Students walking through a hospital hallway.
Atlantis students in the hospital (Europe).

How It Works

Most programs take place over several weeks during college breaks in cities and hospitals (primarily) in Europe.

Overview

What is 360 Shadowing?

Atlantis 360 Shadowing is a unique, time-tested model we have developed with over 100 hospital partners around the globe. When compared with regular shadowing or typical clinical experience, 360 Shadowing has far greater depth, breadth, quantity of hours, and intercultural perspective. And it takes place over college breaks, usually for a few weeks, almost always as a study abroad program in a developed-country healthcare system, in one or more countries.

Students examining medical equipment (Athens, 2019).
Atlantis students examining medical equipment while shadowing (Athens, Greece).
The Value of Atlantis

A Life-Changing Experience

As a busy pre-health student, trying to coordinate a few clinical experience and shadowing hours here and there is difficult and not always rewarding. Atlantis programs give you very meaningful clinical experience, and one that is good enough as to allow for the “luxury” of focusing more on grades during your semesters, while at the same time refining and showcasing most of the 15 competencies that medical schools assess candidates on. This overall experience is part of why our alumni can succeed in their healthcare paths post-college.

Students chatting with a doctor (Athens, 2019).
Two Atlantis students getting the opportunity to speak with a doctor while shadowing (Athens, Greece).

Our Alumni Enter Great Medical Schools

John Daines headshot.

John Daines

  • Atlantis '17
  • Brigham Young University '19
  • Washington U. in St. Louis MD '23
Zoey Petitt headshot.

Zoey Petitt

  • Atlantis '17
  • U. of Arizona '18
  • Duke MD '23
Yong hun Kim headshot.

Yong-hun Kim

  • Atlantis '17
  • Stanford '19
  • Mayo Clinic MD '24
Megan Branson headshot.

Megan Branson

  • Atlantis '18
  • U. of Montana '19
  • U. of Washington MD '24
Sarah Emerick headshot.

Sarah Emerick

  • Atlantis '19
  • Eckerd College '20
  • Indiana U. MD '25
Snow Nwankwo headshot.

Snow Nwankwo

  • Atlantis '19
  • Catholic U. of America '21
  • Georgetown U. MD '26
Tiffany Hu headshot.

Tiffany Hu

  • Atlantis '16
  • U. of Maryland '17
  • U. of Michigan MD '22
Lauren Cox headshot.

Lauren Cox

  • Atlantis '18
  • Louisiana Tech '20
  • U. of Arkansas MD '24
Kayla Riegler headshot.

Kayla Riegler

  • Atlantis '18
  • U. of Kentucky '20
  • U. of Kentucky MD '24

Day in the Life

Mornings

You’ll have light breakfast fare provided, typically in your housing location with the other students. Embrace the traditional local breakfast and coffee, grab your white lab coat, name badge, and notebook, and then it’s off to the hospital!

Shadowing Days

You’ll spend, in general, 5 hours or more each shadowing day, four days per week, in the hospital. This time will be spent shadowing doctors whenever they are available. Whether they are conducting consultations, grabbing a coffee with colleagues, or orchestrating a femur reconstruction surgery, you will be at their side throughout it. As with any shadowing situation, you’re not shadowing every minute—sometimes you’re waiting, for instance. But on the whole, you’ll observe with greater depth, breadth, quantity, and intercultural perspective than you would in the majority of clinical experiences that pre-meds go through.

 

The result is that our alumni are admitted to 40 of the top 50 M.D. programs and beyond (and to other tracks), can perform well on interviews, and 93% of them progress on the competencies that medical schools value. If you haven’t watched it already, watch the video below to see three alumni describe their hospital experiences and the specialties they saw:

Group Activities

Two group meals during the week and a weekly cultural excursion are organized by your Site Manager. You’ll have an excellent opportunity to try the local cuisine, immerse yourself in the local culture, and bond with other pre-health students from across the U.S. in your cohort.

