Atlantis (Pre-Health Summer) Reviews

Getting to shadow doctors in Croatia, and to learn more about medicine was an a,axing experience. It was a once in a life time opportunity that taught me the true value of medicine, showed me the type of pioneer I want to be in medicine, and to truly value every resource we have access too. You’ll see things you don’t expect, and see the daily lifestyle of being a doctor. It was such a valuable, eye opening experience.

The Atlantis Project is a certified and professional program that helps students gain a competitive edge in the medical process along with a better understanding of universal healthcare in different countries around the world. My fellowship in Budapest, Hungary was a very interesting and fun experience that allowed me to closely work with doctors and nurses. The doctors I encountered were friendly and passionate about their work and teaching. The hospital I was shadowing at was relatively small, allowing me the chance to more closely interact with the doctors and see their everyday routine in the hospital. Along with advancing my professional career, I was about to learn about Budapest's public transportation system, their unique culture, and delicious food. I also made five amazing friendships with people from across the country that I can rely on if I ever need anything. Overall, I had a great time and this was my summer highlight. Thank you Atlantis and thank you Budapest!

Finding this fellowship was so easy! After wasting hours googling for the perfect fellowship, I was scrolling through Instagram and came across this gem! This fellowship allowed me to be certain about my career path. I have found a passion for nursing like no other. I have gained so much knowledge despite cultural and language barriers - a testimony to the ability to care/provide information for others.

This program is an amazing way to discover if medicine is truly for you. This program allows you to spend 20+ hours shadowing doctors in the hospital in different specialties such as surgery, gynecology, cardiology, radiology, emergency, nephrology, and many more. By studying medicine in a different country, you will learn about the differences in healthcare in the United States and foreign healthcare. Weekly excursions are provided to big attractions in the country which are a fun way to see the culture of the country as well as historical sites and tourist attractions. This trip was so extremely fun and the friendships I made on it are some that will last forever.

Wow was this trip amazing! I spent 4 weeks in the prettiest little city on the coast of Spain, shadowing at a hospital which grew my medical knowledge massively. In those few short weeks I learned about public healthcare, gained insight on doctor-patient relationships, and furthered my confidence in the medical career path. Not only that, but I gained a best friend, loads of memories from traveling to Barcelona and Madrid, and a perspective on a culture unlike that here in the states. And of course, the food was out of this world! I got to explore my passions for medicine and travel, as well as culture, architecture, and adventure. My group had a hike through a gorgeous nature park, a tour of the coast of Ferrol, as well as a visit to Santiago de Compostela.
Would recommend this to any Pre-medical professionals who love traveling!

My Atlantis Fellowship changed my life! Atlantis provided me with the unique opportunity to shadow doctors and gain knowledge about international healthcare systems while exploring a new country and experiencing a different culture. I not only discovered a rich culture in a country I had never visited, but I also discovered a new confidence within myself and true desire to practice medicine. Because I am an Atlantis Fellow and I did experience a culture different from the United States, I feel that I am a more understanding person and I can be a doctor who is aware of and can appreciate the diversity of different cultures. Additionally, because I was encouraged to take the initiative and connect with each doctor I met, I now have a unique professional network that not only spans multiple disciplines but multiple countries! This trip was the best decision I ever made!!

Atlantis is what it claims to be, and does what it claims to do. This is a legitimate program that if you have the money and passion/curiosity then you should go for it. This program has value as a 3rd tier or 4th tier addition to your medical applications - it won't make or break you, but it is worth doing if it won't break the bank.

This was an amazing experience, primarily because of our excellent site manager. Be friendly with everyone, and those willing to give back will do so 10-fold. Doctors, locals, Atlantis staff, other fellows, etc. I found a second family and support network of peers in the states.

I would highly recommend using this program to get an insider's view on how the day-to-day of a medical professional in a foreign country works. This can give you a taste of what types of fundamental things to expect here in the U.S.A. medical field.

