The Certosa di Pavia in Italy (an Atlantis site).
The Certosa di Pavia in Italy (an Atlantis site).
Students standing in front of a building.
Atlantis students standing in front of the Visconteo Castel on a program excursion (Pavia, Italy, 2020).
Students in an old library.
Atlantis students on an excursion to tour an old library (Pavia, Italy, 2020).

Italy

Pavia

$4,999 - $5,999

Overview

Pavia is a mid-sized city, about 30 miles south of Milan, in the southern part of the Lombardy region – that is to say, deep in the heart of northern Italy’s rice-growing territory. No visit to Pavia would be complete without a visit to the famous Carthusian Monastery known as the Certosa di Pavia – the most impressive example of Renaissance architecture in the region. Founded as a monastery in 1396, most of the building dates from the 15th century. Pavia also has a prestigious University (IUSS) engaged in several international exchange programs, lively cultural life, and a wide variety of delicious, traditional Italian food.

Destination Information

The City

Pavia dates back to pre-Roman times and possesses a wealth of important historical sites, including many churches and museums. In medieval times, Pavia was known as the “city of a hundred towers.” Although not many of these towers remain, there is still a great deal to enjoy as you explore the narrow streets of the historic center, including numerous churches and pretty small piazzas, the castle, and the cathedral.

Dates & Availability

  • Summer Break 2023

Dates

Price

Availability

May 13, 2023 - June 2, 2023 3 weeks

$4,999 from $230/month

closed

June 3, 2023 - June 23, 2023 3 weeks

$5,999 from $286/month

closed

June 24, 2023 - July 14, 2023 3 weeks

$5,999 from $286/month

closed

July 15, 2023 - August 4, 2023 3 weeks

$5,999 from $286/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

Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo

Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo is located near the city center of beautiful Pavia, Italy. It is just a quick train or bus trip from the Milan metropolitan center. The Hospital San Matteo was started in 1449, and in 1932 it moved to its present campus of pavilions where it has over 1,000 beds. This public hospital has a strong university presence and is a general hospital that covers all aspects of medicine. The hospital has a strong commitment to research, service, and teaching.

Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri

Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri is a research hospital located in the heart of the beautiful city of Pavia, near the Ticino river. The clinical and research focuses of the hospital are the diagnosis and treatment of occupational diseases, the prevention of risks in work environments, and the rehabilitation of people suffering from cardiovascular, respiratory, or neuromotor disorders. The hospital’s foundation is tied to Professor Salvatore Maugeri’s creation of the “Clinica del Lavoro” in 1965 – a private law firm established to support the activities of the University of Pavia in workers’ health protection. Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri belongs to a qualified circle of highly specialized institutions for the National Health System.

Alumni Favorite

Magnificent Monastery

The excursion to Certosa di Pavia is incredible. When you first see the monastery – one of the largest and most beautiful in all of Italy – you will be struck by its beauty and by the history, art, and architecture which can all be found in this magical place. You could write pages about this incredible place and probably still wouldn’t do it justice.

The Certosa di Pavia in Italy (an Atlantis site).
The Certosa di Pavia in Italy (an Atlantis site).

I absolutely loved my experience. My site managers did an amazing job giving us a real authentic Italian experience and were also very helpful with any questions we had. My group overall was fantastic, and it really made the trip that much better. I am so happy to have been able to see a different kind of healthcare system and use what I’ve learned in the hospital in my future career in medicine.

A student in front of a lookout point over the city during a program excursion.
An Atlantis student in front of a lookout point over the city during a program excursion (Pavia, Italy, 2020).
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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