Join Atlantis: Pre-Health Shadowing 60+ Hrs w/ Top Doctors

I really enjoyed shadowing in Budapest over the summer through the Atlantis pre med program. I learned a lot at the hospital I went to and became friends with all of the doctors. Some gave me letters of recommendation and some I am still in contact with. Also it was cool to see how healthcare is done in another country other than America where I live. There were a lot of cool differences. It was also cool to do excursions on our trip like taking a boat on a lake and eating at nice restaurants. This trip was the best moments of my life up to this point and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of going to become a doctor as it teaches you a lot about what it is like to be a doctor and you get to have fun doing it.

Over the summer, I participated in the Atlantis shadowing program in Lisbon, and I loved it! I got the chance to interact with many different medical providers which allowed me to get first-hand perspectives on what it is like to work in the medical field. One thing that pleasantly surprised me was the fact that I was not only able to interact with physicians, but I also got to interact with other professionals such as nurses, which also offer a unique perspective on the field. It was very interesting to observe how the medical system works in Portugal, as it opened my eyes to how medicine differs and is similar around the world. Additionally, I loved getting the opportunity to learn more about what life is like in Portugal. Personally, I enjoyed being able to live life as people typically do in Lisbon, such as being able to walk everywhere and take public transportation. I loved learning about the Portuguese culture, especially through my amazing city managers! Overall, this experience was incredible and allowed me to learn more about medicine while simultaneously learning more about a culture different to my own.

This experience was amazing. I finally got to travel on my own which I was nervous about but Atlantis made it very easy to navigate. I had so much fun, I got to learn so many new things from both the medical side and personal side. I got to experience a different culture and try so many new foods. I loved that we didn’t have to stay at the program location on the weekends and we could travel outside as well, we ended up going to madrid and portugal. I also made some great new friends and we still talk to this day.

I really loved being in Spain to grow myself in medical field. The country was amazing, I loved the architecture, culture, and people as well. Of course the hospital experience was amazing itself as well. Everyday I learned something new which made me gain more knowledge in medicine. I was able to do more than 60 hours of shadowing and the hospital staff was very helpful and friendly. Also the fact that I shadowed in both private and public hospitals it helped me to understand how healthcare works in both sides.

I experienced amazing things in the hospital. Staff is so wonderful, I saw so much and more than expected. I learned an incredible amount about Cape Verde and medicine in general. Besides the shadowing, the experiences from the island and the activities we did taught me the rich history of a country I didn’t know existed. On those journeys and in housing, I also made lifelong friends. They are people I still talk to, including the city manager. Atlantis staff and the locals loved having us come and wanting to learn about their country. It’s definitely somewhere I will be visiting again.

Shadowing was often 20+ hours per week across a broad range of specialties. My program managers responded very well to feedback and tried their best to get opportunities for us to shadow our top specialties. I was able to shadow specialties including general surgery, ICU, urology, psychiatry, neurosurgery, dermatology, the burn clinic, and pediatric anesthesiology. The physicians explained all of the procedures to us in English and were very welcoming. I discovered my passion for pediatrics through shadowing the pediatric anesthesiologist, and this experience really helped me confirm my desire to pursue a career in medicine.

The program directors were very involved and helpful. Carlos helped us practice our Portuguese whenever we’d order food or coffee and walked us to the hospital each day. He also messaged us throughout the day to make sure our shadowing experiences were going smoothly and always planned fun weekly excursions for us. Mari made me feel so safe and welcomed in Lisbon, giving us recommendations for restaurants to try or cool sites to visit. I even got to go to a few concerts for artists like A$AP Rocky because tickets were so cheap!

Housing was suite-style; I had a roommate who I knew before starting the program for the first half and had a room to myself for the second half. We shared a kitchen, living room, and bathroom and often cooked meals together :)

I went on an Atlantis Program in July of 2022 to Mantua, Italy for 3 weeks. From the Interview to getting prepped for my trip, to arrival at my apartment, shadowing and the excursions, it was a smooth process. I had the opportunity to shadow in the ER / ICU, Surgery, Immunohematology, Pediatrics, and got a private tour of their EMS system.

I was shadowing on average 5 hours per day, yet in surgery / ICU I got more because there were additional cases / I really wanted the hours. Yes you do have to wake up early, and be punctual for shadowing. I also explored near by cities such as Florence, Venice, Rome, Lake Garda which I made life long friends and experiences.

This program also gave me the realization that I wanted to dive into the business side of which I utilized the hours / experience on my MBA Application. Yes, it is also an investment in ourselves and careers just like any part of the MD / DO / PA / Nursing process. I highly recommend this program if you're looking for an adventure, hours, and friends for a lifetime!

I attended an Atlantis program in Valladolid, Spain in July of 2019! I absolutely loved the program because I got to travel, meet new people, watch surgeries and consultations, explore multiple cities of Spain and experience the culture, get shadowing hours (which is required by a lot of the grad schools I’m applying to), and so much more! Now, 4 years later I am still benefiting from the program because I get to talk about it in my PA school applications and interviews! 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!