Students speaking with doctors in an operating room.
Atlantis students speaking with doctors in the hospital (Athens, Greece).

For Universities & Advisors

What We Do

Atlantis is the global leader in healthcare experiential education in and surrounding the college years. We have run programs for more than 15+ years, and Atlantis alumni, after participating in Atlantis and graduating from college, have gone on to attend almost all medical schools in the U.S. We operate short-term programs (1-10 weeks) over school breaks, aimed at U.S. undergraduates, and taking place primarily in the U.S. and Europe. Medical schools want 3 things: healthcare exposure, GPA/MCAT, and certain competencies; Atlantis gives students the best version of the 1st, frees them to focus on the 2nd, and cultivates/shows the 3rd to medical school admissions committees.

We pre-meds go to study abroad fairs and are disappointed because none of the options are a fit for us since they don’t include the classes we need. I might have taken 5 brochures out of 200 programs at the fair, because none of them offer upper-level classes that fit a pre-med schedule, like physics, organic chemistry etc.

A student shadowing in the hospital.
An Atlantis student shadowing in the hospital (Athens, Greece).
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#1 Provider of Pre-Health Study Abroad

A very large share of pre-meds in the U.S. study abroad for a few weeks or months, but they often do so in generalist study abroad programs, which is what many universities offer. These are often great programs in themselves, but they rarely are also one of the best clinical experiences in the student’s college years, which is often the case with Atlantis, according to many of our alumni.

Moreover, many of our alumni initially didn’t plan on going abroad during college as they worried it wouldn’t be worth the effort and money as far as their professional future goes; but Atlantis’s model made going abroad worth it as it combined a great clinical experience with an abroad element. We believe this is part of the reason why Atlantis is the leader in pre-health experiential education and education abroad.

Our Alumni Enter Great Medical Schools

John Daines headshot.

John Daines

  • Atlantis '17
  • Brigham Young University '19
  • Washington U. in St. Louis MD '23
Zoey Petitt headshot.

Zoey Petitt

  • Atlantis '17
  • U. of Arizona '18
  • Duke MD '23
Yong hun Kim headshot.

Yong-hun Kim

  • Atlantis '17
  • Stanford '19
  • Mayo Clinic MD '24
Megan Branson headshot.

Megan Branson

  • Atlantis '18
  • U. of Montana '19
  • U. of Washington MD '24
Sarah Emerick headshot.

Sarah Emerick

  • Atlantis '19
  • Eckerd College '20
  • Indiana U. MD '25
Snow Nwankwo headshot.

Snow Nwankwo

  • Atlantis '19
  • Catholic U. of America '21
  • Georgetown U. MD '26
Tiffany Hu headshot.

Tiffany Hu

  • Atlantis '16
  • U. of Maryland '17
  • U. of Michigan MD '22
Lauren Cox headshot.

Lauren Cox

  • Atlantis '18
  • Louisiana Tech '20
  • U. of Arkansas MD '24
Kayla Riegler headshot.

Kayla Riegler

  • Atlantis '18
  • U. of Kentucky '20
  • U. of Kentucky MD '24

What’s an Atlantis Program?

  • Thousands of alumni over 15+ years
  • 20–200+ shadowing hours
  • 1–10 weeks over college breaks
  • Multiple specialties (1 per week)
  • U.S., Spain, Italy, Greece and more
  • Housing, meals, insurance, excursions, etc.
  • Potential to earn a certificate from Harvard Medical School via an HMX online course
  • Alumni have gone on to nearly all top 50 MD programs and DO/PA/Nursing
Students chatting by the oceanfront.
Atlantis students enjoying a program excursion (Genoa, Italy).

I was impressed by the organization of the program and the enthusiastic welcome from the hospitals and physicians. Atlantis is run in an extremely ethical manner, and it is clear that the students have the opportunity to benefit enormously from their experiences. Atlantis provides an ethical and safe opportunity for students to explore their interests in medicine, and to experience health care systems that are different from those in the United States.

Seth Ramus headshot.
Seth J. Ramus, PhD.

Director of Health Professions Advising

Bowdoin College

Pre-health advisors are constantly looking for valuable opportunities to share with our students and this is hands-down one to recommend. As we become a more global society, it is important that students experience global medicine.

Lauren Albaum headshot.
Lauren Albaum

Science and Pre-Health Career and Internship Coordinator

Florida Southern College

I could not have been more impressed with Atlantis, and their staff. I have never before witnessed host hospitals so excited to be working with pre-med students. The quality, combination of experiences, and intention of the program is so evident…Atlantis comes with my highest recommendation, and I look forward to a long working relationship and many student group trips in the future.

