Internships in Greece

My name is Lauren, I am a second-year biology major in UCSB and I am interning at a hospital in Athens, Greece. I chose to do this so that I can get hands-on experience, but also to experience a different country and their healthcare. I’ve learned a lot, especially from the neurosurgeons, and observed a lot of live procedures, which have been very helpful with my understanding. Cerca Abroad has been really great with coordinating and making sure I would feel comfortable in the new city.

Hi, my name is Kateline, I am from California and I attend San Diego State University. I wanted to do this internship because I want to pursue my career in the health field and I would recommend this internship. I learned so much from talking to the health professionals and I learned so much just by observing here day to day. I would highly recommend this internship with Cerca Abroad because they’re very good and very fast and efficient in communication. Athens is also a beautiful place to explore and has such a beautiful history.

Hi, my name is Jackob, I am from California and I go to school at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. I came to Athens to do an internship at Metropolitan General Hospital and I got to view a patient clinic for PT and also view surgeries. In Athens, I did a lot of traveling around the city and it was really easy to get around thanks to the help of the program, by showing us the basics of travel and also giving us a place to stay.

What started off as a desire for change turned out to be the most unforgettable time of my life. I sent in an application expecting the usual response delays I had experienced through the many intern abroad programs I had combed through but was happily surprised when Nicole was patient and kind, communicating often how available she was be it through video calls or email to sooth my anxieties. She helped me sort through my options and even when I had settled on an internship in Scotland, she kept searching and found me one most suitable for me: London. I sound like a broken record but it was truly life-changing. I had support throughout; Nicole with her check-ins to make sure I was settling in, my manager Ammu who was my rock and the best boss I have had the pleasure of working with and interns from another program who made my experience what it was. Walking to my train every morning felt purposeful and fun: I felt like a mini adult carving out a life for myself in this big city. I was excited to pop into my local Tesco and learn more about my roommates who invited me out every weekend; from window-shopping in the streets of Westminster to intimate dinners in a Fitzrovia neighborhood. At work, I was challenged! I learned how to interview, I was given responsibility over the intern team (again, the best people) and there wasn't a moment I felt afraid to be inquisitive or express my insecurities about the job. Every week was a new adventure and a new way to grow. I remember our manager had an idea for a viral tiktok and all 8 interns stood outside the work building searching for incoming buses, lingering close to where they'd park with a straight face, then burst into fits of laughter because of how unpredictable our work was! The train rides were honestly one of my highlights. The place I moved into after a month in London was 5 minutes from Canary Wharf so a quick 9 minute walk from my apartment to the train station looked like putting my headphones on while I admired the scenic waters of Canning Town before starting the day. London has an awesome transportation system so if you missed one train, best believe another one was coming a minute or two later (5 at most!). I travelled to Nottingham on the weekend and had a blast, and was surrounded by a great group of people. My landlord was the nicest and so was my housemate from both of my living situations, I had a wonderful time getting to know full-time staff through a get-together my manager organized and to this day, most of those people I am still in contact with. Shoutout Tina, Alicia, Stuart, Kate, Krystal, Nicholas, Catherine, Gayathri, Kamini, Shelby, Claire and Nate! Another to Nicole, Ammu, Ben, John and Georgeena for their continued support. I was lucky in that the issues I faced weren't program related, but I'll admit a travel kit of sites to see would have been nice! I was given housing recommendations as well though a person of support to regularly communicate with on residence issues I faced would be of great help as well. If the thought of study/intern abroad even occurs, run with it. The job experience was invaluable, the beautiful cultures I interacted with - from India to USA - have stayed with me and the memories linger in the "I miss you" messages shared amongst the intern group. Living away from home can be daunting, but you won't regret it for a second. I miss it and appreciate the opportunity beyond comprehension.

Some experiences stay with you long after they come to an end, and my time in Bali was definitely one of them. I had the opportunity to spend five weeks in Bali, completing my internship at Made Tea in Ubud, and honestly, it turned out to be so much more than I expected. From the beginning, I felt welcomed and appreciated. Working with Made Tea gave me the opportunity to discover a different professional environment, develop my communication and digital marketing skills, work on creative projects, and gain valuable hands-on experience. I had the chance to create content, work on social media, communicate with potential business partners and contribute to real projects. It was rewarding to see that my ideas and work were genuinely valued. One of the highlights was definitely the people. I am especially grateful to my supervisor, Roni, for her kindness, trust, guidance and patience throughout my internship. Being surrounded by such welcoming people made the experience even more special. And then there was Bali itself! 🌺 Living and working in Ubud allowed me to discover a completely different culture, meet people from different backgrounds, experience the local lifestyle and create memories I will always cherish. Every day brought something new, whether it was discovering beautiful places, trying new food, learning about local traditions or simply enjoying the atmosphere. What I appreciated most was the balance between professional development and personal discovery. I didn’t just gain experience to add to my CV; I also became more independent, confident, adaptable and open-minded. If you are considering an internship abroad, I would genuinely encourage you to take the opportunity. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. You might arrive expecting to gain professional experience, but leave with new skills, wonderful connections and memories that will stay with you forever. Thank you, Made Tea, and Bali, for five unforgettable weeks. A little piece of my heart will always remain in Indonesia. ❤️ Sometimes the best experiences are the ones you never fully expect.

Hi, my name is Maya, I am from North Carolina and I am a surgical intern here with Cerca Abroad. I am a senior in college and I like Athens. It’s a great city. There’s a lot to do here. The hospital I work at is amazing. The doctors are really nice, they’re patient, they explain everything to you, as long as you tell them what you’re interested in, they’ve got you. I like Cerca Abroad because they were really good at coordinating everything. They would provide services through this entire process and help me out with everything that I needed. Honestly, I would come back. I don’t want to go home.

