Shadow Doctors 20+ Hrs/Week w/ #1 Pre-Health Provider

Name: Shadow Doctors 20+ Hrs/Week w/ #1 Pre-Health Provider
Brand: Atlantis (Pre-Health Summer)
SKU: 229063
Rating: 5 (23 reviews)

Read 23 reviews

5.00 Rating

Leave a Review

Location

Italy

Industry

Anthropology Biology Chemistry Communications Engineering Geology Healthcare Hospitality Life Sciences Nursing Public Health Social Work +2

View Other Details

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

Last Updated: Feb 17, 2023

Last Reviewed: Nov 09, 2022

Wish List

65 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.

Visit Site

Apply Now

Video and Photos

View All 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

5.00 Rating

based on 23 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Intern

5 rating 100%
4 rating 0%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Growth 4.95
Support 4.95
Fun 4.95
Housing 4.85
Safety 4.95

Good for Students, Building your resume, Adventure travelers

Showing 1 - 8 of 23 reviews

Applying for Atlantis was a decision I made in order to discover if I truly wanted to pursue a career in medicine, as I was still on the fence going into my junior year of college. The Atlantis experience confirmed my commitment to a medical career and so much more: I established relationships with several surgeons, doctors, and residents who can now write letters of recommendation for me and have been great resources for discovering more opportunities abroad related to medicine. Additionally, you meet fellow pre-med students who will undoubtedly become lifelong friends. My housing was great, single bedroom and bathroom. As an independent women, I felt comfortable and safe exploring my city Pavia, Italy, and Pavia is also centrally located so that free weekends I was able to travel to Switzerland and other places in Italy, such as Cinque Terre and Rome. I could not recommend Atlantis enough for both the career/professional aspects and the unique cultural experience.

Pros

Explore Different Specialties
Network with Doctors
Visit new places/immerse into new culture

Cons

Pre-departure information and response from the Enrollment Team

I traveled to Genoa, Italy the summer of 2022. I am a pre-med student and wanted the study abroad experience but wasn't able to fit it into my academic schedule. I found Atlantis through my Pre-health advisor. It was a great way to experience a new culture, while getting shadowing hours and medical experience. I saw such cool things in the operating room that I would've never even imagined that I would be able to see before Med school. I got to be independent in this program, living in an apartment with 3 other girls, but at the same time had structure to my weekdays with the hospital schedule. On the weekends I was able to travel to Florence one weekend and Cinque Terra the other. Truly an amazing time that I'll never forget.

Pros

independent living accomodations
freedom on weekends
hospital shadowing experience

Cons

money spent

I did my program in Pavia, Italy (a small city 20-30 minutes south of Milan) over summer 2022. This experience honestly changed my life, as I grew to be exponentially more passionate about the field of medicine than I ever had been before. I learned so much about healthcare in Europe, met so many amazing people who had similar goals as me, and was able to experience living abroad in such a meaningful way. The medical system in Italy allowed me to see more than I ever could in the United States, as it was way less strict. I was able to stand over the surgeon's shoulder as he performed open-heart surgery. I would promote this program for all who are interested, as it truly was unforgettable!

Pros

Medical shadowing in a more laid back environment where I was able to see more than in the US
Being in a friendly city, with people who are always happy to help and guide you
Meeting amazing people with similar goals as me

Cons

Cost
Logistics of arriving to destination city

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!

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.

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.

Every week we have two group dinners. This is our farewell dinner from the last one.

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.

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!

Questions & Answers

Do you have fall programs?

Answer this question

How much did it cost?

Answer this question

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose to go on an Atlantis fellowship for many reasons! I had a friend who went on a fellowship to Portugal and she absolutely loved it. When she told me about her fellowship, I was only a junior in high school.

Three years later, going on an Atlantis Fellowship was still on my mind. I knew that I wanted to become a surgeon, however I thought that going on a fellowship would help cement my career aspirations. And it did. I also wanted to experience foreign healthcare, as I have a strong interest in global health. To become a doctor, it is important to learn about health care systems in places other than the US.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The staff at Atlantis is wonderful. The program coordinators assist you with almost everything. The only thing you really have to organize on your own is purchasing flights. Throughout the enrollment process and prior to your trip, the Atlantis staff is incredibly helpful and ensures that you have all of the information you need.

View Entire Interview

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Get outside of your comfort zone and become friends with everyone on your trip! You might make some of your best friends!

Travelling abroad alone can be frightening at times, but being with people who share the same interests as you makes it all the more wonderful and less overwhelming.

Aside from spending time and especially going on weekend trips with your fellow fellows, I would suggest exploring on your own at least once. Adventuring alone in a foreign country is a once in a life time experience.

