Before Anything Else: Not Yet Ready to Apply?
If you’re not ready to apply, feel free to browse our website more.
Application Process Steps
Step One: Online Application
The online application can take less than 30 minutes to complete and consists of:
- General Information (5 min)
- Academics – no transcript required (2 min)
- Financial aid documentation (optional)
- Additional Questions (1 min)
- Program Preferences (2 min)
- Personal Statement & Short Responses (15-30 min, sometimes less as applicants can often use portions of essays written for other purposes)
As you fill out your application, keep in mind our open programs, since you’ll be asked about your preferences.
Part of our personal statement prompt at the end is similar to a portion of the AMCAS prompt you’ll fill out later if you apply to MD programs, so you can even reuse your essay in the future. Atlantis has helped many alumni be admitted to medical school, and we wanted the Atlantis application process itself to be a step towards (in the sense that it helps you draft) your future medical school application and admission.
Step Two: Two-Way Alumni Video Interview & Admissions Decision
Our interview process is a two-way street. You’ll meet with an Atlantis alum for a ~30-minute video call to assess if Atlantis is a good fit for you and vice versa. Here’s what we’re looking for: a genuine passion for healthcare, maturity, and professionalism. All of these show us how you will interact with our international hospital partners. Similarly, you should be asking the Atlantis alum any questions that will help you determine whether Atlantis is a fit for you: Why did you do it? Why did you pick Atlantis versus other things? Did it help you with X and Y? How will you leverage it in your medical school applications?
To prepare, think about general questions you have, what experience you would like to gain through the program, as well as any logistical or financial notes you want to cover.
Did You Know? More than 1 out of every 10 U.S. pre-health advisors has been to our programs; ask yours for their advice on how to fit Atlantis into your pre-health path. If your advisor hasn’t been to our programs, ask him or her to reach out to pre-health advisor peers at other universities to ask opinions from those who have visited Atlantis programs.
Step Three: Enrollment Process
After passing the interview, you’ll receive a formal offer with your program dates & location. To confirm your placement, you’ll typically be given 2 weeks to complete the Enrollment Checklist, which asks you to:
- E-sign the student agreement
- Submit the $900 non-refundable deposit
- Choose a payment plan
Once your Enrollment Checklist is approved, congratulations! You’re enrolled! You will receive a confirmation email officially introducing you to the Post Enrollment team.
Pre-Departure
As you prepare for your program, our Post Enrollment team will make sure that you feel confident and comfortable with what to expect. They will be your point of contact regarding travel logistics, vaccine records, and payment questions. You will receive details on the Site Manager, program housing details, and arrival day logistics no later than two weeks before the program start date.
Students arrange their own flights and arrival transportation to the program housing, but Atlantis programs include many important things that are part of your experience. For more pre-departure information, consult our FAQs.
Some Common Questions
Do I have to apply for multiple programs separately?
Is there an application deadline?
How long before I hear back?
Am I eligible?
We are proud of the fact that our students come from a diverse set of backgrounds. They range from incoming college freshmen to recent graduates, post-college gap years, and post bacc students. Atlantis students:
Our Alumni Enter Great Medical Schools
Zoey Petitt
- Atlantis '17
- U. of Arizona '18
- Duke MD '23
Zoey Petitt
Hungary ’17 || University of Arizona
Completed Atlantis Program Location:
Hungary
Year of most recent program:
Fall ’16-Summer ’17
Season of most recent program:
Summer
Do you believe your Atlantis experience helped you get into your graduate program?
Very helpful
Generally, why do you think Atlantis helped you get into your graduate program?
For me, my Atlantis experience played a key role in confirming my decision to go into medicine. This was important for me to discuss during the admissions process.
Specifically, did you talk about Atlantis in your interviews? If so, how much relative to other topics?
Yes, I talked about Atlantis in some interviews.
Nathan Ewing-Crystal
- Atlantis '17
- Yale '19
- UCSF MD '23
Nick Morley
- Atlantis '17
- Brown '13
- Columbia MD '23
Elorm Yevudza
- Atlantis '16
- Amherst '19
- Columbia MD '24
Elorm Yevudza
Ciudad Real, Spain ’16 || Amherst College
Program:
Ciudad Real – Spain – 2016
Undergraduate:
Amherst College class of 2019
Major:
Neuroscience
Extracurricular Activities:
Track and Field, International Students Association, Charles Drew Health Professions Society
Why did you choose the Atlantis program?