Brenna Dunlap headshot.
Brenna Dunlap

Healthcare Programs Director

Eastern Oregon University

Our university had a fantastic experience with Atlantis in Lisbon, Portugal. Our 11 students were able to shadow some major surgeries at their hospital and could easily spend hours talking about their experiences. All of the Atlantis staff were very welcome and helpful, especially our on-site manager—he was always there to lead us around and to troubleshoot. We will definitely be reaching out to Atlantis for future clinical experiences!

Krista Rogers headshot.
Krista Rogers, M.A.

Program Coordinator, Enrichment Programs

University of Connecticut

I visited Atlantis in June, and we traveled to three sites near Madrid, including Zaragoza and Toledo. I think my favorite from a tourist perspective was Toledo, and I also like the housing there for students. From a clinical perspective, I liked Zaragoza, as the doctors there were very accommodating, and it was large with lots of medical specialties. Madrid was also interesting, being a large capital city, and the central point for students when they arrive for their orientation, which was very well planned.

Bill Wingard headshot.
Bill Wingard

Lead Advisor, Career Services Center

UC San Diego

Working with Atlantis and creating our first customized short-term program for our Pre-med students was very rewarding for me and my students. Atlantis staff is very detail oriented and will make this process as smooth as possible…I am happy with our partnership and I look forward to more ideas and ways to give our pre-med students opportunities to experience hospital shadowing in their field.

Maria Richart headshot.
Maria J. Richart

Associate Director for International Outreach

Rochester Institute of Technology

The opportunities Atlantis has created for our students at the University of Arizona are amazing. With almost 9,000 Pre-Health students, we have a tremendous need for programming and Atlantis has created a niche for these students to not only study abroad, but gain experience shadowing in European hospitals. The students were provided an incredible experience this first summer in Toledo and Zaragoza and we look forward to sending more students on Atlantis programs in the future.

Katie Van Wyk headshot.
Katie Van Wyk

Study Abroad Coordinator

University of Arizona

The program is well-organized and well-staffed, with sufficient resources to accommodate student needs. The housing which we saw was safe and comfortable, in central locations convenient to transportation and to the shadowing sites. Students can also take advantage of the weekly cultural activities and excursions, unique to the various shadowing locations, offered in conjunction with the program.

Karen Palin headshot.
Karen A. Palin, PhD

Department of Biology

Bates College

Some of Our University & Hospital Partners

Pre-health students from any university can apply to Atlantis. However, we design custom group programs for universities, from a top 5 U.S. university to large state schools, exposing students to a wide range of hospital environments and cultures. The below is just a small sample.

Universities

University of delaware logo.
Washington state university logo.
UT Austin logo.
NC State University logo.
Rochester institute of technology logo.
University of florida logo.
The university of kansas logo.
UC Davis logo.
The University of Arizona logo.

Hospitals

Sescam hospital logo.
CHUC Coimbra logo.
Evangelismos logo.
Salud logo.
Universitas Quinqueecclesiensis logo.
Quiron Salud logo.
Hospital Santa Maria logo.
Servizio Galego de Salude logo.
Attikon hospital logo.

MD With Years Of Experience Advising Elite Pre-meds Explains Atlantis

Authoring Guidelines in the Field

Atlantis co-authored, with the Forum on Education Abroad, the leading non-profit representing the study abroad world in the U.S., the Guidelines for Undergraduate Health-Related Experiences Abroad. These are the general principles that all healthcare study abroad programs are invited to follow.

Guidelines for Undergraduate Health Title Page.
Guidelines for Undergraduate Health Title Page.

Atlantis Impacts Several of The 15 Competencies That Medical Schools Assess Candidates On

A Leader in Pre-Health Education

Atlantis has presented at several conferences, including the 2021 annual meeting of the ASPPH, one of the top healthcare academic conferences in the world.

Title slide of the ASPPH Atlantis Presentation.
Title slide of the ASPPH Atlantis Presentation.

NEAAHP Presentation

Atlantis has also presented at several regional pre-health advisor conferences, including NEAAHP 2021.

Title Slide of the NEAAHP Presentation by Atlantis.
Title Slide of the NEAAHP Presentation by Atlantis.

Being the Leader Should Mean Being an Innovator

Atlantis is the global leader in healthcare experiential education in and surrounding the college years. And with that comes the responsibility to innovate. The following are all innovations spearheaded by Atlantis in our programs: our 360 Shadowing methodology, our European shadowing focus, our Service-Research Projects model, our Uniqueness Projects approach, our partnership with Uplift for financing, the inclusion in some of our programs of a pre-med Harvard Medical School HMX course which brings with it the potential to earn a certificate from Harvard Medical School, and the topics we have presented at academic conferences (specifically about innovation on healthcare experiential education — see here and here, for example). These innovations ultimately better enable our programs to fulfill our mission: to help build a world where doctors love their jobs and their patients can sense that.