I would also suggest you bring a notebook everyday to shadowing. You will have so much to learn from the doctors at the hospital you are shadowing at. The surgeries you will watch are incredible, and you should write down everything so that later in life you can refer back to your experience. I documented everything I saw so I would not forget and I am glad that I did. Also, ask your doctors as many questions as possible! They will enjoy answering them and you will learn tons. Pay attention to everything they do! Whatever specialty you shadow in, even if it is one you did not orignally "want" to shadow in, keep your eyes open and learn. Every specialty is a great specialty. It might even become your favorite.

Ask your friends questions as well! They may be closer to applying to medical school and could give you valuable advice.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

For an Atlantis fellow, days are busy but SO fun. On Monday-Thursday, you'll wake up at about 6:30 am, eat breakfast and get ready for shadowing. You will be at the hospital by 8 am (at least this is what mornings were like in Genova), and be done with shadowing by around 1 pm.

Typically, if a surgery runs long you will stay at the hospital a bit later. After shadowing, you are free to explore unless there is a group dinner! On Friday there is typically a group excursion. We went on a hike to castles and on a beach trip. Saturday-Sunday are for you to travel, and I highly recommend you do so. Neighboring countries are easy to get to!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Before going on my fellowship, I had never travelled on my own, nor had I travelled overseas. I was afraid that I would get lost. And I did get lost! However, it turned out to be a good experience. Coming home to Genova from a weekend trip, my friends and I accidentally took a train that went in the opposite direction. We ended up in the Italian mountains, in a small commune town called Mondovi. It was 12am. There were no trains that ran until the morning, so we were stuck.

Although I definitely recommend triple checking to make sure you are on the correct train, getting lost was a learning experience and it turned out to be okay! Once you learn how to read the train and bus schedules in Europe or wherever you choose to go on a fellowship, getting around becomes easy!

Is there anything you would have done differently?

If there is one thing I would have done differently, it would be to never come home from shadowing and revert to resting because I was tired. The cities that you will be in are beautiful, and you should explore and take in every sight. You could go on a waterfront run with a friend, or go out for lunch in the city center! Drink lots of coffee, and especially stay hydrated. The more awake you are, the more you can take in during surgeries and during your adventures.

Timothy Kinville

2018 Alum

Giovanna Stefanutto

2018 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

As a member of the digital promotion team, Sam works to spread the word about Atlantis' life changing programs to students across the globe. He has been a part of the Atlantis team since November 2016 and started as an Admissions Coordinator.

What is your favorite travel memory?

In high school, I did a service trip to rural El Salvador to help build multiple buildings for a small town called Rancho Grande. Through that trip, I was able to make new friends, build deeper bonds with existing friends, and make a real, tangible impact on the people I was serving. Being part of a group that has continually improved the standard of living in such an underprivileged area is something I am still proud of today.

View Entire Interview

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Working for Atlantis has allowed me to see new parts of the world, learn about other cultures, and has given me a better vision for my future career. I have gained a much greater appreciation, understanding and interest in other cultures, and have an increased desire to travel because of my work with Atlantis. In my current role, I have grown in my problem solving, communication and time management skills.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Too many to pick one. I think one of the most amazing things to hear about is when students form relationships with doctors that go beyond just shadowing in the hospital. Atlantis is about building relationships in the medical world that go beyond country lines, and to see students and doctors making that happen is a wonderful thing.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would love to go on one of our programs to Greece. To experience a country with such an important history both in medicine and in civilization would be an amazing learning and growth experience. Additionally, it would put me further outside of my comfort zone than most of Atlantis' other countries between having less familiarity with the language and less knowledge of the country's geography and culture.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Our team works incredibly hard to develop life changing programs and to ensure that students have the best experience possible both with Atlantis and in general while abroad. We enjoy working together and spending time together in and out of the office. From team outings to weekend gatherings, our team bonds and grows together, which shows in the way we work on our programs.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I think the biggest factor in the success of a company is the people. Having people makes room for innovation and makes a company more efficient. In the service and education world, the people are even more important to make sure every student feels cared for and valued. At Atlantis we focus on making sure students have a wonderful experience with us and that comes through our amazing people.

Location

Location:

Italy

Currency:

Euro

Weather:

Jan-Mar

59 F / 37 F

Apr-Jun

82 F / 46 F

Jul-Sep

88 F / 61 F

Oct-Dec

72 F / 41 F

Airports:

Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino

( FCO )

Milan Malpensa

( MXP )

Venice Marco Polo

( VCE )

Italy has long been a bucket list item for people, and it's no wonder with the ancient ruins, astounding scenery, and renowned museums -- all accompanied by the beautiful Italian language. When visiting Italy, be prepared to see big differences in accents and food while moving between regions.

About Atlantis (Pre-Health Summer)

As the #1 and largest pre-health study abroad program, Atlantis is dedicated to creating the best healthcare experience for students to both stand out in applications and prepare for future careers in medicine. With shadowing programs across Europe, we provide the right depth and breadth into healthcare exposure that our students deserve. For many...

Learn More