The opportunity to shadow doctors in a European country greatly appealed to me. As an international student from Ghana, I value the subtle differences in approach that doctors, depending on the country in which they are trained, use to achieve a common result: alleviating illness and improving the quality of lives.
How is Atlantis Unique?
In an increasingly globalized world, having first-hand experience with the subtleties of healthcare in different parts of the world is vital to a future health professional. Atlantis exposes participants to these nuances in healthcare approaches, and in effect helps aspiring health professionals gain a global perspective on healthcare.
Describe Atlantis in three words:
A transformative experience.
What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?
Experiencing the city and culture of Ciudad Real was an experience that is etched in my memory. As I practiced my very elementary Spanish with the locals and discussed various health-related issues with the doctors I shadowed, I was reminded of the uniqueness of human life. I was also reminded of the role of a health professional in society: to preserve and improve the quality of human life.
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?
My discussions with doctors about their relations with patients was most meaningful to me. Our discussions highlighted a trend I had spotted when I shadowed doctors in Ghana: that the core of healthcare is about alleviating illness and improving the quality of life. My conversations with doctors in Ciudad Real underscored the importance of treating patients not just as cases, but as people.
How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?
The Atlantis program has given me a broader perspective on the field of healthcare. The program has also brought wonderful people into my life. The participants that I shadowed, explored, and conversed with impressed me with their passion for healthcare. The program has also taught me to be a lifelong leader, and the importance of fostering a curiosity that will help prepare me for my future in the medical field.
Nick Tucker
- Atlantis '16
- Notre Dame '17
- Case Western MD '21
Nicholas Tucker
La Plata, Argentina || Case Western Reserve School of Medicine
Program:
La Plata, Argentina
Undergraduate:
The University of Notre Dame class of 2017
Major:
Neuroscience and Behavior
Honors:
Stamps Scholar, ND Monogram Club
Extracurricular Activities:
Student Athletic Trainer, Memory Lab Research, Student Assistant for the Alliance for Catholic Education, Singer/Songwriter and Guitarist
Why did you choose Atlantis?
The Atlantis program offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine my passions for medicine and Spanish. This was the only opportunity I could find that would allow me to improve these two areas concurrently while still being an undergraduate so that I could open up the amount of people I can serve in the future.
How is Atlantis unique?
Atlantis is very in touch with the evolving world that we live in. Having the ability to understand different cultures and languages is more important today than ever before, especially in the medical field. Doctors have an obligation to not only know about the various backgrounds of their patients but also to have the ability to connect with them–which only comes with full exposure into different cultures and a desire to appreciate and learn about both our similarities and differences.
Describe Atlantis in Three Words:
Insightful. Humbling, Life-Changing.
What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?
The best part of the Atlantis program was the day-to-day interactions I had with the Argentine people, whether in the hospital, at the hotel, or even out to eat at the local restaurants. The people of La Plata were so welcoming to us, and I am still in contact today with many of the people I met.
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?
I truly enjoyed being able to witness how compassionate the doctors and residents were at the hospital. They gave every patient their full attention and time to make sure that they were cared for to the best of their ability, despite the constraints with which they had to deal. I also was inspired by the neurosurgeries I was able to witness, which have helped me discern what I want to do with my future in medicine.
How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?
I walked away from the experience knowing a lot more about various medical fields (pediatrics, surgery, etc.), increasing my Spanish fluency dramatically, and learning an abundant amount about the dynamic culture that exists in Argentina.
Future plans?
I plan to attend medical school, and am already accepted.
