Program Reviews

I decided to participate in the Atlantis Fellowship becauseI have heard many great things about it. I wanted to shadow doctors, but where I live, it's very competitive and difficult to get the opportunity to do so. Once I heard about Atlantis, I was interested and wanted to know more! After everything was finalized and confirmed I was going to Rome to shadow doctors abroad, it felt so surreal. It felt more surreal when I was in the hospital observing surgeries. Not only was I able to learn about the European healthcare system, I was fascinated by the Italian cultures too. Going on this fellowship to shadow doctors abroad, was by far one of the best decisions I have made.

The Atlantis program allowed me to gain several new perspectives, build a network of professional relationships, learn about my potential, understand the importance of studying medicine cross-culturally, and ultimately observe a different healthcare system. Every week offered a new experience as I shadowed in different departments. I had the opportunity to shadow medical professionals in anesthesiology, orthopedics, oncology, pathology, and neurosurgery. Although there was a language barrier in every patient room I entered, this challenged me to constantly ask questions and gain more exposure than I thought possible.

I decided to pursue the Atlantis Fellowship to help me decide whether I wanted a future in research, in a hospital environment with direct patient contact or in a surgical environment. The interview process was highly coordinated, smoothly run and simple. After learning I was accepted, I decided to go on the Atlantis Fellowship to Bergamo, Italy due to its authentic, small Italian town reputation that had very little tourism. The best part of this amazing experience was being able to be in the surgical room standing directly in front of the patient and witnessing mind boggling surgery a few feet away. After this experience I have learned that I wish to pursue surgery and medical school, but I have also gained traveling skills, interpersonal skills and cultural competence, along with much more. The Atlantis Fellowship was a life changing opportunity; if you have the chance, do it!

My 2018 Healthcare Study Abroad Trip to Lithuania was by far, the best study abroad experience ever. I was able to learn about an unfamiliar Eastern European country, shadow
numerous health care professionals at a University Hospital, observe different surgeries, build life-long professional connections, learn about patient-centered health care, travel to different countries along the baltic sea, and finally, make ever-lasting memories with great people!

Being Pre-Med can be scary because you're going into the unknown with very little experience. It's not easy to get internships at hospitals; we have very strict laws in the U.S. regarding patient confidentiality and safety. Going to Portugal and working closely with doctors and standing in on surgeries was life-changing. I witnessed multiple brain surgeries with tumor removals and biopsies. I came out of my trip more enthralled by the medical field than I ever had before.

This summer, I had the unique opportunity to spend 3 weeks shadowing physicians in Lisbon, Portugal. The Atlantis staff was incredibly supportive and helpful; this has made Lisbon feel like a home away from home where I made a handful of long-lasting friends. Being fully immersed in the hospital provided a confirmation that medicine was the path I wanted to be on. This program offered the most honest, and exciting, view of the field I had as an undergraduate.

I have always been passionate about traveling and experiencing other cultures, so I felt that Atlantis provided the perfect opportunity to combine my interest in those things with my interest in medicine. I believe it is crucial for medicine to be shared across borders, so patients receive the best options of treatment possible. My three weeks in Ponferrada taught me so much about the different fields of medicine, all the while enhancing my passion for becoming a doctor. I could not have asked for a better group of Fellows and doctors with which to share my three weeks. I chose a small city, but could not have loved it more, as I experienced true Spanish culture and made lasting relationships with the doctors I had the pleasure of shadowing.

2017 Fall semester was the worst semester of my sophomore year at UNCO. I love my school, but I was not living to my fullest potential for my pre-med major. I was losing motivation when I hit one of the hardest courses ( organic chemistry ). I felt sick that whole time. Then I saw a poster that my professor was taking a group up to Spain with the Atlantis program and I didn’t even sleep on it. I immediately went to her office and told her that I needed to go on this trip. Now it’s been a couple months since we got back and I had the most amazing time where I was able to soul search and really think about why I wanted to be a doctor.

I am not the student that has the inspirational story on why I chose to take the path of becoming a doctor. I am a hard worker and believe that if you are healthy and able that it is your duty to help others. Being at the hospital in Ferrol, Spain really gave me the opportunity to talk to patients and observe the team dynamic of surgeons.

I am bilingual and I encourge any bilingual or minority to go on these trips. I felt accepted and was able to put negative thoughts aside so I can truly experience the life of doctors. There are many differences between Spain and the U.S. Spain isn’t as fast paced as the U.S. but it really lets you to see what people look like when they love their job. First week, I got to shadow surgeons and it was so much better than your typical cadaver lab! You get to see living organs and really appreciate how they work together to keep someone alive. I learned that there are many surgeons that are shy like me. Second week I cried of happiness and sadness working with the pediatrician and talking to children from 14 to 3 years old. Watching newborn babies getting check ups and also comforting scared or sick toddlers gave me a rollercoaster of emotions that I had to keep in check.

I had never left the country before. I haven’t even moved out of my parents house! So this trip gave me the opportunity to be myself; learn how to be aware and also look out for my peers. I didn’t feel in danger. I believe that no matter where you are something bad could happen but I did not experience that. When I got back home I felt like myself only ten times better. It made it easier to ignore some negativity around me because I am pursuing my dream to connect with my community and not have to fear what others think of me.

I am so thankful for this program.

We got to shadow doctors and stand right over their shoulders as they performed surgeries. The doctors were also so helpful and ready to teach us. We would shadow about 5-6 hours a day and then we would go and experience the area around us and learn more about the culture. It was amazing!
From about 8am to 2pm we would see various surgeries from brain to blood vessel to ortho. There were many options. After that, we would eat the food of the area and go to the places that made Patras, Greece famous. The experiences were unforgettable.

I had an amazing opportunity to travel to Ponferrada, Spain for my atlantis fellowship for 3 weeks. It was my first time traveling alone and my first time going to Europe. As soon as I landed in Madrid I quickly became close with all the people in my group and we all began our journey to Ponferrada together. The hospital was small and all of the doctors were hands on and even the ones who didn't speak great english made an effort to break the language barrier. I was given some incredible opportunities to watch surgeries unclose in the OR, seeing 7 surgeries in 3 days. The group excursions on Friday's were so much fun and gave us time to explore little parts of Spain and I was able to travel every weekend to places like Portugal and the northern coast of Spain. By the end of my fellowship my confidence of Spain and traveling had grown and I ended my trip in Barcelona for a few days by myself.