Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Shadowing hours with lots of opportunities to explore Europe! October 27, 2023

By (Neuroscience, Harvard University) - abroad from 06/04/2022 to 07/31/2022 with

Atlantis: Pre-med Fellowship Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained hundreds of hours of shadowing experiences and made friendships with students who I still keep in contact with. This program was probably the best decision I made as an undergrad - I made so many memories and grew so much as a person.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

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.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

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 :)

* Food:

Ingredients for breakfast are provided, as well as meals on excursions. The program directors accommodate everyone’s dietary needs (I’m vegetarian) and took our input when choosing restaurants and groceries.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had several doctor’s visits throughout my time, but my program director accompanied me to each appointment to ensure that I felt supported and so that she could translate for me.

* Safety:

I never felt unsafe during the program, even while walking around at night. There were multiple locks to get into each of our housing situations and our housing was located close to public transportation. I also felt like I could reach the program directors if anything were to happen.

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

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? $40
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Sometimes the hospitals have free lunch!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Intensive shadowing
  • Helpful program directors
* What could be improved?
  • Pre-departure communication about flights
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would definitely try learning the language a bit before arriving - I wish I'd become more fluent in Portuguese!

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.