Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Atlantis Study Abroad--Spain and Italy September 21, 2023

By (Smith College) - abroad from 05/13/2023 to 06/23/2023 with

Atlantis: Pre-med Fellowship Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was absolutely worthwhile! If you are a student who is undecided about attending a professional healthcare program, having this shadowing experience combined with a study abroad experience will help you decide if medicine is the right career path.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I went abroad with Atlantis on a six-week program to Spain and Italy. I was able to shadow eight different specialties during my trip that were both clinical and surgical in nature. Often, physicians would allow students to stay longer than the average five hours of shadowing per day, so if you are very interested in a certain area of medical practice, you can gain even more exposure. The weekends were open for exploration and travel--this was another great part of the program.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The City Managers were always attentive to student needs and concerns and they came up with great excursion days on Fridays.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed in apartment style housing in Spain and in student dorm style housing in Italy. Both arrangements were very comfortable and we were provided with groceries once a week for breakfast before leaving for our shadowing hours.

* Food:

The food in Italy and Spain are excellent and we went to restaurants that were our City Manager's favorites places.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Spending time in the hospital provided me with a very fast way to integrate into the local culture. In particular, conversing with doctors and other medical staff gives you insight into daily life.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health concerns on the trip, but since we were close to the hospital, we did know about the healthcare we would receive if we needed it. Updated vaccines were required for travel.

* Safety:

The City Managers were in close contact with us and housing was located in safe areas. We had a presentation on safety and emergency contacts at the start of the program to make sure we knew how to respond if we needed any kind of immediate help.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Shadowing in Italy and Spain in eight different medical specialties is an experience I will always value.

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? about 150

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

If you had conversational capacity in the foreign language, you were encouraged to use it!

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Intermediate Spanish at the College Level
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Hospital Shadowing
  • Langauge Immersion
  • Travel
* What could be improved?
  • Towels and other in-apartment toiletries
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known that it really takes a full week to get settled in to a program like this. The second and third weeks of the trip are when your experience really emerges.

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 Linguist
You 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!