Location
  • Italy

Program Details

Timeframe
J-Term Maymester Spring Summer Winter
Housing
Apartment

Pricing

Price Details
Program cost varies based on location and length of program. View the Dates and Fees page on our website for more information.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Some Meals SIM cards Travel Insurance Wifi
What's Not Included
Some Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Some Meals Transportation Visa
Feb 17, 2023
Jan 23, 2024
79 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Atlantis is the largest and most reputable pre-health study abroad organization for US undergraduates. With shadowing experiences in Pavia, Milan, Genoa, Venice and more, our Italy programs are for those who want adventure. What better way to gain 60+ clinical hours than in the country with pasta and gelato galore! Students will shadow in top European hospitals with well-esteemed physicians and have the opportunity to explore the rich culture that Italy has to offer.

Students build lasting relationships with physicians in various specialties and observe patient care from start to finish. Knowing how different healthcare teams operate and communicate is a great way for students to reflect on their own leadership skills. With alumni in 40 of the top 50 MD programs, Atlantis prepares students for a future career in healthcare.

Since summer of 2021, Atlantis has ran many safe and successful programs throughout the continuance of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Programs run during winter and summer breaks so there is no need to take time off during your academic semesters!
  • Rotate weekly through different specialties to gain exposure to various medical practices and procedures.
  • Immerse yourself in a program abroad to understand healthcare in a global context, and embark on weekly excursions to experience Italian culture, sights, and food.
  • You do not need to know Italian to have an amazing and impactful experience!
  • Start dates for summer in May, June, July and August, and for winter in December and January.

Program Reviews

4.97 Rating
based on 36 reviews
  • 5 rating 97.22%
  • 4 rating 2.78%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.85
  • Support 4.85
  • Fun 4.95
  • Housing 4.75
  • Safety 4.9
Showing 17 - 24 of 36 reviews
Default avatar
Marissa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Go to Italy with Atlantis!!

I shadowed with Atlantis in 2019 and cannot recommend it enough! As a pre-med student that really struggled finding clinical experience, this was exactly what I needed. I was able to see different specialties that helped me decide what type of medicine I wanted to pursue. Additionally, this was one of the only ways that I was able to have a real travel abroad experience while I balanced a pre-med course load. When I applied to medical school, this was the experience that everyone wanted to know more about. I will be attending medical school this upcoming fall and Atlantis is the biggest reason for that! 10/10 go if you can!!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
I had tuna on a pizza and it was DELICIOUS! I was wary at first but don't knock it until you've tried it!
166 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Amariza
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing!

The fellowship I did in Trieste, Italy was an amazing experience. I got to meet new people from across the US who are instead in the same career path as me. I also got to know a experience a completely different care system than the one in the US. I also got to learn about the culture in Trieste. I would definitely recommend this fellowship! My site manager was really helpful and nice. It was great to see the city through the eyes of a local. I definitely saw things and are places that I would have not see or eaten had it not been for my site manager. This fellowship helped in reaffirming my decision to go into medicine and become a doctor. I was able to shadow different doctors in different types of departments. For example, cardiology, neurology, radiology and general surgery!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The most surprising thing I saw was the culture in Trieste and how different it is from the US.
172 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sarah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

3 Week Genoa Experience

Prior to my trip, I was nervous because I will be beginning my first year of college this fall. It was my first shadowing experience. The atlantis staff on the post enrollment team dissipated that fear by giving me all the information I needed before going abroad. After I meet all the other fellows, I realized I would be learning as much from them as I would be from the hospital and city. They each had different backgrounds and different topics they were knowledgeable on. Between the other fellows, shadowing in the hospital (ER, Pediatric Surgery, and Neurosurgery) and my incredible site manager, I had a life-changing experience. My indecision about pursuing medicine is gone and I am beyond excited to begin my studies without any fear this career path isn’t for me.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
When I arrived in Genoa, my luggage was unfortunately still in Paris. I had very few belongings and knew I would need to purchase a bunch of items. After talking with my site Manager, I found out my airline covers a certain percentage of my purchases that result from the lost baggage.
176 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Nicole
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Trieste, Italy

