Seeing Surgery Up Close for the First Time September 16, 2026
By A student (Medicine, University of Southern California) - abroad from 05/12/2026 to 05/25/2026 with
Cerca Abroad: Medical in Greece
Watching a full knee replacement unfold right in front of me for the first time was unforgettable!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My overall educational experience was genuinely immersive, combining real surgical exposure with meaningful learning and strong team support. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The host country administration was smooth and consistently well organized. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was quiet, practical and made settling in straightforward. |
| * Food: |
Food was consistently great, wit fresh flavors and plenty of affordable options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Social and cultural integration was smooth and enjoyable. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health care was highly professional! |
| * Safety: |
Safety was well-managed with a steady sense of security throughout the stay. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Hi, my name is Paula, I am from Chile and I study in the US. I study Neuroscience. I chose the medical internship because I wanted to go to medical school and become a surgeon, so it was very interesting to see orthopedic surgeons at work and get a hands-on experience too. Some of the interesting things that I saw were a knee replacement and an Achilles tendon surgery. Coordination was really good, everyone was really nice and life in Athens is amazing, the food is great, and the people are really nice. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $120 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I don't have anything further to include. |