Harvard Medical School HMX Course

Some programs include an 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 list clearly identifies programs that include HMX. Read more about HMX in Atlantis programs.

 

Watch Video: 20+ Alumni Now In Med School Explain: Atlantis Is a Major Reason I Got In Here

Atlantis Connect Conference

In 2018, Atlantis hosted the Atlantis Connect Conference at the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Over 100 medical school staff & faculty, hospital administrators, physicians, and others from the U.S. and Europe shared ideas on how to make cross-border collaboration more effective in healthcare.
Speakers Included:

  • Dr. Onyinye D. Balogun, Weill Cornell Medicine
  • Dr. Ranieri Guerra, World Health Organization
  • Dr. Yukari Manabe, Johns Hopkins University
  • John Rother, National Coalition on Health Care
  • Stefano Lami, Science Counselor, Embassy of Italy
Atlantis Connect Conference September 2018, Embassy of Italy, Washington, D.C.
Atlantis Connect Conference September 2018, Embassy of Italy, Washington, D.C.
Conference attendees and Eike Gundersen, Director of Institutional Relations (Washington, D.C., 2018)
Conference attendees and Eike Gundersen, Director of Institutional Relations (Washington, D.C.)

This is a fantastic program that provides an immeasurably valuable opportunity for students. Not only because the affiliated medical professionals are exceptionally engaged with the interns, but because the exposure to other cultures and other medical systems is important to being a well-informed, broad-minded physician.

Jana Prikryl headshot.
Jana Prikryl

General Science Director, Biology Adviser/ Senior Instructor

University of Oregon

As the Pre-Health Counselor for my university I caution my students to practice the observation based shadowing guidelines recommended by the AAMC especially when traveling overseas. During the trip we talked to physicians and fellows who knew that because this was an Atlantis sponsored trip, they were expected to follow these guidelines and were very excited about the opportunity to work and learn together.

Krysta Diehl headshot.
Krysta Diehl

Pre-Health Counseling

Auburn University

Atlantis programs fill a unique niche in study-abroad offerings that meet the specific needs of pre-health students. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and committed to increasing global exchange in the medical arena.

Jennifer Hood-DeGrenier headshot.
Jennifer Hood-DeGrenier

Associate Professor of Biology; Chair, Pre-medical Advisory Committee

Worcester State University

After visiting a few of the sites, and speaking with students, administrators, and participating physicians, I’m very comfortable recommending Atlantis to our students. They are very aware of, and follow, ethical guidelines, which is important for any program our students may choose to go on. It’s a flexible, mutually beneficial way for students to get shadowing experience at the same time as learning about a healthcare system different from their own.

Christine Richmond headshot.
Christine Richmond

Academic Advisor, Pre-Health Advisor

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida

Atlantis was great to work with and was very professional. […] The hospital was small, so the students had the opportunity to work closely with the healthcare providers. […]. Overall, it was a great experience.

Don Lehman headshot.
Don Lehman, EdD.

Dept. Medical Laboratory Sciences, Health Profession Advisor, Center for Premedical and Health Professional Studies

University of Delaware

It was reassuring to see how well the experiences are organized, and details are attended to so that students can feel safe, comfortable and welcomed. The hospital site visits were quite helpful as well, and it was clear that students are placed in settings that provide valuable experiences.

Don Batisky headshot.
Don Batisky, MD

Executive Director, Pre-Health Mentoring Office

Emory University

The undergraduate students spoke highly of the Atlantis and hospital staff, and the overall intensity of the program. The hospital doctors, residents, nurses, and administration were impressed with the work-ethic of the Atlantis Fellows. Overall, I would highly recommend this program to any students considering medical school or another health-related profession.

Jill Russell headshot.
Jill Russell

Director of Global Education

Lebanon Valley College

During a recent visit to Atlantis sites in Spain, I had the opportunity to visit several clinical locations where students shadow. The clinical facilities were impressive but more impressive was the dedication to teaching that I observed among the clinical staff. This is a high-quality shadowing opportunity that adheres strictly to the AAMC guidelines and provides students with different experiences than they are likely to have in the US.

Karen Palin headshot.
Karen A. Palin, PhD

Department of Biology

Bates College

If students can afford it, I highly recommend this experience. There were better opportunities for clinical observations than in many parts of the US. Doctors there are used to having medical students observe patients and procedures during the school year, and during the summer the pre-meds can take their place. And many doctors seemed to welcome the opportunity to have conversations with the US pre-meds…I would highly recommend this experience to any pre-med students.

Bill Wingard headshot.
Bill Wingard

Lead Advisor, Career Services Center

UC San Diego

Universities Speak

Universities often feature, on their own website, Atlantis alumni, who are also their students, for accomplishments and experiences post-program. See the stories of many Atlantis alumni shining in their undergraduate institutions.

 

Ways To Be Involved

Partner globe icon.

Group Programs

Atlantis works with universities, with institutions ranging from a top 5 U.S. university to large public universities and smaller private schools. These are group programs which are customizable, university-specific, facilitated through Atlantis, credit-bearing, and sometimes faculty-led sometimes not. Universities can also partner with us to have their students attend Atlantis programs together with students from other universities.

Advisor site visit icon.

Advisor Site Visits

Atlantis facilitates site visits for advisors, in which academic and pre-health advisors at universities across the U.S. have the opportunity to experience one of our programs in-person, allowing them to better advise students throughout the year as to whether an Atlantis program may be a good fit for them.

Direct or Partnership

Undergraduates participate in our programs either by directly enrolling with us or by participating in a partnership program we build with their university.

Students sitting around a table listening to a doctor.
Atlantis students learning more about shadowing in the hospital (Genoa, Italy).

Have Questions About How Atlantis Could Serve Your Student’s Needs?

Reach out to our Director of Institutional Relations

Specialization in Medicine…And Also In Education

If you needed heart surgery, you wouldn’t seek a generalist doctor, since there are benefits to specialization. Similarly, almost everything we do is in healthcare, which is part of the reason we’ve been able to contribute to the success of our alumni the way we have.

A very large share of pre-meds in the U.S. study abroad for a few weeks or a few months during their undergraduate years, but they often do so in generalist study programs, which is what many universities offer. These are often great programs in themselves, but they miss an opportunity to also contribute to students’ healthcare path. Atlantis brings the best of study abroad, while also contributing to (A)students’ healthcare paths, and (B) society’s need for doctors who are committed and passionate for their fields.

Who Are You?

Pre-Health Advisor

We’re glad to be connected! In the unlikely event we haven’t met you, keep in mind more than one out of every ten pre-health advisors has been to our programs. Feel free to ask in advisor fora and email lists about Atlantis, and you’ll find colleagues who have first hand experience. Also feel free to explore our website’s section on Why Atlantis works, alumni outcomes, and anything else you find useful.

PA School

We’re glad to share our unique model with you! 360 Shadowing with Atlantis gives applicants the necessary depth, breadth, and intercultural perspective to stand out on PA applications.

Nursing Program

Atlantis welcomes future and current nursing students on our clinical shadowing programs every year, allowing them to develop a strong sense of day-to-day life in a hospital.

Public Health Program

Historically, high-level experiential learning in the public health space (domestically and abroad) have been difficult to secure. Atlantis has built the proven solution to this challenge.

Study Abroad Office

Atlantis is the leader in pre-health education abroad, and we have built programs together with many universities, from a top 5 U.S. university to large state schools and smaller private schools. Please contact us if we can help.

“We pre-meds go to study abroad fairs and are disappointed because none of the options are a fit for us since they don’t include the classes we need. I might have taken 5 brochures out of 200 programs at the [study abroad] fair, because none of them offer upper-level classes that fit a pre-med schedule, like physics, organic chemistry etc.”  – Nicole C., Atlantis ‘20, Lehigh University ‘21

Medical School

Welcome! At Atlantis, our mission is to help build a world where doctors love their jobs and their patients can sense that. We know this overlaps with your mission, and we’d love to answer any questions you have, and collaborate with you. We’ve thought very hard about why Atlantis contributes to students’ paths to medical school, based on conversations with not only students and pre-health advisors but also several medical school deans, and we’ve love to hear from you on how we can keep contributing to the field. We’d also love to run programs for your students, since the vast majority of international experiences during medical school are focused on lower-resource countries and are often more “giving” focused and less “learning” focused. In 2021 we had a conversation with the dean of a top medical school who strongly agreed with this, and we have seen this dynamic countless times. We’re very supportive of the effort with low-resources countries, and think that’s very important, but when half of the high-resource countries follow a very different system from the US, with lower costs and higher life expectancies, but also other pros and cons too, we believe future doctors can benefit from having international experiences in Europe as well. Please let us know how we can help.

More than Just Pre-Med

Interested in pre-health shadowing and study abroad but want to look beyond the pre-med track? Atlantis programs, while centered on the MD/DO/PA perspective, are still relevant for other pre-health fields. Also, Atlantis can build custom programs for universities focused entirely on a non-pre-med healthcare track.

Students walking through a hospital hallway.
Atlantis students shadowing in the hospital. (Genoa, Italy)

More than Just Shadowing

  • Atlantis also runs Service-Research Projects which are non-shadowing programs centered on a project done with an elite healthcare organization.
  • Although the above are focused on pre-med/pre-PA students, one other group that can benefit from them are public health students in both undergraduate and graduate school.
Two students getting the opportunity to speak with a doctor while shadowing.
Two Atlantis students getting the opportunity to speak with a doctor while shadowing (Athens, Greece).

More On (Non-Shadowing) Service-Research Projects

Unlike our shadowing programs, which focus on observing healthcare professionals across multiple specialties, Atlantis Service-Research Projects are an opportunity to learn full-time from an Atlantis Project Leader, inside an elite healthcare organization, in a real project with members of management and administration, while performing a highly impactful service – a unique mix.

Students sitting around a table having a discussion.
Students coordinating their research with the Project Leader in a similarly-structured project (Europe).

 

Past Project Example

Date: 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.

Healthcare Organization: Children’s National Hospital, Washington, D.C., one of the best pediatric hospitals in the U.S.

Context: Preparation for the 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment, measuring Childhood Opportunity in D.C. metropolitan neighborhoods and working with other organizations to promote racial equity in healthcare.

Executive Summary: Students measured what were major drivers behind low levels of childhood opportunity (measured by COI, Childhood Opportunity Index). They provided a historical perspective on D.C. neighborhoods, focusing on racial equity, and created community engagement tools.

Deliverables: Interim & Final presentations, Tableau visualizations, manuscript, interview guides including engagement tools (e.g., email & social media templates), focus group templates, stakeholder master list including their contacts, and historical write-up of D.C. neighborhoods.

One Consequence: Atlantis and Children’s National Hospital institutionally co-presented on this model and project at several leading academic conferences, including the ASPPH, in 2021.

 

Example final presentation slide from Children’s National Hospital.
Example final presentation slide of an Atlantis SRP with Children’s National Hospital, 2021.

A Service-Research Project that Ran During the Pandemic, Was About the Pandemic, and Took Place in the Former Epicenter of the Pandemic in the Western World

At the San Matteo Hospital in Pavia, Italy, during the summer of 2021, Atlantis ran a Service-Research Project focused on the mental health of healthcare workers during the pandemic. Students learned from an Atlantis Project Leader by doing a project with this hospital.

The project was done with and for some well-known doctors who were there when the pandemic first arrived (over a year before this Atlantis program took place). The project created analyses to support the hospital administration’s effort to improve the well-being of doctors, nurses, and all hospital staff at one of the first hospitals to fight the COVID virus outbreak in Europe and in the western world. The hospital found the work “truly remarkable and invaluable.”

We expect, based on our experience, that many of the alumni of this program will be talking about their experience in medical school applications and interviews.

A slide showing how healthcare workers on the frontline experience greater adverse mental health effects than non frontline health care workers.
Example of final presentation slide made to hospital administrators (Pavia, Italy, 2021).
Map of Pavia, Italy, near Milan, showing the original epicenter of the pandemic in Europe, before it spread to the rest of Europe and the U.S.
Pavia, Italy, near Milan, was the original epicenter (over one year after this project) of the pandemic in Europe, before it spread to the rest of Europe and the U.S.
Atlantis students finalizing their research and analysis for the San Matteo Hospital.
Atlantis students finalizing their research and analysis for the San Matteo Hospital (Pavia, Italy, 2021).

This experience allowed me to make a global impact on healthcare.

Kazi HossainAtlantis SRP Pavia ‘21Mercer College ‘22

Europe vs. the US: 5 years of extra life expectancy, at 70% lower costs

Both systems have many pros and many cons, and we believe each can learn from each other. But one pro of the European system is its lower cost relative to life expectancy.

A chart comparing different income level countries.

The Essence of Healthcare in the U.S. and Europe is the Same, but with Cultural Differences – Making Europe the Ideal Place for U.S. Students to Shadow

The Essence of Healthcare in the U.S. and Europe is the Same, but with Cultural Differences – Making Europe the Ideal Place for U.S. Students to Shadow

U.S. Hospital European Hospital Low-to-Middle-Income

Country (LMIC) Hospital

Population
Health
Conditions
High High Low
Technology
Level
High High Low
Complexity
of Regulatory
Environment
High High Low
Complexity
of Healthcare
Processes
High High Low
Degree
of Hospital
Specialization
High High Low
Cultural
Perspective
Unique Unique Unique

The Stakes Are High When It Comes to
Clinical Experience for Future Doctors

The stakes are high. An article in the Journal of Surgical Research, recognizing that “the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a lack of in-person science courses and laboratories, reduced ability for face-to-face experiences in shadowing or volunteering, [etc.],” concluded that ” these changes may impact the next generation of medical students” since “this reduced ability for premedical students to experience the day-to-day interactions of a physician may lead to applicants with unrealistic expectations and contribute to the already high rate of physician burnout.” The implied lesson here is valid in post-pandemic times as well: the quality and quantity of healthcare exposure seems to go hand in hand with vocational clarity, higher job satisfaction, and lower burnout.

To Avoid Burnout, Students Should
First Clarify if Medicine is for Them

A graphic representing 11%.

