Hospital Shadowing in Spain
- Spend the summer in Spain shadowing doctors four days per week (for 20+ hours) over a 4 or 6 week period
- Learn first-hand about an international publicly-funded healthcare system
- Build confidence in a hospital setting through extensive observation of physician to patient contact
- Gain a competitive edge in graduate school applications, domestic health related internships, and a broadened perspective on the medical vocation
- Earn KU internship credit for your shadowing experience
- Experience the rich culture and cuisine of Spain through weekly group excursions and group meals
The University of Kansas (KU) has partnered with Atlantis, which focuses on providing AAMC-compliant physician shadowing in an international setting, to offer a 4-6 week Hospital Shadowing Program in Spain. Atlantis Fellows are afforded the opportunity to experience global healthcare by shadowing doctors in a different specialty each week for at least 20 hours per week. This provides an ideal learning opportunity for pre-med and pre-nursing students as well as those interested in clinical health areas such as physiology, developmental biology, exercise science, medical diagnostics, microbiology, neuroscience, physical therapy, and other allied health fields. Fellows will gain extensive observation experience in a hospital setting, a broadened perspective on the medical vocation, and a comparative lens to examine global healthcare.
Fellows will shadow four days per week (a min. of five hours daily) from early morning to early afternoon. Shadowing specialties vary by location and Fellows typically shadow in pairs. Though Fellows can request specialties of interest, surgery and other departments are not guaranteed. Department availability depends on the hospital and doctors’ schedules.
In addition to shadowing, Fellows will have the opportunity to give back to their community by teaching English to medical professionals or volunteering in other capacities at the hospital for 3-5 hours per week.
Each Friday of the Fellowship is reserved for an outing with the whole Fellowship group. Past excursions have included hikes, visits to local museums, sporting events, boat tours, beach trips, kayaking and even taking the train to explore another nearby city. Each excursion includes the transportation and one group lunch or dinner and is planned and led by the program’s site manager.
The 4-week program in 2020 (May 30 - June 26) will be located in Teruel, a small, high-altitude town in the mountainous Aragón region of eastern Spain between Madrid and Valencia. Founded in the 12th century, the town's unique architecture found almost exclusively in the region of Aragón makes it part of a UNESCO world heritage site. The Obispo Polanco Hospital, where fellows will shadow, was opened in 1953 and has approximately 215 beds. The hospital carries out teaching activities for medical school and nursing school students, and postgraduate training of medical residents. Both its size and the presence of residents make this hospital a perfect environment for Fellows to shadow and familiarize themselves with the operation of a Spanish public hospital.
The 6-week program (May 30 - July 10) will be located in the city of Valladolid. With a population of 420,000 people, it is the largest city in the region of Castilla y León in northwestern Spain. The origin of the city’s name is the Celtic expression Vallis Tolitum, meaning “valley of waters” - because is situated in between the Pisuerga and Esgueva Rivers. It was the capital of Spain in several occasions, and it is where Christopher Columbus spent the last days of his life. Nowadays Valladoild is a major economic center in Spain, and car manufacturing is the most important industry in the city. Located about two hours from Madrid and two hours from Portugal, Valladolid is an ideal area for supplemental travel. Fellows will shadow at the University Rio Hortega Hospita, a public hospital established in 1953 and situated in the south part of the city. The new modern building where the hospital is operating now was opened in 2008 and has more than 600 beds and 15 ORs. Its state-of-the art technology makes it one of the most advanced hospitals in both Spain and in Europe.
Please note that the 6-week program is approved to satisfy Goal 4.2 of the KU Core. The 4-week program is not currently approved due to the shorter duration.
The hospital shadowing experience is for-credit and graded. Credit is available through the academic departments listed below. Due to contact hour requirements, some courses are only available for the 6-week program. All courses have variable credit hours (1-3), so each partipant selects how many credits they wish to enroll in. Please note, however, that a minmum of 3 credits is required to be eligible for summer financial aid.
BIOL 490 (available on 4 and 6 week programs)
Biology Internship & Practical Applications (1-3 credits)
This course supports the supervised practical experiences in an occupational area of interest. In addition to the work-related activity, students will likely be asked to complete reading and writing assignments, participate in on-line discussions, and create a final summary of internship accomplishments. Hours of credit recorded are based on number of hours at internship site and agreement of instructor. Credit hours will be assigned a letter grade. Repeatable for up to 6 credit hours, provided the internship experiences are different.
HNRS 496 (available on 4 and 6 week programs)
Honors Program - Honors Internship ( 1-3 credits)
Students participate in an internship in an organization related to their professional/career goals. An internship plan is developed by the student in conjunction with the student's academic adviser and an authorized agent of the internship site. Satisfies: U Undesignated elective (U), Honors
HSES 335 (available on 6 week program only)
Health, Sport, & Exercise Sci - Clincial Field Experience ( 3 credits)
Clinical Field Experience is designed to allow students who plan to pursue clinical careers the opportunity to observe and assist (as appropriate) in the evaluation and/or treatment of patients by licensed clinicians in fields such as medicine, physical therapy, and cardiac rehabilitation. Only one enrollment permitted each semester. A maximum of six hours will apply towards the bachelor's degree, or a maximum of three credit hours will apply towards the bachelor's degree if the student subsequently enrolls in HSES 580 (Internship). Prerequisite: Admittance to the Community Health or Exercise Science undergraduate degree program in HSES.
LA&S 490 (available on 6 week program only)
Liberal Arts & Sciences - Internship Exploration ( 1-3 credits)
This course provides credit for supervised practical experiences in an occupational area of interest. In addition to the work-related activity, students complete reading and writing assignments, participate in an on-line discussion and create a final portfolio of internship accomplishments. Hours of credit recorded (1-3) are based on number of hours at internship site and agreement of instructor. Credit hours will be assigned a letter grade. Repeatable for up to 5 credit hours, provided the internship experiences are different. Satisfies: Goal 6 Outcome 1 (AE61), U Undesignated elective (U)
Participants will be housed in furnished university residences, hotels, or apartments. Units are single-gender and typically double-occupancy with shared bathrooms and common spaces. Towels, linens and internet are provided. Transportation costs between the program housing and hospital are included as well as airport transfers at the beginning and end of the program.
A light breakfast is provided from Mon-Fri, as well as four weekly group meals at local restaurants. For most lunches, fellows buy and prepare their own food or stop in a local cafe for an inexpensive sandwich.
This program is open to students of all undergraduate levels pursuing a career in healthcare. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required, however, students with a lower GPA will be considered on a case-by-case basis with the submission of a GPA petition.
After applying to the program, an Atlantis Admission Coordinator will conduct an interview with you to discuss your application, career goals in healthcare, as well as your interest in pursuing medicine as a career and your interest in the program. Interviews last around 30-45 minutes, and take place over Skype or Zoom. Atlantis is looking for participants with a genuine passion for healthcare, good communication skills, an altruistic attitude, and professionalism.
Please note: the majority of participants are not fluent in Spanish, however, because you will encounter the local language while shadowing and becuase doctors have varying levels of English fluency (if at all), Fellows are encouraged to have at least a basic understanding of Spanish.
