A great shadowing and cultural experience with the AP! Past Review
By A student (Nursing., SUNY - Binghamton) - abroad from 07/27/2014 to 08/11/2014 with
Atlantis: Pre-med Fellowship Abroad
I gained confidence in communicating in a language I wasn't very comfortable with before and I learned more about Spanish culture and healthcare. The experience was worthwhile, it was one of the best experiences I've had as a student.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I gave the program 3 stars for academic rigor because it isn't an academic program as much as it is a shadowing and experience program. While there are many opportunities for learning, the program does not include courses taken for credit or anything of that nature. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our group was given two coordinators, one for each hospital we shadowed at. Both coordinators were great and keeping us on track with our shadowing and responsibilities on the island, but also allowed us to explore and enjoy our time there. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Where I stayed in Gran Canaria, we were living in college dorms. We all had our own rooms and bathrooms, which got cleaned every other day. The residencia also had a dining room which served breakfast daily and dinner on days when we didn't have group dinners planned. There was also laundry on site and wifi. The only downfall was that it was a little far from a bus stop and about 30 minutes from the city of Las Palmas. This made getting to the city a little inconvenient, but was partially due to the time of year, since school was out at the time. |
| * Food: |
The meals we ate outside the residencia were almost always wonderful. We got to experience authentic canarian and spanish food, while also eating at restaurants in Las Palmas that served other cuisines. Meals in the residencia were always the same and usually pretty bland, so we tried to eat out as much as possible. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The culture in Gran Canaria is amazing! It has such a wonderful mix of traditional spanish culture with the uniqueness of being its own island. Our excursions exposed us to the history and the culture of Gran Canaria, and when we went out on our own the locals were very welcoming. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not experience the need for healthcare on the island, but we were provided with health insurance during our time there and did not have to get any vaccines. |
| * Safety: |
Overall, we felt very safe. Our coordinators gave us tips about how to stay safe and areas to avoid and we always stayed in groups. As with any country, never walk alone at night and always keep a working phone and money on you just in case for emergencies. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
We were only there for 2-5 weeks, so most of us had no issue spending money. The program paid for transport to and from the hospital and most meals, so it would have been easy to spend very little while there. However, to get the full experience we all went out and explored and spent some money, but life in Gran Canaria is not expensive so I wouldn't say I spend more than 100 euros a week. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Attend all of the group dinners and use the bus as much as possible. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We were expected to communicate with the doctors ourselves and since not all of them spoke english we had to at least practice a little spanish. However, some students went into the program having no spanish knowledge and did just fine. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | High school french |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | The AP now offers courses in spanish or portuguese for fellows with no prior knowledge of the languages so use those to help you communicate better with doctors. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew how much I would love it - I would've gone for 5 weeks instead of 2! |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
