I think that my favorite part of this program was getting to experience an entirely different culture and different type of study abroad with other people from KU. It helped to build lasting connections.

My favorite part of this program was being able to shadow general surgery in the hospital. I got to see many different types of surgeries and was able to ask lots of questions. I am so grateful I had such an educational experience.

I loved traveling around Spain and learning about the culture. Also, I learned a lot about medicine and liked my experience in the hospital.

I loved the excursions that the Atlantis Project put together.

My favorite part was going to the Hospital and interacting with medical professionals. I also really liked that the program was in a Spanish speaking country.

My favorite part of the program was watching surgeries and having the doctors explain what they were doing. The week in cardiology was great too and I learned so much about the different effects cancer can have in the body.

My favorite part of the program was being able to observe a hospital setting in a different country because I feel like that is a really unique experience that not a lot of people will get and it definitely gave me a better understanding of the healthcare system.

My favorite part of the program was getting to be so close to so many influential doctors and their staff.

My favorite part of this program was having the incredible opportunity to be exposed to the medical field unlike I ever have before. This was my first exposure to the actual life of a physician, and not only was I exposed to one, I was exposed to at least 20 different doctors who all spoke a different language than me. I absolutely loved my hospital and how kind, accepting, and tolerant my doctors were. I loved traveling outside of Madrid to the smaller cities and experiencing the true culture of Spain. I loved immersing myself in a way of life much different than my own and seeing a side of the world I would have never gotten the chance to do without the KU Office of Study Abroad and the Benjamin A. Gilman National Scholarship Program.

I had the opportunity to shadow in the surgical unit for three weeks. The best part of the program was gaining exposure in different fields of medicine. This exposure is very helpful when weeding out specialties in order to really figure out what you want to do. My aspirations of becoming a doctor were reconfirmed though this experience.

My favorite part of this program was getting to be in the operating room and see open surgery first hand.

My favorite part of this program was gaining medical knowledge of various specialties in the hospital while also getting to know the doctors.

I loved shadowing doctors in Spain. The Spanish doctors were so accepting and excited to teach us. Definitely a life-changing experience.

I found the doctors advice and notes most rewarding for my future and for my life currently. They were very helpful and you could feel that the doctors wanted you to learn and grow.

The shadowing aspect of the program was definitely the most rewarding part for me. I feel like I gained a lot of knowledge about different medical issues and diseases from shadowing in the hospital. I really enjoyed learning how to interact with the doctors, and I feel I got a glimpse of what working in a hospital is actually like.

The most rewarding part was seeing how much each of us grew throughout the program and how comfortable we became at the hospital. There were a few nurses and doctors who really took extra time out of their schedules to teach us. Because of them I realized this was the career path for me and there is nothing more rewarding than knowing you made the right decision.

The elements that I found most rewarding were the relationships I formed with some of the doctors. My favorite weeks were those in the operating room because I felt like I was able to see a wide range of procedures and learn a lot about surgeries I was not previously familiar with.

The most rewarding elements were the doctors and nurses, who were very helpful and wanted me to learn and understand what was happening. The doctors would call us and make drawings to explain different procedures and processes.

Learning about their culture as it regards to healthcare, I really felt that the information I was learning would make me a better healthcare worker in the United States.

The most rewarding aspects of my program were how much I learned inside and outside of the hospital. Inside of the hospital I learned so much proper etiquette, many medical practices and surgical procedures, and hospital jargon. Outside of the hospital, I learned so much about the country's culture and my Spanish-speaking skills increased dramatically. I always made it a point to put myself in situations where I needed to speak Spanish to locals and, by doing so, I forced myself to step out of my comfort zone and drastically improved my capabilities of speaking the language.

Going out and exploring on our own, learning how to survive in another country, and all of the different events that Madrid had to offer were the most rewarding experiences. Working within a high-tech hospital and being able to witness biomedical engineering feats was also amazing.

The consistent, job-like regime of shadowing a different specialty each week. I saw more in six weeks than I may have seen in the states in a year in regards to medicine.

The hospital shadowing was the most rewarding aspect of this experience. Not only was I able to earn 80+ hours of shadowing, I genuinely felt welcomed as the doctors were extremely inviting and eager to teach me about the body and medicine. Being a pre-med student, this program helped me discover what areas of medicine I found interesting and could see myself possibly following as a future career.

The element of the program that I found most rewarding was the shadowing experience. Although there was a language barrier the doctors really did want us to learn about what was going on. They would make sure to talk things through after a consultation if I did not know what was being said and they made sure to point out the important organs, arteries and veins throughout the surgeries. I found it vert rewarding that the doctors went out of their way to make sure that I fully understood!

I learned a lot of Spanish and a lot about the day-to-day life of a physician. We were able to observe lots of different procedures from daily check-ups to birth to surgeries.

This program helped me decide what specialties I could see myself doing in the future and what specialties I did not like.

From this experience, my friends and I learned that even if another country's language is not required for the program, it's important to have a general understanding of it. While we were in Spain, there was a noticeable difference in the experiences between people that could and could not speak Spanish.

There is not a whole lot of communication with the Atlantis Project Staff before the program starts, so ask a lot of questions when you get the chance. Also do not be shy when you start at the hospital. The experience is better the more you put into it.

Although Spanish speaking skills are not required for this program, I highly recommend that those interested do take at least one Spanish course, or study some Spanish beforehand.

Keep a journal with you, I learned so much at the hospital that I would look up once I got home. You are learning all the time at the hospital and out in the city.

I learned a lot of Spanish and a lot about surgery. I think before going on this trip students should be required to have some sort of entry level spanish skills because most of the doctors spoke very little english.

This program stated that there is no language requirement but I feel like it would be very beneficial if students new the language of their host country. I went to Spain and I was lucky to be a native Spanish speaker but most of the people in my group had no Spanish background and I know that made it a much harder experience for them.

Learning that it was okay to be open about how to best adapt, and how best to live in another country. Your managers are there to make the experience the best it can be, and its great to take advantage of their knowledge.

I learned that traveling abroad is the perfect time for self-reflection and the betterment of your own mental health. I learned that studying abroad is the perfect time to step out of your comfort zone and learn more than you could ever imagine about the world, its cultures, its people, and its languages. Madrid is such an international city, flooded with people from all around the world. I loved seeing the diversity of its locals and its tourists. I was encouraged to try so many new things and experiences so many new ways of life while abroad that I will never forget. I will always cherish my experience.

Going out with an open mind and being alone is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture! Don't stick with your friends every night; they are a familiar link to life back at home, and if you want to learn more about another culture, you should fully immerse yourself the best you can.

If you get the opportunity to go to Europe to study, do it because it will be so worth it and there is no experience like it.