View of the rooftops of the Spanish town of Calatayud (an Atlantis site).
View of the rooftops of the Spanish town of Calatayud (an Atlantis site).
A view of the Plaza de Santa Maria Square, near Calatayud (an Atlantis site).
A view of the Plaza de Santa Maria Square, near Calatayud (an Atlantis site).
Students standing at a lookout over the city of Calatayud.
Atlantis students standing at a lookout over the city (Calatayud, Spain.

Spain

Calatayud

$2,999 - $5,999

Overview

Calatayud is a municipality in Zaragoza within the autonomous community of Aragón. It lies on the Jalón River and among the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is located northeast of Madrid and about 3 hours south of the French border.

The city’s roots began with the Roman Empire, and it has Moorish and Jewish influences. It boasts some of the most well-preserved Mudéjar architecture in Aragón, and some of its monuments are part of the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Destination Information

The City

The Old Town of Calatayud treasures interesting monuments like the palaces of Aragonese style, of the XVI and XVII centuries, or churches such as the Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor, which has an impressive plateresque façade made of alabaster that leaves everyone open-mouthed. It is a World Heritage Site since 2001 and inside it has a spectacular cloister of Mudejar art.

About 4 kilometers from Calatayud are the archaeological remains of what was once the Roman city of Bilbilis. There is evidence that there was a great activity in the first century, at the time of Julius Caesar Augustus.

From Calatayud, it is easy to visit the Monasterio de Piedra, an authentic 13th-century Cistercian monastery where history is present in every room, as well as a spectacular 19th century Historical Garden Park, with countless waterfalls and lush flora.

Dates & Availability

  • Summer Break 2024

Dates

Price

Availability

May 11, 2024 - May 31, 2024 3 weeks

$5,999

Open

June 1, 2024 - June 7, 2024 1 week

$2,999

Open

June 22, 2024 - June 28, 2024 1 week

$2,999

Open

July 13, 2024 - July 19, 2024 1 week

$2,999

Open

July 20, 2024 - August 2, 2024 2 weeks

$4,499

Close to Full

You may pay over time, fundraise, consider scholarships, and more.

Participants may transfer to another program or receive a refund up until a predefined amount of time before the start date.

What’s Included

Atlantis programs include ~20h/week of shadowing, housing, some meals, transportation, travel health insurance, and more. Airfare is not included but can be very affordable.

Hospital Overview

The Ernest Lluch Hospital is a public hospital located outside the city center of Calatayud and near the river Jiloca. It opened in 1985 and is a small-sized hospital with around 120 beds and a workforce of over 600 people. The hospital has developed a reputation of efficiency and closeness with its patients. It has also put a focus on modern medical equipment in the areas of ultrasound machines, laparoscopy towers, and EKG monitoring.

Alumni Favorite

Mudéjar Art

Have you ever heard of the Mudéjar art? It is a style which is native and unique to the history of Spain and it was born as a result of the blending of Moorish and Christian styles during the Moorish invasion and Spanish reconquista. In Calatayud you can find some of the best preserved Mudéjar architecture in this part of Spain, such as the Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor.

Students in front of the Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor.
Atlantis students in front of the Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor (Calatayud, Spain).

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.

Students standing in front of a waterfall.
Atlantis students in front of a waterfall on a program excursion (Calatayud, Spain).
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Excursions

Our excursions are designed to offer a deeper look into your host culture, for both the educational benefit and the enjoyment of exploring a new place with others who share your interests in travel and medicine. Excursions range from historical tours to culinary and cultural explorations.

Your Site Manager will inform you of the excursions they have planned during your program orientation. If you make travel plans outside of your city for a weekend and it conflicts with the events your Site Manager has planned, notify your Site Manager several days in advance so that they can plan accordingly.

Atlantis students on a program excursion.
Atlantis students on a program excursion (Genoa, Italy).

Language Skills Not Required

Most participants do not speak the local language at their Atlantis program. English levels vary within the hospital, but no knowledge of the language is required for Atlantis to be valuable. There is enough English spoken in the hospital for participants to benefit from the programs, as you can read in our testimonials. 

Many patients in your future career will not speak your language and will come from a different cultural background, so the Atlantis experience prepares you for that intercultural perspective. Any slight language barrier you may encounter at Atlantis also helps you develop “resilience and adaptability,” an AAMC core competency.

Clinical Experience that Stands Out to Schools

Medical schools want 3 things: healthcare exposure, GPA/MCAT, and certain competencies. Uniquely, “360 Shadowing” gives you the best version of the 1st, frees you to focus on the 2nd, and cultivates/shows the 3rd to medical school admissions.

Two students walking out of a hospital wing.
Atlantis students in a hospital wing (Lisbon, Portugal).

Funding Your Future

The cost of Atlantis isn’t too dissimilar from the cost of many study abroad programs that you may find. And we’re here to help: from our extensive fundraising guide to flexible payment plans and financing options, we make the process simple and easy, allowing you to focus on what really matters.

An Atlantis student smiling while shadowing abroad.
An Atlantis student on an excursion experiencing culture while shadowing abroad (Athens, Greece).

Bring a Friend

Consider bringing a friend to the same program you’re applying to. Although the vast majority of Atlantis alumni have gone on programs without knowing someone in their cohort, bringing a friend allows your experience to be shared in a unique way, while still allowing you one of the benefits of Atlantis: meeting new pre-health friends from across the country. Consider sharing this idea with your friends.

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students walking and smiling.
Atlantis students exploring together on a program excursion (Athens, Greece).

Med School Interview:
Atlantis Alum vs. Typical Pre-med

Compare a possible medical school interview of an Atlantis alum with that of a typical applicant by looking at responses to common questions.