 

We often hear alumni, years after their Atlantis program, saying that they not only keep in touch with their peers, but they share pre-health tips, hold each other accountable on MCAT studying, debate application strategies, go on trips with each other inside the U.S., and invite each other to their weddings. These bonds are made during students’ time together in the hospital, but especially in group activities. If you haven’t watched it already, watch our Atlantis Experience video below, which covers many elements of the overall Atlantis experience:

Free Weekends

Whether you want to explore your host city on your own or plan a getaway to another European city with a group, weekends are 100% free of programming and allow for a multitude of enriching experiences. That said, you should also consider staying in your city.

A beach with a castle on a hill in the background.
A beach in Barcelona with a view of old castle architecture in the background in Spain (an Atlantis site).

Watch Video: The Atlantis Experience

The quality and organization of the program is unparalleled.

Greg K.Atlantis ’20Kansas State University ’21

Hospital Experience

Atlantis allows students to shadow abroad for 20+ hours each week in different hospital departments. All hours are observation-only, following AAMC guidelines for pre-health experiences abroad (doing otherwise would jeopardize your Med/PA applications). Students typically (but not always) shadow departments in pairs. Some fields will be surgical but more often non-surgical. Some fields will be more engaging than others (and this varies from person to person), which is also what students will experience later on during their medical training.

Below is a sample rotation schedule. Preferences for specialties are not guaranteed. However, the vast majority of Atlantis participants end up receiving all or most of their choices.

Sample Schedule A Sample Schedule B Sample Schedule C
Week 1 Cardiology General Surgery Orthopedics
Week 2 Thoracic Surgery Emergency General Surgery
Week 3 Ophthalmology Cardiology Nuclear Radiology
Week 4 Dermatology Pediatrics OB/GYN
Week 5 Anesthesiology Pathology Neurology
Week 6 Hematology Neurology Urology

Our team chooses program locations that are surrounded by the rich cultural offerings of Europe, while also ensuring the availability of a hospital setting, which is always our priority. We know many pre-health students are unable to study abroad due to course requirements. Atlantis allows students to combine the joys of travel abroad with the invaluable experience of shadowing, particularly 360 Shadowing, with its greater depth, breadth, quantity, and intercultural perspective, relative to most other clinical experiences available to U.S. pre-health students.

Three Alumni Speak About Their
Experience in the Hospital

Note on Language Skills

English levels vary within the hospital, but no knowledge of language is required for this to be a valuable experience. The vast majority of our alumni have not spoken the local language. We always encourage students to practice in the months leading up to their program, but this is not required.

Join a webinar to hear about Atlantis from an alumni

Take the Quiz to Find Out Your SERS number

We’ve built our highly acclaimed “Shadowing and Extracurricular Readiness Score” calculator to allow you to look at advice statements from pre-med experts and see to what extent you follow them. As a bonus, you will have a better sense of whether Atlantis is a good fit for you.

Europe vs. the US: 5 Years of Extra Life Expectancy, at 70% Lower Costs

Both systems have many pros and many cons, and we believe each can learn from the other. But one pro of the European system is its lower cost relative to life expectancy.

What’s Included

On Program Components

  • Approximately 20 hours of AAMC-compliant observation-only shadowing each week, usually in a different department each week
  • In most locations, small groups of 10–15 students
  • Student-doctor ratio of 1:1 or 2:1
  • A small set of our programs are not shadowing-based but rather “Service-Research Projects”, and these substitute the 3 above bullet-point items with a full-time project
  • 1 excursion per week: usually on Fridays + 1 excursion on the Sunday after arrival
  • Housing with rooms separated by gender (with 1–2 roommates or several housemates, depending on housing type)
  • Transportation in and around the city for certain program activities
  • Small daily breakfast, lunch during the excursions, + 2 weekday group dinners per week (including one farewell dinner)
  • Health insurance if traveling abroad on the program: covers certain medical expenses due to accidents and sickness (conditions apply)
  • Staff available to greet and assist students at the recommended arrival airport for each location during a specific window.
  • Atlantis Site Managers in your city will be available when you arrive, assisting during the program, and on-call if any issues arise

Pre/Post Program Components

  • Basic admissions advising by someone experienced with medical school admissions
  • Mentoring session from an incoming top 10 medical school student
  • Guidance for how to leverage your Atlantis experience on “Uniqueness Projects,” giving you the chance to create your own initiative, club, or non-profit to uniquely help connect healthcare professionals between Europe and the U.S.
  • HMX online course for pre-med students, with the potential to earn a certificate from Harvard Medical School upon completion. This course is not-for-credit, and is only available in some of our programs; our cities page clearly identifies programs that include HMX
  • Support for requesting course credit from your university wherever this is possible

Learn More About the Additional Components

HMX Course with the potential to earn a certificate from Harvard Medical School

Some programs include a Harvard Medical School HMX course (and the potential to earn a certificate depending on performance) in one of several possible fields, such as physiology, which is made for students who have not yet entered medical school. It requires self-paced work over several weeks, before, during, or after your Atlantis program. The course lessons are given by renowned medical school faculty, with the potential to earn a certificate from Harvard Medical School upon completion.

Uniqueness Project Guidance

We have seen alumni do many unique projects after shadowing abroad with us, projects that set them apart as some of the very few people bridging international healthcare systems. Our programs can provide the ideal environment in which great opportunities can arise.

Admissions Advising & Mentoring

First-time Atlantis students from all programs receive a simplified version of admissions advising, presented by someone experienced with US medical school admissions. This is optional and free of any additional cost, but highly recommended. Separately, and also free of any cost, you will also have the opportunity to receive mentoring from an incoming top ten medical school student.

Support for Requesting Course Credit

Atlantis provides assistance for students who want to apply for experience credit or independent study credit through their university.

Note: Airfare is not included but can be very affordable. Read more in our Flight Tips guide.

I believe that highlighting the Atlantis experience significantly bolstered my candidacy and helped lead to numerous eventual [medical school] acceptances I was fortunate enough to receive.

George Bugarinovic headshot.
George Bugarinovic

Atlantis '16

Johns Hopkins '15, Harvard Medical School '20

Atlantis is an opportunity of a lifetime…The program helped catapult me to a full-tuition (and generous living stipend!) merit scholarship at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine where I currently attend and will graduate with an MD.

Selena Pasadyn headshot.
Selena Pasadyn

Atlantis ‘16

Harvard ‘16, Cleveland Clinic MD ‘21

It was the best experience of my life. I remember standing in the OR and saying to myself “I don’t care how long it takes, how hard it will be or how much money it will cost. I’m going to become a doctor.” I have told all my friends that are pre-med that they need to do this. Not only did I have an amazing time in the hospital but I also made friends that will last a lifetime.

Matthew

Athens Atlantis '19

University of Illinois Chicago

Atlantis provided the richest pre-med experience I’ve had to date, and I’m so thankful to have had this opportunity. I would go back and do it 100 times over!

Youssef

Turin Atlantis ‘19

Rice University

I was blown away by the experience I had. I would recommend it to anyone who is on the fence about going to medical school or stopping.

Bren

Burgos Atlantis '18

University of Arizona

My Atlantis trip to Spain was the best trip I have ever been on. Between shadowing some of the kindest and wisest doctors I have ever met, to making new friends, to traveling the world on weekends, Atlantis gave me the trip of a lifetime.

Adelia

Cuenca Atlantis '20

Lipscomb University

It was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. I was able to learn so much about the medical field from the hospital, and I was able to have an amazing time exploring Viana and making life-long friends.

Devin

Viana do Castelo Atlantis '19

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Participating in Atlantis was truly one of the best decisions I could have made for my career. I learned so much and got to observe procedures that would be nearly impossible to observe in the United States. Going on the program solidified my desire to go to medical school and gave me confidence in the direction of my career.

Erin

Thessaloniki Atlantis ‘19

Wright State University

My trip to Merida has changed my life. The opportunities provided by Atlantis are nearly unattainable elsewhere. The program has made me confident in myself and my future.

Eva

Mérida Atlantis '19

University of California Davis

This program was the best thing I could have ever done. I was shown so many different specialties and feel I am so much more confident in going into medicine after this program.

Kerstin

Rome Atlantis '19

Hunter College CUNY

Atlantis was one of the best decisions I made as a pre-med student. I got to see medicine in action so close-up, and I never would have received that opportunity in the USA. I am truly thankful to Atlantis for helping me confirm that I am on the right path.

Sadana

Zaragoza Atlantis '19

George Washington University

The experience I gained through Atlantis was truly incredible and I don’t believe I could have gotten it anywhere else. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to participate in the Atlantis program.

Abraham

Toledo Atlantis '18

Cornell University

It was the best first-hand clinical observational experience that I don’t think could really be offered in the US. It was real life, in my face experience. I’ve shadowed and volunteered in Hospitals before but I’ve never been in an OR or seen surgery performed with my own eyes. It was a very unique experience.

Keren

Barbastro Atlantis '19

George Mason University

It was an incredible experience from start to finish. I learned tons and gained valuable experience in a hospital. Not just that, I made incredible friendships along the way.

Damian

Milan Atlantis '19

Moravian University

Atlantis was the perfect opportunity to meet like-minded, driven people who have become my lifelong friends. Atlantis also reminded me why I want to become a doctor and helped fuel my passion for medicine.

Elena

Bologna Atlantis '19

Wisconsin University

I loved this fellowship! I am so grateful for this opportunity and for everyone that made it possible.

Abigail

Cascais Atlantis '19

I was able to learn things not only about medicine but also about myself and the world we live in. I discovered the specific path of medical education I was to pursue and do not believe I would have done so without this program.

Abigale

Budapest Atlantis ‘19

University of New Mexico

I believe that Atlantis has truly [proven] my dedication and determination to become a doctor, and I believe that it will definitely do the same for many others.

Adonnis

Vilnius Atlantis ‘19

Saint Elizabeth University

The experiences I got to have through Atlantis are like none other. For me, this trip solidified that I am on the right path and that becoming a medical professional is exactly what I want to do.

Amanda

Trento Atlantis '19

University at Albany

It was the closest I could be to being a doctor/surgeon without being one. It is definitely an eye-opener and an experience every pre-med student should experience.

Amit S.

Lisbon Atlantis '19

Polytechnic State University

It gave me an experience that I will never forget! It confirmed my interest in the medical field and gave me a push in the right direction.

Ashley

Vigo Atlantis '19

I would recommend this because it is a great experience if you are applying for medical school, but also to grow as a person. I made so many new friends and had so many amazing experiences that I will never forget.

Ashley

Padua Atlantis '19

University of Mississippi

Every moment of my program was amazing! Getting the chance to shadow in my preferred specialty was so inspiring and motivated me to further strive to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Bouthiana

Coimbra Atlantis '19

Marshall University

This is an amazing opportunity for those wanting to see which specialties they may be interested in. You will find out if that is the path to focus on or not.

Carmen

Talavera de la Reina Atlantis '18

Loma Lima University

Atlantis has given me the opportunity to experience and obtain knowledge that I would not be able to gain in a regular classroom setting. The program also helped to remind me of my medical ambitions, regain confidence in myself, and focus on my pre-med journey.

Courtney

Zagreb Atlantis '19

Mount Royal University

This was truly an unforgettable experience. I enjoyed every second in the hospital. This fellowship was that last push and motivation I needed to continue my career in the medical field.

Elaine

Pontevedra Atlantis '19

University of Missouri Columbia

The Atlantis Fellowship has given me a broader perspective on the field of healthcare. The program has also brought wonderful people into my life.

