Almudena Cathedral in Madrid (an Atlantis site)
Almudena Cathedral in Madrid (an Atlantis site)
A view of the streets in the city of Madrid (an Atlantis site)
A view of the streets in the city of Madrid (an Atlantis site)
Students kayaking on an excursion.
Atlantis students kayaking on an excursion (Madrid, Spain, 2018).

Spain

Madrid

$7,999 - $8,999

Overview

Madrid, the capital of Spain, is located on a plateau in the middle of the country. Historically and culturally rich, Madrid boasts world-class art museums, parks and gardens, as well as incredible architecture like the impressive Plaza Mayor. Stunning sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences await those who come to the city. In addition to beautiful buildings and art, Madrid boasts a thriving fútbol culture with nearby stadiums. The third-largest city in the European Union after London and Berlin, Madrid is a bustling metropolis with plenty to enjoy and a metro system to facilitate exploration. This city offers participants the opportunity to gain valuable medical understanding through shadowing while affording them an experience of a vibrant city that will enrich their appreciation for the world.

Destination Information

The City

The Madrid of the Austrians (the old center of Madrid) was built during the reign of the Habsburg Dynasty (1516–1700). The most notable feature of the area is the Plaza Mayor, constructed in 1619. Other unique tourist attractions in the city of Madrid are the Royal Palace, the Retiro Park, and the Temple of Debod, a true Egyptian funerary monument transported and rebuilt stone by stone.

The Region of Madrid is home to three urban enclaves included in the World Heritage List: Alcalá de Henares, with a beautiful historic center and one of the oldest universities in Europe; Aranjuez, with its royal palace and famous gardens; and San Lorenzo de El Escorial, with its Palace and Monastery, where the kings of the houses of Austria and Bourbon are buried. To the north of Madrid, the Sierra de Guadarrama offers numerous opportunities for nature lovers.

Dates & Availability

  • Summer Break 2023

Dates

Price

Availability

May 13, 2023 - June 2, 2023 3 weeks

$8,999 from $455/month

closed

June 3, 2023 - June 23, 2023 3 weeks

$8,999 from $455/month

closed

June 24, 2023 - July 14, 2023 3 weeks

$7,999 from $399/month

closed

July 15, 2023 - August 4, 2023 3 weeks

$7,999 from $399/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 if traveling abroad, and more. Airfare is not included but can be very affordable.

Hospital Overview

Opened in 2007, the Infanta Elena University Hospital is a public hospital situated south of Madrid that is able to provide quality healthcare services to a population of more than 110,000 people. This small-sized hospital (around 150 beds) is a teaching hospital, meaning that students will be in contact not only with physicians and nurses but also with Spanish medical students and residents. Both its size and the presence of residents make this hospital a perfect environment for students to shadow and familiarize themselves with the operation of a Spanish public hospital.

Alumni Favorite

Oldest Restaurant in the World

Do you know where the world’s oldest restaurant is located? According to the Guinness World Records, it is in the center of Madrid, and it’s called Restaurante Botín. Founded in 1725, here you can eat some of the most traditional dishes in Spain, such as the roasted lamb or the roasted suckling pig.

Students in Madrid at one of the oldest restaurants in world.
Atlantis students in Madrid at one of the oldest restaurants in world (Madrid, Spain, 2020).

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.

Students outside the Royal Palace.
Atlantis students outside the Royal Palace (Madrid, Spain, 2018).
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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