A view of the Grand Canal and Basilica Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, Italy, a short train ride from Venice, Mestre (an Atlantis site).
A view of the Grand Canal and Basilica Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, Italy, a short train ride from Venice, Mestre (an Atlantis site).
View of a canal in Mestre (Venice) Italy (an Atlantis site).
View of a canal in Mestre (Venice) Italy (an Atlantis site).

Italy

Venice (Mestre)

$5,499 - $6,499

Overview

Mestre is a mainland area of Venice connected to the islands by bridges over the lagoon. Mestre dates back to medieval times and is a traditional Italian town with a historic center, called Piazza Ferretto, and buildings dating back to as early as the 12th century. Mestre has a variety of places to dine and shop, as well as a beautiful theatre that is home to music, dance, theatrical and comedic performances. From Mestre, you can reach the islands of Venice by a train ride that takes only 10-minutes.

Destination Information

The City

Mestre’s biggest attraction is the Piazza Ferretto, or the main square. This beautiful open area is lined with restaurants and shops, making it a great place to grab a gelato or a cappuccino, or sit down for a full meal. It is marked by Torre Civica di Mestre, the Clock Tower, where you can climb to the observation platform and get a view of the whole city.

The main square is also home to the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, Cinema Excelsior and Teatro Toniolo – places you’ll want to visit while in Mestre.

And of course, with Mestre’s proximity to Venice islands, you’ll want to make a trip to the ‘City of Canals’ and explore some of the 118 small islands divided by channels and linked with bridges. Hop on a 10-minute train ride from Mestre to get your exploration started.

Dates & Availability

  • Summer Break 2025

Dates

Price

Availability

May 10, 2025 - May 30, 2025 3 weeks

$6,499

Open

July 12, 2025 - August 1, 2025 3 weeks

$6,499

Close to Full

August 2, 2025 - August 15, 2025 2 weeks

$5,499

Open

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.

Hospital Overview

Ospedale dell’Angelo – Angel Hospital

The campus of Angel Hospital is a general hospital and is considered the most technologically advanced health facility in Italy and most of Europe. The hospital was inaugurated in 2008, It has 680 beds, and five independent buildings and it is located in the town of Mestre, in front of the island of Venice. Each clinical area of the hospital operates with the latest generation of technological equipment. It also possesses an emergency care center and advanced surgical facilities plus a Proton Beam Therapy and Treatment Centre.

Alumni Favorite

Gondola Ride

In Mestre, you are only a 10-minute train ride from Venice, so you wouldn’t want to miss out on taking a Venetian Gondola ride. For centuries, black gondolas have been the unmistakable symbol of Venice. Already in the 13th century, Venice started to ban horses in the busiest parts of the city. Gradually, gondolas became a popular means of transportation, especially among the upper classes. Nowadays, gondolas are maily used for the entertainment – for sightseeing, romantic evenings, or simly to experience Venice in a similar way as people have done it for centuries.

Students on a gondala ride in Venice, Italy (an Atlantis site)
Students on a gondala ride in Venice, 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).
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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.

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).

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).

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.