Going to Trieste was the best experience of my life. I am currently a pre-med student and was struggling with finding shadowing internships until I came across an ad on instagram for Atlantis. I was hesitant to apply because I assumed it was false advertisement. Boy was I wrong. This program is amazing and I am happy to report that I have no regrets with my trip to Italy. Shadowing was amazing and of course the language barrier was a little difficult in the hospital, but it has made me more aware of the fact that there are different cultures out there and we need to be tolerant. I learned more about medicine from my three weeks in Trieste than any book could teach me. Not only do I have some hours down to prepare for my medical school application but I have experience and a great memory to share with others. So thank you Atlantis!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Be prepared to travel by yourself. It is scary but the most rewarding thing ever because you know you were able to travel to another country all on your own.
173 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Cayla
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

LIFE CHANGING

If you are even slightly interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, Atlantis is for you!! I have shadowed countless times in the United States, and I can honestly say that Atlantis proved to be the richest and most valuable of all my shadowing experiences thus far! This fellowship challenges you to escape the comfortable perimeters of your own medical culture and teaches you that healthcare is such a beautiful universal language! This fellowship taught me so much about myself, about my host country, and about medicine. Although I missed home, three weeks came and went far too quickly! I cannot recommend it enough! If you are considering doing an Atlantis fellowship, please GO DO IT!!!!! It will be one of your best decisions, I promise!

What would you improve about this program?
I can truly say I have no suggestions for improvement! My fellowship experience was incredible in every way!
163 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tirzah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Atlantis Italy

This was my first experience abroad and I have to say when it came to an end I did not want to leave. The site mangers were so knowledgable of the city and they did a great job showing us around. They planned amazing weekly excursions for us not just of Rome but throughout Italy. Not only did I get a great experience abroad but I learned so much from shadowing in the hospital. Every doctor that I worked with knew english well so the language barrier was not an issue. They were all so kind and seemed to really want us to learn from them. What I saw and learned in the hospital was nothing near what I could have learned as an undergraduate student in the US. It was a great mix of education and fun for the three weeks that I was there. From this experience, I have expanded my interest in the medical field and I have developed a new love for travel.

What would you improve about this program?
The communication between the fellows and the post enrollment team prior to the trip.
83 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sashwat
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Atlantis Fellowship - Genova Italy

I am very very satisfied with my shadowing experience abroad in Italy. At first, I did have my concerns as the AAMC shows statistics and discourages students from SHADOWING abroad due to the risk of students being involved in medical procedures. I would like to clear this doubt for those who are interested in this fellowship as Atlantis is VERY VERY strict and abides by their policy of no physical fellow-patient interaction. Atlantis is very clear with all the rules that must be followed etc. That being said, the fellowship was incredible. I was able to shadow under general surgery, urology, and vascular surgery. All of these departments always had surgeries or patients and all the hospital staff were incredibly helpful. Though some of the hospital staff did not speak english, many if not all residents spoke english and were able to explain procedures to you if the attending surgeon was busy. Many of these doctors are incredibly well trained and have excellent english so language barrier is usually not a problem.

Aside from shadowing, the weekly excursions (I don't want to spoil them if you are attending the fellowship) were very very fun. There's a lot of pictures to be taken and a lot of friendships to be made and it was quite the experience. Genova is very very scenic with mountains, beaches (mostly rocky but you can still find sandy beaches), and architecture. Genova is known for their pesto and I really really recommend you try it.

The Atlantis fellowship is expensive but provides you an experience that is priceless. I was able to pay for this through fundraising, asking family members, working a part-time job, and a little bit of assistance from my parents. This really has taught me good saving/spending habits for my future.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
I highly advise future travelers to get to know the other fellows prior to the fellowship. It'll allow you to adjust much quicker.
82 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Melody
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Lead of faith

When I saw this opportunity to go abroad and shadow doctors I was immediately intrigued. I thought about it for a couple weeks, and I kept on finding reasons why not to go... “it’s so far” “i should work this summer” “it’s not the right time”
I then realized, it will never be the “right” time. I just have to take the leap of faith and just do it! I did exactly that, and I don’t regret it one bit. Not only did I submerge myself in a different culture, I met doctors and nurses who I now have built a relationship with. If you ever go to Rome, one piece of advice is never plug in a hair dryer and have the washing machine going, unless you wanna be in the dark for the rest of the day. The adventure was everything I could have ever asked for, thank you for the opportunity.

80 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers