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The Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar in Zaragoza, Spain (an Atlantis site).
The Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar in Zaragoza, Spain (an Atlantis site).
Students on a program excursion.
Atlantis students on a program excursion (Zaragoza, Spain, 2018).

Spain

Zaragoza

$2,899 - $5,999

Overview

Zaragoza is the capital of the Aragón region in northeast Spain, and it is Spain’s 5th largest city, with around 665,000 inhabitants. The city is famous for its folklore, gastronomy, and architectural landmarks. Due to its developed transportation and proximity to other major cities (as well as the French border), it’s hard to get bored here! A 2016 student from Zaragoza says “This was the best and most incredible opportunity I have ever been given in the pre-medical field. I have made lifelong friends, secured a future in medicine, and I had an eye-opening experience about healthcare systems abroad”.

Destination Information

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Local Time Now:

8:15am

Official Languages:

Spanish

Almost all alumni have not spoken the local language.
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The City

Zaragoza preserves wonderful places such as the Plaza del Pilar, with its iconic basilica; the Cathedral of La Seo, built on the remains of an ancient Roman Forum, a Visigothic church and the ancient Great Mosque of Saraqusta; and the Aljafería Palace, the best preserved example of the palaces of the Taifa period (independent Muslim principality). A real trip back in time! Zaragoza’s location midway between Madrid and Barcelona and its excellent high-speed train connections allow weekend excursions to visit the two main Spanish cities.

Dates & Availability

  • Summer Break 2023

Dates

Price

Availability

May 13, 2023 - June 2, 2023 3 weeks

$5,999 from $286/month

limited

July 8, 2023 - July 14, 2023 1 week

$2,899 from $112/month

limited

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.

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Financing & Aid

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, 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 while traveling on the program: covers certain medical expenses due to accidents, sickness, and specifically COVID-19; benefits include emergency medical evacuation
  • Atlantis Site Managers in your city will be available when you arrive, assisting during the program, and on-call if any issues arise
  • Journaling software to help you capture daily insights from your program, laying a foundation for your med/PA applications and interviews later

Pre/Post Program Components

  • Basic admissions advising by someone experienced with medical school admissions
  • Mentoring session from an incoming top 10 medical school student
  • Guidance for how to leverage your Atlantis experience on “Uniqueness Projects,” giving you the chance to create your own initiative, club, or non-profit to uniquely help connect healthcare professionals between Europe and the U.S.
  • 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
  • Awards to distinguish participants with noteworthy contributions to the group and the community, providing one more asset in med/PA applications later

Hospital Overview

The Lozano Blesa Clinical University Hospital is the second biggest hospital in Zaragoza and it is a teaching hospital, working side by side with the medical school and nursing school in the city. This hospital was founded in 1974 and nowadays has over 800 beds. Since it is a teaching hospital, it’s a perfect environment for students to shadow and learn from physicians, residents and Spanish med school students.

Alumni Favorite

 Lasting Friendships

“The most memorable experiences for me were with my friends from my program as well as with friends I made in Spain. Particularly, a girl invited me to coffee with her friends, all of which were medical students. It was a great experience for me to be able to make great friendships with Spanish medical students.”

Students kayaking in front of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
Atlantis students kayaking in front of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Zaragoza, Spain, 2018).

Atlantis was one of the best decisions I made as a pre-med student. I got to see medicine in action so close-up, and I never would have received that opportunity in the USA. I am truly thankful to Atlantis for helping me confirm that I am on the right path.

Sadana

Zaragoza Atlantis '19

George Washington University

Alumni Outcomes
Students in front of the hospital where they are shadowing.
Atlantis students in front of the hospital where they are shadowing (Zaragoza, Spain, 2018).

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.

What Med/PA Schools Want
Why 360 Shadowing?
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.

Alumni Outcomes

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, 2019).

Hear More Directly From Our Alumni

Hear more from them on their experiences during and after Atlantis.

Alumni Outcomes
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.

Medical School Interview Impact
Greek ruins on a sunny day.

Gain the Exposure, Stats, and Competencies that Med Schools Want

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  • 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