Tiffany Hu
- Atlantis '16
- UMD College Park '17
- Michigan MPH '21 + MD '22
Tiffany Hu
Tereul, Spain ’16 || U Michigan Medical School
Program:
Teruel, Spain – Summer 2016
Undergraduate:
University of Maryland class of 2017
Admitted medical student at:
University of Michigan Medical School
Major:
Neurobiology
Honors:
Honors Integrated Life Sciences Program, Banneker/Key Scholarship
Extracurricular Activities:
American Medical Student Association Co-President & Advocacy Day Liaison, Alternative Breaks Experience Leader, Health Professions Advising Office Student Advisory Board, Biology Teach Assistant, Health Leads, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, NIH Research Intern, Physicians for Social Responsibility Environment & Health Intern
Why did you choose Atlantis?
I wanted to expand my horizons and understand a culture of health different from the ones I am accustomed to. I had shadowed doctors in the United States and Taiwan prior to my Atlantis program experience, and being able to see first-hand the healthcare system in Spain allowed me to draw comparisons between the different complex healthcare systems.
Describe Atlantis in Three Words:
Educational. Eye-opening. Exhilarating.
What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?
Bonding with the other participants and celebrating our time together along with the doctors we shadowed. We would discuss our interests, passions, and motivation for medicine, and it was an incredible experience to learn from and alongside them.
What was your experience with the doctors you were shadowing?
Because of the pre-established relationships with the hospitals in which we shadowed, all the doctors were very welcoming and accommodating. They were willing to translate for us and explain in detail all of their medical decisions. My doctors and I had wonderful conversations about the differences between life in Spain vs. the United States.
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?
I was excited to scrub in on surgeries and watch as the doctor explained what he was doing throughout the operation. Before and after surgeries, as well as in my other rotations, I observed how the doctors reassured and communicated with their patients. I was able to glean insight into differences between the experience of health in Spain versus the United States through observation as well as conversations with the doctors.
How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?
Besides the wealth of medical knowledge I gained from shadowing the doctors, I challenged myself to step outside of my cultural comfort zone and explore more than I thought I was capable of. Atlantis allowed me to make connections with people from all around the United States and abroad, and the friendships I gained helped me learn so much more than I would have on my own.
Yong-hun Kim
- Atlantis '17
- Stanford '19
- Mayo Clinic MD '24
Yong-Hun Kim
Budapest, Hungary ’17 || Stanford University
Program:
Budapest, Hungary – Winter 2017
Undergraduate:
Stanford University class of 2019
Major:
Computer Science
Honors:
Bio-X Grant (award for research)
Undergraduate Activities:
President and Founder of Stanford Undergraduate Hospice and Palliative Care, Volunteer for Pacific Free Clinic, Research Assistant in Wernig Pathology Lab, President of Hong Kong Student Association, violin performance
Why did you choose Atlantis?
I chose the Atlantis program because it combines opportunities to shadow physicians and travel abroad, both of which I had little prior exposure to.
Describe Atlantis in three words:
Eye-opening. Spontaneous. Exhilarating.
What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?
My favorite experience as an Atlantis participant came in the stories exchanged over meals or excursions and the breadth of conversation that reflected the diversity of backgrounds within our cohort and site managers.
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?
I appreciated the chance to speak with physicians in Budapest and hear their personal motivations for pursuing medicine because it really helped better contextualize and validate my own interest in medicine. The physicians were also just really welcoming, relatable, and down-to-earth people.
What are your post-grad plans?
My current plan is to take a few gap years after graduating to explore the tech/biotech industry before applying to medical schools. I would also love to spend those gap years traveling and seeing more of the world.
How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?
The Atlantis program has equipped me with a better understanding of what a career in medicine looks like, which I think is an invaluable gift considering the long road ahead of those who aspire to be a physician.
How has Atlantis equipped you for active leadership in the medical field?
The ability to interact and empathize with patients of diverse backgrounds and communities is a necessity to be a leader in the medical field. I think the Atlantis program, through my interactions with mentors and their patients, has helped me take my first steps toward attaining the cultural vocabulary and literacy required of a physician.
Janine Baldino
- Atlantis '16
- NC State '15
- UNC Chapel Hill MD '22
Avneet Chadha
- Atlantis '17
- UM-Ann Arbor '18
- Kimmel MD '23
Watch Video: The Atlantis Experience
Watch Video: 20+ Alumni Now In Med School Explain: Atlantis Is a Major Reason I Got In Here
