Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Amazing opportunity and experience January 11, 2024

By (Medical Residency Programs, Imperial College London) - abroad from 06/25/2023 to 07/15/2023 with

Cerca Abroad: Greece - Medical

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The trip was worthwhile.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

Hi, i am Tom , i am from London in the U.K . I currently study physics at Imperial and i am finishing off my degree. I am thinking of applying for medicine next year and continuing all my higher educations to become a doctor. I decided to join Cerca Abroad because it would give me the opportunity to, basically, have a look at all the different specialities that are on offer and see if I would be interested into working in any of them and as a doctor at all, because i want to be very thorough and take care of my decision. The highlights of the experience, I would say, I particularly enjoyed being in the operating rooms. Like, it is an amazing opportunity and experience in that they would literally allow you to watch any operations going in the operating rooms, which is something that not many students in the U.K have access to. So, you can literally ask if you can have access to the operating room and observe. The doctors are very friendly as well. They would talk to you , they would guide you through the surgery , even me as a physicist with my lack of medical knowledge, they would still talk me, giving me their time of day. Which i didn't expect at all. So, these were really good aspects of the experience and i had some really friendly , welcoming people on the way as well. They would make sure that i was introduced to the surgeons and stuff like that. So, yeah, i really enjoyed that aspect of the experience and in particular that. When it came to the coordination between myself, Dennis and George's and Cerca Abroad in general , i felt that it was pretty good in general, as we knew what we had to do. Like when we were picked up from the airport on time, like the keys, the sort of organization about our housing and stuff like that-the organization and that was all very smooth and seamless. So, you know, good job there i suppose. So, as well as the medical aspects of the internship , I really enjoyed getting to know Athens and Greece in general. As in like, the city is historic . It has the Parthenon in the center. You really feel the weight of the history . It has a very nice vibe as a city. I particularly enjoyed exploring the Plaka and Psiri touristic areas. The buildings are beautiful, you know. I used to enjoy walking around with the other interns, so we got off to know each other. So, 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? 140-150

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
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • My access to the operating room during surgery
  • The tour of the historical city of Athens
  • The gain of new experiences and skills
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing

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!