My personal experience with Atlantis is easily one of the best experiences in my life. It allowed me to grow and become more knowledgeable of the medical field. It allowed me to see first hand the day to day life of a doctor/surgeon in the hospital. And it allowed me to build professional relationships that I will always treasure. The doctors I encountered were so generous with their time and knowledge. They were eager to teach and show me cool and new things that I hadn't before. I was able to watch surgeries, endoscopies, and experience rotations and clinicals from the perspective of a doctor. Overall Atlantis helped motivate me to continue to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor. I'm excited to continue my studies and strive to be successful. When i'm feeling unmotivated, I will definitely look back on this experience to help motivate me to continue to strive. When i'm applying to medical school, this experience will definitely be one of the highlights in my journey.

Atlantis truly exceeded all of my expectations. I came into this program expecting to shadow doctors, get my hours and maybe make a few friends. I came into this program not knowing any of the other 13 fellows and I left with a new family. Every day was another adventure, being in the hospital was very laid back, all of the doctors truly cared about your education and about involving you in their daily routines. I learned so much through all of the shadowing, but I learned so much about myself through the people I met. I made friendships that will last a life time. The 13 other fellows and I all agreed that we probably wouldn't of chosen to be friends if we all just saw each other on the street, but Atlantis brought all of our personalities together and made us realize that just because someone is different than you doesn't mean you can't get along with them. We all took multiple trips together, rented Airbnb's together and bonded so much over the course of 3 weeks. We it came time to say goodbye we were uncontrollably crying. I will never forget this experience or the people that it led me to. I am a kinder person and I have a more open mind on the world and on other people because of this trip. I would recommend Atlantis to anyone, it is truly an experience you will not regret!

What a summer! I had the opportunity to fly over to Italy and spend three weeks shadowing some of the most talented surgeons in the country - one being the head of the department who is one of the top 10 surgeons in the world! I attended the Italian program in Milan at the San Rafaelle Hospital. I'll break this review down into two; 1. shadowing and 2. experience outside the hospital. Firstly, you begin your days very early as expected, you commute to the hospital, which I personally thought it was good overall since we became familiar with public transportation and got ourselves more organized to arrive in time. I personally had the chance to watch a handful of surgeries in cardiac-surgery and hematology/oncology. My very last department was the Neurology, and although I did not have time to get in neurosurgery, I managed to see very interesting and shocking cases - some of those you did not believe were possible. The way in which Atlantis organizes your week was very effective as they focused one department per week. In this way, you are able to build a better relationship with doctors and residents and get familiar with the department in a more adequate manner. Additionally, the interaction with doctors was not as challenging as you'd expect when speaking another language. Most physicians were able to speak English, and if not, there was always a medical student who was able to accompany you throughout the day. Although their schedules are busy, your presence does not come as inconvenient or disrupting as the staff treats you like any other medical student of theirs, and are open to questions and teaching. Although it is not a hands-on experience, observation is a key factor in learning - there is nothing that compares to a heart in a textbook to a beating heart right in front of you. Secondly, outside the hospital was just as thrilling. All the fellows in my group got along well, we built a sort of family among us and it was very fulfilling to be able to leave the hospital and meet your friends afterwards for a lovely meal or go out and explore the city. The site managers were our absolute favourite. Initially, I was nervous in coming into a group of strangers and dealing with three strict adult managers, however my expectations were blown-up: the site managers were the most charismatic, social and caring people I have met, specially when dealing with this many people all together (our group was of 28). They were proactive, were always at your disposition for help and provided us the best of all activities and plan b's when something went wrong. Their constant energy and personalities enabled us to create a better sense of community among us and made all of this even more worth it. I could go on forever, but my final say is the following: Atlantis is a unique experience. You get the shadowing experience, where back home I do not have that much of a direct access to with doctors, surgeries, patients and learning as well as the social experience, when meeting your fellows, site managers and exploring the city you will be living in for a while. It is the best of both worlds and every penny is worth it.