Make a Real Impact While Exploring the World! 🌍

Studying abroad in Greece, with Philotimo Med, was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I am a pre-med student and being in the cultural heart of Greece was the best way I could explore this. The streets are filled with Greek history, and pretty much every local I talked with was very kind and accommodating. The shadowing program is very intense. You need to bring comfortable shoes and be ready to jump from one clinic to another. The doctors are very friendly and knowledgeable they answered all my questions. We gather with the other students in the conference room for lectures and diagnostics. During the excursions day Philotimo took us to Meteora and the second activity we went to a bread factory and had a cooking class.

I studied abroad in Larissa, Greece in the winter of 2024. It was such an amazing experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. I was able to leave the country for the first time and be immersed in the culture. The Philotimo staff supported me every step of the way, but I still felt like I had the freedom to explore on my own as well. I made amazing friends from my program and we would adventure throughout Greece. I got to shadow a fantastic Pediatrician and assist him during a c-section. The doctor made me feel so comfortable. I got letters of recommendation and a certificate. I am applying to med school next semester.

I honestly think going to Ireland was the best decision I ever made. At first, I was nervous to even apply, but then my close friend gave me some good advice: "If not now, when?" So, I took my time and applied just to try, and I am so happy I did. I remember sitting at JFK Airport before leaving for a flight to SGK, Thessaloniki Greece and I had no idea how amazing the next 3 weeks of my life would be.
Our program director was so supportive, making sure we knew the ins and outs of the city before letting us loose, and he was always very diligent to make time for one of us if anything arose. The shadowing at the university hospital was amazing. our tour guides on field trips were charismatic, reciting poetry at times and truly immersing us in hidden spots all over Greece.

I went to Greece for 2weeks with Philotimo for my medical internship program.
I met new people, I got to observe many surgeries and patient consultations. I have experienced Greek culture, and so much more! the volunteering part at the children's shelter was a very human touch experience. That is when I realized that I wanted to become a doctor. I would recommend this program to any pre-health student because it’s a great way to get a feel for medicine and different specialties, study abroad, and make great connections!

Philotimo's team, the professors, and the hospital staff made everything so great. Stavros is so much fun and cares about the students, so organized, He's amazing! I had the opportunity to travel from my country, Lebanon following my heart as I want to become a doctor. The Philotimo internship helped me so much to realize that being a doctor is not easy but is such a rewarding profession. The doctors in Greece are so friendly and explain all the procedures during the operation. Stavros's group meals and stories are unforgettable. I really enjoy this unique experience.

All of this knowledge and experience has helped me to solidify my career aspirations within medicine. Some specific skills include medical terminology, and interpersonal skills/patient-professional interactions. The professors and doctors explained everything and answered questions while performing this procedure. After completing my internship experience, I now feel on a personal level, more mature and responsible. Traveling on my own in a new country has been an eye-opening and welcome experience. Furthermore, I now feel more confident in my interactions with others. I gained a wealth of knowledge from my two weeks of shadowing and solidified that this path is what I want for my future career.

I’ve never experienced something like this before.
As far as living in Greece, has been even more life-changing than anything I’ve experienced before. Living in a city- I come from New Jersey, which is a little more rural- so I’ve never taken the metro before. I usually have to drive my car everywhere- here I did walk- and that was a real learning experience. It was interesting using our non-verbal communication like facial expressions and gestures to communicate with people around in public- even at the hospital even though everybody speaks English.
I was able to meet a lot of cool girls. My two roommates are from Florida and California and it was nice to bond and go to work with them. We’ve developed really good relationships. They were helpful and easy to communicate with.

I see the world and making some changes seems amazing in my eyes and this opportunity with Philotimo Med Abroad seemed like the perfect place to start.
Whilst there are so many organizations out there I chose Philotimoi as they were an affordable and professional organization that offered a great experience to 17+ years old which was perfect for me based on my age at the time.
My reasoning for choosing Greece is that it is an amazing country which I've had a connection with since a young age. For anyone who's a first-time volunteer and shadowing like I was, this is a perfect destination to go to and organization to go with.