11%

In the words of one study, “approximately 11% of students have serious thoughts of dropping out of medical school each year.” These numbers suggest that severe burnout is not uncommon for medical students.

A graphic representing 81%.

81%

81% of alumni who have been accepted to med/PA school said Atlantis impacted their passion for medicine. Even among alumni who don’t attend med school, we repeatedly hear that Atlantis helped them make the right decision.

Very Few Future Doctors Have Been Exposed to Universal Healthcare Systems

When you think of the set of high-resource countries in the world (the US, the European countries, Canada, Australia, and some Asian countries), that world is divided between countries with a mostly private system (notably the US), and countries with universal healthcare and single-payer systems (all of Europe and several other countries). These are very different approaches, each with its pros and cons. And yet future healthcare leaders in the US have only been exposed to one of these two main types. They won’t know what’s lacking in that system, nor will they fully appreciate its qualities.

Click To Read More About This Topic: An Analogy

An analogy to this situation (where a future doctor will only see one system) is this: imagine you are a patient, and your doctor, who is qualified and you trust, urges you to undergo very serious and life-threatening surgery. You’d very seriously consider the merits of this opinion, but suppose there was one main alternative surgery type that many, many other people in your situation follow, and strongly believe in, even though your doctor disagrees and recommends against it. You’d probably want to seek a second opinion first–maybe one that would let you understand that alternative with its perhaps many pros and cons.

Leaving our analogy and returning to the world of healthcare education: just as with the analogy, future US healthcare leaders, who will shape how health is delivered in the US, need to understand the other one obvious alternative to their system and see its many pros and its many cons. They’ll be better able to both appreciate and value the US system’s strengths and work to improve its weaknesses.

This is important and it is very much lacking. For instance, look up the websites of medical schools in the US; of the little you’ll see about international activity, you’ll see most of it is focused on the developing world and with a mindset of helping and not learning. Though this developing world activity should be kept, we believe having it be the only thing is a missed opportunity, as several medical education leaders have told us, since it means that future US doctors won’t understand the one general alternative to their system. We’re working hard at Atlantis to change this, ensuring that future doctors can see both sides, and help build systems that are truly the best possible. We believe both systems have pros and cons, and each side can benefit from understanding the other.

 

Connecting Global Healthcare

With over 100 hospital partners in several countries, Atlantis builds cross-border bridges for the healthcare professionals of tomorrow. Each line on the chart represents a real Atlantis alum’s home city and state on one end, and a destination Atlantis country on the other. This is for a sample of Atlantis alumni. Note that Atlantis runs many (usually small) programs in several locations in each country, and note that this map does not represent all countries where Atlantis programs are run. Nevertheless, the map shows the amount of bridge-building that is taking place. This has always been important, but it is even more important after the recent global pandemic and its need for alignment and strong international relationships in healthcare.

 

A chart showing the connection points between Atlantis and the cities of Europe with shadowing programs.
Each line: an Atlantis alum's actual home/destination.

Alumni Keep Contributing After Atlantis

Here’s an example of an Atlantis alumna (Siobana N., Atlantis ‘19, Emory University ‘21), who worked independently on research with a healthcare entity in Europe. Siobana met Dr. Gasparri, one of the principal authors of the paper, while shadowing in the Breast Surgery field in Milan. This article was published on New Frontiers in Breast Surgical Oncology.

Siobana Navarro headshot.

Alumni Also Partake in Elite Research in The U.S

For example, Victoria Haak, Atlantis alumna, did work, separate from Atlantis, as a cancer researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Alumni Outcomes

See where many of our alumni ended up, and their impressions of Atlantis.

Med Interview Impact

The medical school interview is one of the most important steps towards acceptance. Performance in interviews varies widely, and two candidates with equally strong applications on paper can perform very differently. Compare an Atlantis alum with a typical pre-med side by side on their medical school interview.

A basic table showing two comparison columns to indicate the benefits of 360 shadowing.

Compare A Typical Med School Applicant With an Atlantis Alum

Compare A Typical Med School Applicant With an Atlantis Alum

Med School Concern #1: Exposure to Healthcare

Average Applicant to Med School

Average Applicant to Med School

Typical/Possible Atlantis Alum

Depth

  • Surface-level
  • Surface-level

Depth

Breadth

  • 1-3 medical specialties
  • 1-3 medical specialties

Breadth

Quantity

  • Average quantity
  • Average quantity

Quantity

  • 50-200 hours in one school break
  • Concentrated
  • Time, energy, and academic focus saved by not having to find–and travel weekly to and from–a weekly 2 hour campus clinical experience, for instance

Intercultural Perspective

  • Shadowing/volunteering in one country, one cultural context, one regulatory environment
  • Shadowing/volunteering in one country, one cultural context, one regulatory environment

Intercultural Perspective

  • Shadowing in a new country, context, and environment (but at the same sophistication level as the US)

GPA/MCAT

  • Average stats; study time taken by inefficient extracurriculars
  • Average stats; study time taken by inefficient extracurriculars

GPA/MCAT

  • Such an intensive experience during breaks allows for the “luxury” of focusing on academics during the year

Stories

  • Ordinary stories for apps/interviews, fewer opportunities to develop competencies
  • Ordinary stories for apps/interviews, fewer opportunities to develop competencies

Stories

See a much deeper version of this table.

 

 

A basic table showing two comparison columns to indicate the benefits of 360 shadowing.

Alternatively, See a More In-Depth Version of The Above Table

Compare A Typical Applicant With an Atlantis Alum
*(In-Depth View)*

Med School Concern #1: Exposure to Healthcare

Average Applicant to Med School

Average Applicant to Med School

Typical/Possible Atlantis Alum

AAMC-compliance

  • Did hands-on volunteering, possibly without proper training
  • Did hands-on volunteering, possibly without proper training

AAMC-compliance

  • Did observation-only, AAMC-compliant shadowing

Complexity of procedures

  • Observed day-to-day office tasks + appointments
  • Observed day-to-day office tasks + appointments

Complexity of procedures

  • Often observed complex procedures like a C-section, or a partial hip replacement

Closeness to MD-level work

  • Exposed to healthcare setting in general
  • Exposed to healthcare setting in general

Closeness to MD-level work

  • Focused on the MD profile + perspective

Number of specialties

  • Exposed to 2 or 3 specialties
  • Exposed to 2 or 3 specialties

Number of specialties

  • Saw 6 specialties in 6 weeks (typically one per week), and 8 or 9 total

Number of environments

  • Experienced one local environment and one hospital setting
  • Experienced one local environment and one hospital setting

Number of environments

  • Experienced a variety of cultures, department dynamics, hospital sizes, and city sizes

Number of doctors

  • Shadowed 2 or 3 doctors and potentially met their colleagues
  • Shadowed 2 or 3 doctors and potentially met their colleagues

Number of doctors

  • Shadowed 10 or more doctors and met many department staff and residents

Total number of hours

  • Completed a smaller number of hours
  • Completed a smaller number of hours

Total number of hours

  • Did 100+ shadowing hours in 5 weeks (20+ hours per week)

Hours over time

  • Picked up hours piecemeal throughout the year
  • Picked up hours piecemeal throughout the year

Hours over time

  • Concentrated hours over 6 weeks during summer break

Value per hour

  • Had less valuable experience in a given time
  • Had less valuable experience in a given time

Value per hour

  • Had highly valuable experience in a short time

Multi-country shadowing

  • Shadowed only in the U.S.
  • Shadowed only in the U.S.

Multi-country shadowing

  • Shadowed in Spain, Italy, and Hungary, plus the U.S.

Relevant study abroad experience

  • Had done non-healthcare study abroad
  • Had done non-healthcare study abroad

Relevant study abroad experience

  • Combined the best of study abroad’s cultural immersion with world-class clinical shadowing

View of the medical profession

  • Wasn’t aware of the parts of medicine that differ across cultures
  • Wasn’t aware of the parts of medicine that differ across cultures

View of the medical profession

  • Developed a balanced view, identifying what’s essential vs. culturally contingent in medicine

Knowledge of comparative healthcare policy

  • Lacking firsthand knowledge of different advanced healthcare systems
  • Lacking firsthand knowledge of different advanced healthcare systems

Knowledge of comparative healthcare policy

  • Informed and able to maturely analyze comparative healthcare

GPA

  • Achieved similar results to peers
  • Achieved similar results to peers

GPA

  • Spent more time studying and achieved better results than peers

MCAT

  • Scored average on the MCAT
  • Scored average on the MCAT

MCAT

  • Scored above average by focusing more on academics and doing more MCAT prep

Number of distractions

  • Spread thin with commitments to volunteering, clubs, societies, publications, sports, hobbies, leadership roles, etc.
  • Spread thin with commitments to volunteering, clubs, societies, publications, sports, hobbies, leadership roles, etc.

Number of distractions

  • Focused on one or two extracurricular activities they were passionate about

Energy level

  • Was tired and overwhelmed but felt like they hadn’t done enough
  • Was tired and overwhelmed but felt like they hadn’t done enough

Energy level

  • Was less overwhelmed, with space to enjoy classes and fall more in love with medicine

Confidence in healthcare path

  • Is fairly confident, but hasn’t had it “click” that medicine is their calling
  • Is fairly confident, but hasn’t had it “click” that medicine is their calling

Confidence in healthcare path

  • Is very confident, having seen incredible procedures and realized, “This is where I want to be, serving people”

Service Orientation

  • Wrote in their personal statement about approaching medicine with a service mentality
  • Wrote in their personal statement about approaching medicine with a service mentality

Service Orientation

  • Actually spent quality time with passionate, other-oriented doctors abroad whose salaries are relatively lower

Social Skills

  • Shared in their interview some examples of doctor-patient interactions and some takeaways
  • Shared in their interview some examples of doctor-patient interactions and some takeaways

Social Skills

  • Shared unique stories from a wealth of experiences where their social strengths and weaknesses played out

Cultural Competence

  • Was able to talk generally about personal growth with study abroad or with an academic program serving immigrant communities
  • Was able to talk generally about personal growth with study abroad or with an academic program serving immigrant communities

Cultural Competence

  • Showed a rare perspective, having seen different cultural backgrounds on display, in a healthcare setting, as a genuine outsider

Teamwork

  • Saw multiple examples of teamwork while shadowing
  • Saw multiple examples of teamwork while shadowing

Teamwork

  • Saw an even wider range of teams within the hospital departments, with unique stories about doctors in Surgery versus doctors in Internal Medicine, for example

Oral Communication

  • Showed no/little practice with another language in a clinical setting
  • Showed no/little practice with another language in a clinical setting

Oral Communication

  • Talked passionately in their interview about communicating across the language barrier within the hospital; even though most doctors will speak English, there will be some language barrier some times

Resilience & Adaptability

  • Shadowed close to home in a familiar setting
  • Shadowed close to home in a familiar setting

Resilience & Adaptability

  • Stepped outside their comfort zone and managed lack of sleep or changes of plans, showing resilience with interesting travel stories

Note that some elements in the above only take place in certain programs e.g. multi-country experiences only happen in multi-country programs. Also, Atlantis programs do have far greater depth, breadth, quantity of shadowing, and degree of intercultural perspective, than the vast majority of clinical experiences that premeds have; however the examples above are illustrative of why that generally is, i.e. not all Atlantis participants have seen a certain exact type of surgery. Please see our many testimonials to obtain many perspectives on the program.

 

 

If You’re Not A Pre-health Advisor, Ask Your Institution’s Advisor About Atlantis.

Most pre-meds are in universities that have pre-health advisors, and more than 1 out of every 10 US pre-health advisors have visited an Atlantis program in person. We encourage students to ask their advisor for an opinion on Atlantis. If the advisor hasn’t visited our programs, we encourage students to ask their advisor to reach out to their advisor peers at other universities asking for the opinion of those who have witnessed Atlantis programs first-hand.

 

4.96

/5

Go Overseas

200 Reviews

9.72

/10

Go Abroad

161 Reviews

Foreign Language Skills Not Required

Almost all Atlantis alumni have not spoken the local language. Most doctors in most places speak enough English for the language barrier to not hinder the experience.

When there is a language barrier, such barrier will push most students out of their comfort zone, which fosters resilience & adaptability (AAMC competency #8). Moreover, such limited language barrier experiences will be nothing compared with what many of our students’ post-medical-school patients in the U.S. (e.g. immigrants) will experience.

Overcoming the any limited language barrier issues is crucial for building your cultural competence (AAMC competency #3), being able to relate to your future patients, growing in oral communication skills (AAMC competency #5), and also having compelling stories for your applications and interviews.

Students standing together in the hospital while shadowing.
Atlantis students standing together in the hospital while shadowing (Athens, Greece).

Atlantis Alumni Have
What Med Schools Want

A graphic representing 97%.

97%

Of alumni accepted into med/PA school referenced Atlantis on their application and the vast majority said Atlantis impacted their admittance

A graphic representing 81%.

81%

Of alumni accepted into med/PA school said Atlantis impacted their passion for medicine

A graphic representing 91%.

93%

Of our pre-health alumni progressed on the AAMC competencies that medical schools use to assess candidates

Net Promoter Score For Atlantis Compared
With Recognizable Brands

A chart showing the net promoter score with atlantis scoring better than many recognizable brands.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a measure taken from asking customers or alumni how likely they are to recommend a product or service to a friend. The score ranges from -100 to 100, with 0 being neutral and anything positive being good. This chart does not intend to claim that Atlantis is a better organization or that it is somehow doing a better job than these other companies. These are all far larger organizations that are impressive and do a lot of good things. However, Atlantis has been narrowly focused for 15+ years, has become the leader in its field, and the NPS reflects this leadership. We are including this chart to provide a comparison point to brands and products most pre-meds are familiar with.

Mission

We help build a world where healthcare professionals love their jobs and their patients can sense that.

We do this via programs that (a) help put the right people in healthcare and (b) help these people thrive in their field.

Universities Speak

Universities often feature, on their own website, Atlantis alumni, who are also their students, for accomplishments and experiences post-program. See the stories of many Atlantis alumni shining in their undergraduate institutions.