Send Kieu to Portugal and Spain with Atlantis Project!

Kieu-Tram Bach Start Date: Mar 14, 2015 - End Date: Jul 11, 2015
  • Intern Abroad
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • TEFL/Teach Abroad
  • Terceira, Portugal
  • Toledo, Toledo, Spain
  • Albacete, Albacete, Spain

My Travel Story

by: Kieu-Tram Bach Start Date: Mar 14, 2015 - End Date: Jul 11, 2015
  • Intern Abroad
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • TEFL/Teach Abroad
I've been given the wonderful opportunity by Atlantis Project to travel to the Azores Islands of Portugal and mainland Spain as a Hospital and Physician Shadowing Fellow! The program is over the course of eight weeks, June 21-August 15, and I will be shadowing and observing physicians for 25 hours a week, for a total of 200 hours over the course of this program. My placement is split over three locations: my first will be at Terciera on the Azores Islands of Portugal, my second and third will be one mainland Spain, Toledo and Albacete, respectively.

This program will allow me to enrich my pre-medical experiences while also providing perspective on healthcare systems outside the United States's. I will also have one-on-one experience with physicians in specialized departments of a developed country operating under a system much like ones in America; although I aspire to become a psychiatrst, this program will give me introduce me to other specialties that I may potentially become interested in, as I will be changing departments about once a week/every other week.

I have yet to work in a hospital environment, and Atlantis Project will provide the opportunity for me to tour three different hospitals at three different locations over the course of eight weeks. 

Another aspect of this program is giving back to the local community. They have a Base5 program which fellows like myself can participate in and teach English to natives around the area. In my time in both Portugal and Spain, I intend to volunteer 5-10 hours a week for this program, and also learn Spanish and Portguese taught by Atlantis Project leaders.

Finally, this program also offers the opportunity to volunteer and conduct research at the hospitals we work in. This is a crucial part to my pre-medical experience, and I would love to be able to gain perspective on volunteer and research in the European healthcare system.

There is a link provided to the Atlantis Project website with more details and videos. Thank you for your time and consideration on sending me on this trip!
  • Terceira, Portugal
  • Toledo, Toledo, Spain
  • Albacete, Albacete, Spain