Overview
Padua (Padova), a historic city in northeastern Italy, is full of culture, history, and innovation. Known as the City of the Saint, due to the Basilica of Saint Anthony, it is home to stunning landmarks such as the Scrovegni Chapel, famous for its breathtaking frescoes by Giotto, and Prato della Valle, one of Europe’s largest squares. The city is intertwined with canals, charming streets, and a vibrant atmosphere thanks to its prestigious university, one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1222.
Visitors can enjoy Padua’s artistic heritage, lively piazzas, and famed gastronomy, featuring dishes like bigoli in salsa and risotto al tastasal. The botanical garden, Orto Botanico di Padova, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s oldest academic garden still in its original location. Padua’s central location also makes it an ideal base for exploring the Veneto region, including Venice and the Euganean Hills, known for their hot springs and picturesque vineyards.
Destination Information
Local Time Now:
5:03pm
Official Languages:
Italian
Almost all alumni have not spoken the local language.The City
Padua is a town of many marvels, including Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, Prato della Valle (the largest square in Italy, which is in fact an elliptical square), and Il Santo, the basilica dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. With palaces tucked into narrow streets and numerous masterpieces of the Venetian Renaissance all within easy walking distance of one another, you will have many gems to discover.
Dates & Availability
- Summer Break 2025
Dates
Price
Availability
May 31, 2025 - June 20, 2025 3 weeks
$5,999
Open
June 21, 2025 - July 11, 2025 3 weeks
$5,999
Open
July 12, 2025 - August 1, 2025 3 weeks
$5,999
Close to Full
You may pay over time, fundraise, consider scholarships, and more. Learn about our significant partial need-based scholarships here.
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.
What’s Included
On Program Components
Pre/Post Program Components
Hospital Overview
The Azienda Ospedaliera Università di Padova (AOPD) is one of Italy’s leading academic hospitals and a center of excellence in medical care, research, and education. Located in the heart of the Veneto region, AOPD is one of the largest and most advanced hospitals in the country, with more than 1,000 beds and over 200 specialized units.
The hospital is renowned for its expertise in numerous fields, including cardiology, neurology, oncology, pediatric medicine, and transplantation. It is home to Italy’s first heart transplant center and is internationally recognized for pioneering advancements in organ transplantation and regenerative medicine. The Pediatric Department, integrated with the Children’s Hospital of Padova, serves as a benchmark for pediatric care and research in Europe.
AOPD’s strong ties with the University of Padua make it a hub for medical education and innovation, offering students and professionals access to state-of-the-art facilities, clinical trials, and multidisciplinary research initiatives. Patients benefit from highly specialized care informed by the latest scientific advancements, particularly in areas such as precision medicine, robotic surgery, and complex clinical cases.
Covered Market
Sotto il Salone, Padua’s 800-year-old covered market, is a key part of the local food scene. There you’ll find small shops selling artisanal cheeses, prosciutto, salami, fresh meats, handmade pasta, bread, and various delicacies from the Veneto region and other parts of Italy. You will love strolling through the shops, listening to locals order and learning about regional specialties!
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.
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.
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.
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.
