You have been warned

I would like to start this review by saying that prior to my experience with Mente Argentina I studied and interned abroad in Ecuador. I knew that this experience would be different so I tried not to compare them, but I was left EXTREMELY disappointed and feeling ripped off. If you are reading this and think you will be the exception, think again. The VAST majority of participants that I spoke to in the internship program were disappointed. Years later I still speak about how my experiences in my program in Ecuador helped me grow and change as a person and the work I did at my two internships helped me further my career. All I have left from Mente is a terrible taste in my mouth. The 'supervisor' is a joke. I feel bad for the coordinators that have to work for him because they seem nice for the most part. He ended up COMPLETELY ripping me off and them offering me a discount on further programs as a consolation. After not being satisfied with my initial internship, I asked to be changed. Over a week later (during which I was still paying to be interning, of course) I was set up with a different internship that had nothing to do with what I wanted to accomplish there but I went along with it. I ended up bored out of my mind and switched to taking Spanish classes. At the end of my time there, I was left with no programming even though I paid for the entire 14 weeks because Mente "neglected" to inform me the there is a minimum of 6 weeks before switching. Very, very shady business practice. I met another girl in the internship program who wasn't even contacted about starting her internship until A MONTH after she got there! She was too shy to say anything before then. Another example of Mente taking advantage of their participants. Another med student I met came to do an internship at a hospital. She was placed in the child care center, no where near the medical action she was promised. After many conversations with Mente, they agreed to refund her program cost, BUT she never actually got the money! I could go on and on with examples like this. It was a joke and bonding experience to share these stories amongst fellow Mente participants/sufferers.

The living situations with Mente are REALLY hit and miss. There were apts and homestays that were nice and others that weren't. For example, the first apt I stayed in had a room that flooded every time it rained, yet they knowingly continued to place participants there. I think that shows how much they care. Mente seems to function on how much they can get away with, and in my 14 weeks with them I saw them get away with way too much crap. I felt uncomfortable from the moment I was told that I had to transfer money to a man's personal account in California to confirm my enrollment, but I was so excited to go and wanted to believe the good reviews. They also do not offer a contract for services, another red flag. This is not a program that is on the up and up in their business practices.

Let me repeat, this program is shady and NOT TO BE TRUSTED!! DO NOT think you will be an exception. Your money is far better spent elsewhere.