love staying in Athens Greece- that’s where I am currently located. I think it is so fun here and there’s so much to do besides just working. There’s just so much like fun staff I can do on the weekends and during the week days and everyone here is just so kind and generous.

What was your funniest moment?
The first time i saw people having fun in the night life of Athens
Pros
  • Observing a psychiatric work that occurs outside of the country
  • The lovable city of Athens
  • A real life experience
Cons
  • N/A
MAHEN
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A program that offers great laboratory skills

My name is Mahen and I am from Vancouver, Canada. I am an engineering student from the Langara College. I chose this biotechnology internship to gain transferable laboratory skills and some exposure to active work. I believe this internship would help my career as an aspiring bioengineer. During my time here in this lab I was able to see various lab procedures that are used in industry and academia. Some of them being DNA extraction and PCR. Other than that, Thessaloniki is beautiful during the summertime and the view from the white tower cannot be missed. Time flies by here. With the arrangements made by Cerca Abroad, I was mostly happy. Just be ready to have some off line time. There will be times when you may need to disconnect from everything and soak in the experience. I found the city to be really accessible, so this made my experience very nice. Everybody is friendly here and you won’t find any trouble finding the things that you need. If you’re confident, you can make your experience one of a kind and unforgettable.

What was your funniest moment?
My visit to White tower
Pros
  • A gain of transferable laboratory skills
  • The beautiful city of Thessaloniki
  • Very friendly people
Cons
  • Nothing to say
Jamie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Very valuable experience for the future

Hi, I am Jamie, I live in Western Australia, I am English, I go to the University of Western Australia. A major in neuroscience. I chose to come to Greece to do this internship for a lot of practical experience which I think will be very valuable for the future, as I am preparing for applying for the medical school. I saw a lot of really cool things here at the Metropolitan General. I think the biggest of all was surgeries, which was very cool. Some of the cardiology units and neurology as well for me.
I was impressed by Cerca Abroad, they are very accommodating. They took me from the airport to the accommodation and they’re just in general very helpful, which obviously is good.
Athens in general was fantastic. I really enjoyed going to the Acropolis. Monastiraki with the markets there, where I got some presents for friends and family back home. I also went to a lot of museums which is something I have enjoyed. I went to some of the pubs which is quite cool. There’s some really delicious street food which is really positive. I think that’s mostly it. I would definitely come back.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I think the biggest of all was surgeries, which was very cool. Some of the cardiology units and neurology as well for me.
Pros
  • Very valuable experience for the future
  • Athens in general was fantastic
  • A lot of museums which is something I have enjoyed
Cons
  • N/A
Tahnee
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Greece, a very interesting and beautiful country with well founded organizations

My name is Tahnee, I am from Mexico City. I’m twenty five and I’m studying psychology at the Open University in Madrid. (As I could ? today ? Erasmus plus) to be able to do my internship and my practices that are mandatory for me to be able to finish University and I chose Greece because I believe it is a very interesting country and in some ways it is a little like my country, so that’s why I thought I could fit in Greece. And I did, I really liked it. I really like the program and Iasis in general. I think it’s a very interesting and well founded organization. I am very pleased with everything that I’ve learnt. Even if it was in a different language, some things, I felt like really everyone was very welcoming and yes, I really liked it I am really grateful with my mentor Eleni. I am also very grateful with the whole team because I’ve actually learnt, I realized that I’m really studying the right thing, because of my practices so I’m really happy. I encourage anyone to come to Iasis and get to know everything they do because it’s a very big, interesting organization.
So, I’ve experienced many interesting things during this internship but I think for my field of work which is psychology and as I said, it was very interesting to be able to have very close contact with clinical population and I’ve learnt a lot about them and I think I realize that I want to continue working with people with mental health problems. I am very pleased about the program, the people I’ve met and about the diversity of different nationalities and volunteers they have. The activities were really interesting to me, like Greek dances so I’ve learnt a lot about a culture of the world which was a good adapt to my internship. I am looking forward to come back.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
There are many things to see in Greece so plan to stay long enough to see it all
Pros
  • Able to have very close contact with clinical population
  • Work with people with mental health problems
  • Learnt a lot about a culture of the world which was a good adapt to my internship.
Cons
  • I wish I could stay longer
Lauren
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An opportunity to gain more experience

My name is Lauren and I am from Arkansas, United States. I am studying at the University of Arkansas and I chose to do this internship to gain a more hands-on experience. It was really cool in the hospital to see the progress of the patients from the day one to week three and got to see many many cases!!! The program was super organized and they were there for everything we could need. And then Athens, Greece, it’s beautiful. Hundreds of places to visit and great food. Really Amazing experience!!

Pros
  • Seen the progress of patients
  • Seen many cases
  • Loads of fun
Cons
  • All ok
Alexane
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Program that surpasses expectations

Hi I’m Alexane, I’m from Quebec in Canada and I’m studying medicine at the University of Sherbrooke. So, I chose to do this internship to learn more about the healthcare system in Greece and get an experience with working in a hospital with doctors and surgeons. So I thought it was really great to see a lot of different surgeries. I could see any surgery I wanted to and ask questions to the doctors. They were really nice and they would answer all of my questions.

I also think Cerca Abroad really coordinated this internship well. I always knew when I needed to be here and where I needed to be. So, that was all a really great internship. Yes. Thank you."

Medical

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The fact that I had the chance to see a lot of different surgeries surprised me positively!
Pros
  • I had a converastion with many different doctors and gained invaluable knowledge.
  • I learned many things about the healthcare system in Greece.
  • It was a really great internship!
Landon
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Beautiful recommended program for anybody to check out the lab and have fun

So, my name is Landon and I’m a computer science student from San Francisco, California. I just do this internship because the title was really interesting to me. I like working hands- on with electronics and this was the electronic vehicles and drones program. So, I was able to learn a lot about programing and all things related to flying drones and staff like that. So, the first week was me recording a lot of videos and getting to actually fly the drone myself and then I programed a facial recognition software for the drone and a couple of other features that it’s not even designed to be capable of doing. So it’s been really fun getting to learn a lot of those things.
Also, the city was really beautiful. I really enjoyed the food and the professors really helped me out, telling me places to go and stuff like that. On weekdays I had got time to get my own schedule. I’ve had a lot of personal freedom with the program. And then, also the weekends I got into to go and explore more areas of Greece myself. So overall I would really recommend it for anybody to come here and check out the lab. There’s a whole bunch of stuff. I got to use the 3d printer for the first time and you can see the drone back here, some other underwater drones that some of the other interns are working on. So it’s been really fun and I would recommend it.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Be prepared to step outside your comfort zone and experience a more social and lively place. The food is amazing and there are many places to visit
Pros
  • Learned a lot on programming drones
  • Programed a facial recognition software
  • Amazing food
Cons
  • All good