Elorm Yevudza headshot.
Elorm Yevudza

Atlantis '16

Amherst College '19, Columbia '24

It was an amazing, eye-opening experience to get to learn about the medical profession in another country. It allows you to fully understand how different things could be and how other countries go about performing healthcare. You also get the chance to meet so many new and wonderful people that I will be forever grateful for. It is an experience of a lifetime.

Erin

Larissa Atlantis '19

Northwest Ohio University of Kentucky

Atlantis allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and immerse myself in a culture that I would probably have never done if it wasn’t for this program. I learned so much about a different healthcare system and was able to confirm that medicine is what I want to do in the future. The program is a perfect mix of being able to explore a foreign country while also helping you to achieve your future goal of being a doctor.

Erin

Mantua Atlantis '19

University of Notre Dame

It was the best shadowing and the best foreign experience I’ve ever had. A must for any pre-med student with travel fever or an interest in foreign medicine.

Fermin

Madrid Atlantis '19

University of Colorado at Boulder

You will be able to immerse yourself into a culture you’re unfamiliar with… and feel like a local. Look at body language and nonverbal signs and tones in the patients you meet, rather than the words they’re speaking.

Frank

Trieste Atlantis '19

Rice University

Atlantis opened my eyes to how healthcare, education, families, and much more operate in other countries. The diversity of our group allowed me to make friends that live all over the country, and we all walked away from our 6 weeks with a newfound respect for medicine, as well as a better understanding of what we may want our future careers to look like.

Gabrielle G.

Rijeka Atlantis ‘19

UVA ‘25

I absolutely loved my experience. My site managers did an amazing job giving us a real authentic Italian experience and were also very helpful with any questions we had. My group overall was fantastic, and it really made the trip that much better. I am so happy to have been able to see a different kind of healthcare system and use what I’ve learned in the hospital in my future career in medicine.

Hannah

Pavia Atlantis '19

Savannah State University

I loved it!! Would definitely recommend it to a friend. It is such a wonderful opportunity to be exposed to healthcare in another country. The doctors and medical staff are super friendly and love to be teaching you.

Jillian

Teruel Atlantis '18

Bates College

Overall, it was an experience that will help anyone who wants to pursue a degree in medicine. This experience will be one that not only will help me with getting into medical school but will help me become a better doctor. It will give me more of an understanding of the medical systems for those who live in different countries and the different techniques that physicians use.

Kaylen

Genoa Atlantis '19

Texas Tech University

This program definitely fueled my motivation to become a doctor.

Liliana

Valladolid Atlantis '19

College of the Canyons

Atlantis is a great way to immerse yourself in the medical field. Not only do you get to explore a new country, but learn more about healthcare itself. It was an amazing opportunity to compare healthcare firsthand. In addition, rotating specialties each week truly helps those who are unsure of which area of medicine they want to pursue.

Lindsay

Sibenik Atlantis ‘19

Eastern Michigan University

I would strongly recommend Atlantis to a friend… the trip was very well planned out, from excursions to our daily routine of going to the hospital. Also, I had the best experience at the hospital. I never would have expected to be able to see surgeries firsthand. All around, this program was amazing in every aspect.

Mattaya

Bergamo Atlantis '19

Wilfrid Laurier University

I loved rotating within the different departments and seeing a variety of procedures and patient encounters. Our site manager was also amazing throughout the entire program. He was always available and wanted to ensure that we had the best possible experience during our time in Hungary.

Prachi

Székesfehérvár Atlantis ‘19

UT Austin

Atlantis was an incredible experience. I was challenged to think about things that I had not thought of before about being a doctor. My love for my desired specialty was enhanced through Atlantis. I will always have a little bit of Spain with me wherever I go.

Rachel

Ponferrada Atlantis '18

Furman University

It was an unbelievable experience in which I learned so much about myself, medicine, and the kind of doctor I want to be.

Sabrina

Ourense Atlantis '19

University of Wyoming

Atlantis is an incredible experience that everyone should be able to have. The shadowing showed me incredible cases that really piqued my interest and made me think deeper into the field of medicine.

