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Medical Shadowing In Patras, Greece
Patras city, Greece, view from above scenery. Patras is Greece's third-largest city and the regional capital of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, 215 km (134 mi) west of Athens.
Medical Shadowing in Patras, Greece
Panoramic view of Amphitheater in Roman Odeon, Patras, Peloponnese, Western Greece

Greece

Patras

$6,499

Overview

Patras, the vibrant capital of Western Greece, is Greece’s third-largest city and an exciting destination for students pursuing medical shadowing abroad. A dynamic center of culture, education, and commerce, Patras is known for its lively atmosphere and welcoming community. The city seamlessly blends rich history with modern life, featuring Roman amphitheaters, Byzantine churches, and neoclassical mansions alongside bustling cafés, shops, and a thriving port connecting Greece to Italy and the Mediterranean.

Home to the University of Patras, Greece’s largest university, the city radiates youthful energy and academic spirit, offering an ideal setting for pre-med students seeking global exposure through an Atlantis medical shadowing program in Greece. Patras offers a unique opportunity to shadow doctors abroad, observe diverse healthcare systems, and gain meaningful clinical experience in European hospitals.

Renowned for hosting the country’s largest carnival, a colorful celebration attracting visitors from around the world, Patras also provides access to some of Greece’s most beautiful beaches, mountain villages, and archaeological sites. This inspiring balance of professional development and cultural immersion makes Atlantis shadowing in Patras, Greece a transformative step for students preparing for careers in medicine and healthcare.

Destination Information

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Local Time Now:

10:15pm

Official Languages:

Greek

Almost all alumni have not spoken the local language.
Download Typical Weekly Schedule

The City

As a thriving university town, Patras is filled with youthful energy and opportunity for exploration. During the academic year, students from across Greece and abroad bring the city to life, creating a lively social scene and a welcoming atmosphere for visitors. Those participating in an Atlantis medical shadowing abroad program can enjoy affordable dining, local cafés, and authentic cultural experiences between hospital rotations. F

The city’s most recognizable landmark, the Rio-Antirrio Bridge, connects the Peloponnese to mainland Greece and serves as a symbol of modern innovation and national pride. Built in time for the 2004 Olympic Games, it reflects the same forward-thinking spirit that defines Patras itself.

Dates & Availability

  • Summer Break

Dates

Price

Availability

May 30, 2026 - June 19, 2026 3 weeks

$6,499

Open

June 20, 2026 - July 10, 2026 3 weeks

$6,499

Open

July 11, 2026 - July 31, 2026 3 weeks

$6,499

Open

You may pay over time, fundraise, consider scholarships, and more. Learn about our significant partial need-based scholarships here.

Financing & Aid
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COMING SOON: Add a 3-credit online course to your Atlantis program. Learn more.

 

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

  • 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: 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

  • 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

Hospital Overview

Agios Andreas General Hospital – Patras – AAGH

Founded in 1872, Agios Andreas General Hospital is one of Western Greece’s largest healthcare providers, serving nearly 700,000 people. With around 400 beds and a comprehensive range of specialties—including cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, pathology, ophthalmology, and surgery—it is central to the public health system of the Peloponnese. The hospital features a 24-hour Emergency Department and has recently undergone significant upgrades: restoring its main building after earthquake damage, building a new nuclear medicine unit with advanced PET/CT and SPECT/CT scanners, and expanding surgical and intensive care facilities. Despite challenges like high demand and operational disruptions, Agios Andreas remains a crucial pillar of advanced medical care for Patras and the wider region.
Alumni Favorite

The Roman Odeon of Patras

While not as famous as the Acropolis, this beautifully preserved ancient theater (older than the one in Athens) is tucked into the city center. It’s still used today for summer concerts and performances, offering an intimate glimpse into Patras’ cultural heritage.

Medical Shadowing in Patras, Greece
Panoramic view of Amphitheater in Roman Odeon, Patras, Peloponnese, Western Greece

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

Alumni Outcomes
Students on an excursion during their program to a historical site.
Atlantis students on an excursion during their program to a historical site (Patras, Greece, 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 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.

Alumni Outcomes

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.

What Med/PA Schools Want
Why 360 Shadowing?
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.

How Financing Works
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.

Medical School Interview Impact