Staff Spotlight: Annie Schools

Annie works with a team of Admissions Coordinators who vet, interview and accept students into Atlantis Fellowships: a global program where pre-med/pre-health students shadow doctors internationally.

When I was in college, I took an art history course in Italy. We spent a few weeks traveling to over 10 locations and I really enjoyed the diversity in the places we visited - large historic cities, coastal town, vineyards, ancient ruins. It was also my first international experience and it absolutely lived up to the "hype" of going abroad.

Working at Atlantis has been an incredible growth opportunity for me. I've especially learned how to balance priorities and keeping organized. We work with students, universities, doctors, parents and a lot of other stake holders - and I've found it to be incredibly important to keep organized so that our team can be very intentional with every individual we're interacting with.

Choosing a "best story" for me would be similar to choosing a favorite child (can't do it!). I will say, the reason I come to work and love my job is by hearing how these Fellowships are absolutely life changing for our students. I have hundreds and hundreds of student quotes I could choose from, but one that recently stood out to me, and I have printed and pinned to my desk is:

"I truly can't express how much my trip to Greece with the Atlantis Fellowship Program has matured and further influenced my passion for medicine in so little time... This trip has opened my eyes to the differences of healthcare, made me more worldly, and showed me what Greek culture is really like. I appreciate Atlantis for continuing my drive of becoming a doctor. I'm walking one more step in the right direction, I think I found my way!"

I've had the pleasure of attending a Clinical Fellowship, and I think it's the one I recommend the most highly. The quality shadowing is super high, and students are able to get a real sense of what it means to be a doctor.

I also think the program structure gives students the guidance to really get the most out of their Fellowship, while still providing the flexibility to travel and take in the culture of where ever they are on the evenings or weekends.

I think our mission and product is unique - and it's been amazing to see the impact it's had on students. When we began our Fellowships about 10 years ago, our founder had a hunch that there was a real need for pre-med students to gain vocational discernment before applying to medical school.

He also believed that quality shadowing in a number of hospital departments internationally would be a great educational opportunity for students, who often have course work that keeps them from being able to travel abroad during their semesters. Seeing his vision come to fruition season after season has been very rewarding!

Knowing your customer. I think companies that try to force "fit" ultimately lose out. It's important for us not only to have a great product/experience for our students, but to also know what other factors they are considering and dealing with as pre-med students.

Along with that, it's incredibly important to ask for feedback and make improvements. That's really the only way to make sure your product is actually staying relevant and useful for your customer.