Shane

Tarragona Atlantis '19

University of Georgia

It is a great opportunity to be part of a clinical environment and also engage in different cultures. Thank you for the unforgettable memory and life-changing experience.

SoYoung

Puertollano Atlantis '19

Cornell University

I have no doubt that I will forever remember this experience. Outside of the enriched clinical component, I learned a great deal about myself while immersed in a culture so different from the one I have grown accustomed to.

Sydney

Calatayud Atlantis '19

Hope College

Overall it was an incredible experience to help me feel confident that I want to become a surgeon!

Taylor

Villarrobledo Atlantis '18

Utah State University

[Atlantis] allows one to experience a different part of the world, which can change a person’s perspective of culture and people in general.

Wendy

Belgrade Atlantis ‘19

MCPHS University

Shadowing the doctors in a hospital setting was a valuable experience and made me realize how much I want to be a doctor in the future.

Wynne

Manresa Atlantis '19

It was an amazing experience that was life-changing and has motivated me to work twice as harder to one day become a physician myself.

Alexa

Alcazar de San Juan Atlantis '19

University of South Florida

It was an amazing experience. I learned so much from this program. It made me finalize my decision on if I want to be a doctor or not.

Alexander

Almada Atlantis '18

Rochester Institute of Technology

Best fellowship opportunity ever, I couldn’t imagine missing out on this experience!

Alyssa

Albacete Atlantis '19

Drury University

Any doubt about my drive to practice medicine has been diminished. I want more of my friends who are pursuing this career to experience what I’ve just accomplished.

Rodney

Cáceres Atlantis '18

University of Georgia

It’s a truly wonderful and life-changing experience. You come out of the project with so much knowledge that you wouldn’t have imagined at the beginning.

Rene

Almansa Atlantis '17

Saint Martin's University

It’s a rare, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Truly an eye-opening opportunity that I can’t get anywhere else. This program makes me want to become a doctor even faster!

Sharon

Ferrol Atlantis '19

University of La Verne

This experience changed my life and I want it to help others. I loved it and would do it again!

 

Mallorca Atlantis '18

University of the Sciences

It was an amazing experience that shaped my perspective of the world. The experience overall helped motivate me and made it clear that I wanted to study medicine.

Veronica

Figueres Atlantis '19

I was following residents and doctors in Trauma and Orthopedics and was able to observe surgeries ranging from total shoulder replacements to spinal surgeries… I knew then and there I wanted to be in the place of those surgeons one day, working hard to better a patient’s quality of life through amazing surgical techniques and cutting-edge medical technology.

Emily Milesi headshot.
Emily Milesi

Ferrol, Spain 2018

Sonoma State University

We pre-meds go to study abroad fairs and are disappointed because none of the options are a fit for us since they don’t include the classes we need. I might have taken 5 brochures out of 200 programs at the fair, because none of them offer upper-level classes that fit a pre-med schedule, like physics, organic chemistry etc.

Nicole C.

Atlantis ‘20

Lehigh University ‘21

It’s hard as a pre-medical student to stand out from every other pre-medical student out there, especially when it comes to experiences before medical school. When I decided to travel across the world to shadow abroad, I knew I was helping myself stand out from the crowd. What I didn’t know was how deep my love for traveling would be and how deep my love for the people I met on my journey would be.

Michaela Dews headshot.
Michaela Dews

Viana do Castelo, Portugal 2017

Harvard University

In a world where networks are invaluable, I will cherish the relationships I had with the doctors I shadowed at Hospital El Bierzo. Many offered me their emails so that I can ask them questions or to be references for future applications. It meant so much to me that they wanted to invest in my future beyond my three weeks as a Fellow.

 

Hannah Perkins headshot.
Hannah Perkins

Ponferrada, Spain 2018

Furman University

I met amazing people and saw incredible things shadowing in the hospital. I am very thankful for this experience and would recommend it to everyone!

Julia

Barcelona Atlantis '19

University of Miami

I had an incredible experience during my program. I learned so much about the daily routine of doctors in various specialties, while also building new relationships and getting perspective on a new culture.

