A view of the city of Lisbon, Portugal (an Atlantis site).
A view of the city of Lisbon, Portugal (an Atlantis site).
A tram and building in Lisbon, Portgual (an Atlantis site).
A tram and building in Lisbon, Portgual (an Atlantis site).
Students standing in front of the hospital where they will be shadowing.
Atlantis students standing in front of the hospital where they will be shadowing (Lisbon, Portugal, 2019).

Portugal

Lisbon

$6,999

Overview

Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal. Located on the Atlantic Ocean and the Tagus River, Lisbon is not only the capital of Portugal but is also considered one of the most global cities due to its rich cultural, economic, and trade history. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe, and its deep history is evident in its intricate architecture, wealth of artistic treasures, and abundance of scenic neighborhoods. Lisbon has traditionally been a large hub for international trade across the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the most important ports in Europe. As the city predates even Rome, it is the oldest city in Western Europe and continues to grow both in size and influence every year. Lisbon sports many styles of architecture featuring millennium-old buildings and is sure to inspire with its rich historical significance and beautiful cityscapes.

Destination Information

The City

Lisbon is a city that you want to discover little by little, seeing what appears in each neighborhood. For instance, Baixa is home to the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery, both declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. You’ll also find the original Museum of Cars and the modern Belém Cultural Center. Oh, and you cannot forget to taste the delicious cream cakes!

The evening is the ideal time to visit Chiado and Bairro Alto. In the new part of the city, you can visit some noteworthy museums such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum or the National Tile Museum. Along the coastal road of Lisbon, you can easily reach beaches and summer resorts that combine villas and hotels from the early twentieth century with marinas, terraces, and excellent golf courses. Continuing along the coast you will find world-famous surf spots, and also palaces scattered throughout the cultural landscape of Sintra, a World Heritage Site.

Dates & Availability

  • Summer Break 2023

Dates

Price

Availability

June 3, 2023 - June 23, 2023 3 weeks

$6,999 from $342/month

limited

June 24, 2023 - July 14, 2023 3 weeks

$6,999 from $342/month

limited

July 15, 2023 - August 4, 2023 3 weeks

$6,999 from $342/month

closed

You may pay over time, fundraise, consider scholarships, and more. See more on the financing and aid page.

Dates may be subject to change, in rare cases, depending on hospital availability. Students may transfer to another program or receive a refund up until a pre-defined amount of before the start date. All fees include an initial $900 deposit, which is non-refundable. Accepted students or their parents are welcome to apply for financing through Uplift (up to 24-month terms, with a 4% to 36% fixed APR based on creditworthiness). Monthly payment amounts are for those paying via Uplift and are for illustration purposes only.

What’s Included

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

Hospital Overview

Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central

Founded in the fifteenth century, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central is located in Lisbon, where there are currently six different locations. Open since 2007, the Centro Hospitalar provides treatment in a wide range of specialties and, as of 2013, CHLC had 7,322 employees, serving about 100 buildings, for a total of 1,352 beds.

Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte

Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte is a public general hospital located in the beautiful city of Lisbon, Portugal. The Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte is located in the university district and is easily accessible via the city’s metro rail system. With a wide range of departments available, this teaching hospital is afforded a wealth of resources by the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon and engages in extensive medical research.

Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental

Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental (CHLO) is divided into 3 different hospitals: Hospital de Egas Moniz, Hospital de San Francisco Xavier, and Hospital de Santa Cruz. Egas Moniz hospital has around 380 beds and was initially founded in 1902 to serve the Portuguese military. The Hospital de San Francisco Xavier is a general hospital; it was founded in the 1970s as a result of overcrowding and poor conditions within other hospitals, and currently has over 300 beds. Hospital de Santa Cruz was founded in 1908 but underwent major reform between 1970 and 1990. Since then, it has continued to expand and now includes over 230 beds and over 900 employees. The mission of CHLO as a whole offers education, research, and training opportunities to health professionals and the surrounding community.

Alumni Favorite

The Balconies of Lisbon

You’ll discover very quickly that Lisbon’s tight, winding streets are also home to an abundance of flower-covered balconies overlooking the cobblestones below. You’ll probably want to stop and take pictures of about 1,000 of them – but we’re told by our Portuguese staff that this is a notoriously American thing to do. Hey, no shame!

A flowering tree outside of a building.
A flowering tree outside of a building (Lisbon, Portugal, 2019).

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.

A student shadowing in the hospital.
A student shadowing in the hospital (Lisbon, Portugal, 2019).
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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 pure enjoyment of exploring a new place with others who share your interests in travel and medicine. If you happen to make travel plans outside of your city for a weekend, and thus your travel plans conflict with the events your Site Manager has planned, we ask that you notify your Site Manager several days in advance so that they’re able to plan the excursion accordingly. Excursions range from historical tours to culinary and cultural explorations. Your Site Manager will inform you of the different excursions they have planned during your program orientation.

Atlantis students on a program excursion.
Atlantis students on a program excursion (Genoa, Italy, 2019).

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, 2019).
Students tubing in the ocean in Greece.
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Watch the Atlantis Experience

Language Skills Not Required

Almost all alumni have not spoken the local language. English levels vary within the hospital, but no knowledge of the language is required for Atlantis to be valuable. There is English ability in enough places in the hospital for participants to benefit, as you can read in our testimonials. Moreover, a program in an English-speaking country would take away some of the value of Atlantis, particularly the intercultural perspective that Atlantis participants gain, in a world where many of your future patients in your career later on will not speak your language and will come from a different cultural background. Any possible language barrier you may encounter at Atlantis, even if slight, is also an opportunity to develop “resilience and adaptability,” one of the 15 AAMC core competencies for entering medical students.

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, 2019).

Hear More Directly From Our Alumni

Hear more from them on their experiences during and after Atlantis.

An Atlantis student standing outside the hospital where she is shadowing.
An Atlantis student standing outside the hospital where she is shadowing (Barcelona, Spain, 2019).

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, 2019).

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.

Greek ruins on a sunny day.

Gain the Exposure, Stats, and Competencies that Med Schools Want

  • The vast majority of alumni accepted into med/PA school said Atlantis “strongly” or “very strongly” impacted their admittance
  • 81% of alumni accepted into med/PA school said Atlantis impacted their passion for medicine
  • 93% of our pre-health alumni progressed on the AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students