Kyle

Torun Atlantis ‘19

University of Connecticut

I loved Atlantis. It was the best experience of my life. I met so many people and doctors that strongly impacted my life. If I had a little doubt about being a doctor, Atlantis scooped that away. I am one hundred percent sure that I am going to be a doctor and I will work hard to achieve it.

Leslye

Huesca Atlantis '18

University of Texas San Antonio

Atlantis provided me with an amazing shadowing experience. I was able to experience international healthcare in the best way possible. I think every pre-med or healthcare student should take part in an Atlantis program as it provides an amazing cultural experience that will be helpful in their future careers. The excursion was an added bonus that gave our group a chance to get to know each other and bond before the shadowing began.

Rebecca B.

Patras Atlantis '20

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences ‘18

My Site Manager was phenomenal at keeping our group organized and communicating the entire time. She was very thorough and helpful in navigating on the days I was experiencing trouble with my flight/luggage. She always had an answer to our questions.

Alexi B.Atlantis ’20Virginia Wesleyan College ‘21

Our Programs Are For Students In Gap Years Too

Every year, many students participate in Atlantis programs after they’ve graduated from college. They enroll in the same programs as everyone else, and most programs usually have several students that already graduated from college. The fact that our programs have students more or less evenly distributed from all college years and beyond creates an experience where no one feels out of place. We also have students enrolling during pre-college gap years, though that is less common than post-college.

Greek ruins on a sunny day.
Who It’s For

Who Participates in Atlantis?

Our students range from incoming college freshmen to recent graduates, post-college gap years, and post bacc students. Atlantis students:

  • Are at least 18 years old by their program start date (except for limited high school programs)
  • Have a genuine passion for healthcare, commitment to excellence, and professionalism
  • Go on to pursue a wide range of health professions: MD, DO, PA, Nursing, PT, OT, Pharmacy, etc.

Beyond Shadowing: Atlantis Also Runs Service-Research Projects

Unlike our shadowing programs, which are most of what we do and focus on observing healthcare professionals across multiple specialties, Atlantis Service-Research Projects are an opportunity to learn full-time from an Atlantis Project Leader, inside an elite healthcare organization, in a real project with members of management and administration, while performing a highly impactful service – a unique mix.

Students sitting around a table having a discussion.
Students coordinating their research with the Project Leader in a similarly-structured project (Europe).

Dates

Atlantis programs run for 1–9 weeks over college breaks. Already have a job, vacation, or another pre-health activity in place during an upcoming break? No problem. We offer plenty of start dates and program lengths (see our cities & programs page for those) to make sure we find the best fit for your schedule. Don’t see your ideal dates or locations on our site? Reach out to us and explain your situation.

Students making pesto in Italy
Atlantis students learning how to make pesto in Italy (Genoa, Italy).
Students sitting in a hospital ready for shadowing.
A group of Atlantis students sitting on a bench ready to start shadowing in a hospital (Thessaloniki, Greece).
Getting Started

Application Process

If you are a serious pre-health student, we’d love to help you jumpstart your future in healthcare. The first step is a short online application, followed by a video conversation with an Atlantis representative and often an Atlantis alum. Once accepted, our team will help you select a program that works for your schedule and location preferences. You can always apply now, or, if you’re not quite ready to apply, we can keep you updated as our programs open and close.

Atlantis students kayaking in Spain (Barcelona, 2019).
Atlantis students kayaking off the coast of Spain (Barcelona, Spain).

Check Out the “How It Works” Section of Our FAQs Page

Watch Video: 20+ Alumni Now In Med School Explain:
Atlantis Is a Major Reason I Got In Here

Take the Quiz: Is Atlantis For You?

We’ve built the “Shadowing and Extracurricular Readiness Score” (SERS) calculator to allow you to look at several expert statements and track to what extent your current extracurriculars follow best practices. We believe this exercise to be very useful regardless of whether you end up considering Atlantis.