The staff was amazing! I was nervous going into the program as I have never traveled abroad before, but I adapted very quickly due to the support InternAbroad HQ provided me with. A once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so glad I chose them! P.S. Valencia, Spain stole my heart.

Hi, I’m Morgan, I am from California, I go to San Diego State University. I came to Greece to learn more about the medical profession and to get some shadowing experience. The hospital has been really great, all the doctors are super eager to help you learn and I got to see a lot of cool procedures and surgeries and explore the city of Athens as well. There’s a lot to do here. The friends I’ve made through the other Cerca Abroad programs have been amazing. Pretty well coordinated, I would say.

Hi, my name is Brendan. I am from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. I completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s in cell and tissue Bioengineering from Northeastern University. I chose to do an internship in order to gain more hands-on lab experience outside of my theoretical coursework and also the prospect of Cerca Abroad has been really exciting to me. I was able to perform DNA extraction and purification, as well as PCR, PCR sample prep and also get to see some sampling and sequencing. I am very happy with the communication, well organized, and also our accommodation has been very nice in the city. I enjoyed it very much, personally, it’s a fun town and Greece at large is very beautiful.

This internship helped me immensely. Since I am graduating college soon, I have been wanting to gain experience in different environmental science fields and this internship was able to help me. I was able to learn so much about the law and policy side of environmental science as well as the desk job side rather than field work. This internship also helped me grow on a personal level and I was able to leave with a stronger professional network and many friends from around the globe.

My name is Jamie. I am from Pennsylvania, USA. I am a recent graduate from Penn State University with a bachelor’s in animal science. I am here with the international internship program for Arcturos. I was here assisting with monitoring and field work with brown bears and grey wolves as well as helping out with animal husbandry with the Greek shepherd dogs. I very much enjoyed my experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

Hi, my name is Brianna, I am from Toronto, Canada. I decided to join Cerca Abroad, specifically their dental shadowing program, to gain more experience in the dental profession. I also decided to choose this program because of my Greek heritage roots. This opportunity has not only allowed me to connect with the Greek community, but also to explore many different areas of Athens, including trying different ethnic foods as well as exploring historic sites of Athens. The last couple of weeks I have been in the dental clinic shadowing many different procedures, including tooth extractions and root canal treatments as well as getting hands-on experience with the actual dentists themselves, practicing some surgical techniques as well as my own, personal canal treatment. Overall, I highly recommend this program to any students who are interested in pursuing dentistry in the future. The Cerca team has made this transition to Athens very smooth and they’re always willing to help you when you have questions. I also want to say I’m grateful to the staff and patients here who have come to the clinic here. Dr Costas has made this experience very memorable for us and he always answered our dental-related questions. For that reason, I highly recommend this program to anyone.

Hello, my name is Cassidy, I come from Denver, Colorado, USA and I go to Whitman College. I chose to intern this summer because I wanted to experience other cultures outside the United States. I also wanted to gain some more experience in the physiotherapy world. During this internship I have learned so many different things, whether that was electrotherapy, stone therapy or how to move or maneuver somebody who is in a coma. I’ve learned so many different things and I am really grateful that I’ve been able to experience so much within this internship and learn so much from my peers and those around me. I am very happy with my internship experience with Cerca Abroad. It truly has been a life-altering experience and I hope to take what I learned here in this program and apply it back to America and my practice in the future. I one hundred percent enjoyed my stay in the country. Thessaloniki is a beautiful city. The food is amazing. There’s so much to do. All the people have been so much more than welcoming to me and my friends. It’s been a very great time. Hopefully I will come back when I’m older and visit again.

Hi, my name is Paxton, I go to UC Berkeley. I came to the Athens Metropolitan Hospital for a two-week program. I got to see a lot of different stuff at the hospital. I got to see the clinic as well as the OR. In the clinic I got to see cardiology and neurology and in the OR I got to see orthopedic surgery and plastic surgery. I think this program has been very valuable for me as a premed student. I would say that I actually gained a lot of insight during this experience. I got to see some medical fields that I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to. The program itself has been super amazing and the staff has been super accommodating, especially on helping me get all my documents in order and navigate Athens. Being in Athens has also been absolutely amazing, beautiful city, lots of great landmarks. I was able to see Hadrian’s Library, the Acropolis, and many great things. So, I definitely enjoyed my time here.

I enjoyed going on the surveys and getting closer to the other interns there it was actually some of the best moments of my life. It was a good way to get a look into different cultures as we were sharing rooms with people all over the world. The surveys also definitely helped my field skills a lot

My internship provided me with a new experience in psychology that provided me a different outlook on how it is done in other cultures. I most enjoyed the connections I made with the clients and other interns. I also was able to explore the culture outside of the internship and learn about how this impacted mental health. I think this internship made me strengthen skills necessary for my personal and professional development.

I took a year off to gain experience after my degree as part of this I undertook a remote internship in marine mammal research. Where I did a research project into Bottlenose and common dolphins. I spent a lot time improving my QGIS skills and getting to grips with these skills that have better prepared me for studying at a postgraduate level. I plan to go onto a second internship in sustainable farming. These internships have allowed me to gain experience whilst working from home.

Hello, my name is Taylorann, I am from Utah and I attend Utah Tech University. Here, Athens is very safe, I feel very good traveling to the hospital every day and being here at the hospital has been really great because doctors explain everything and are very kind. I’ve had the opportunity to sub for two different placements, which is something I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do elsewhere. In terms of the program, it’s been really great. They gave us a place to stay which is very safe and they gave you places to go and recommendations. Overall, I’ve had a great experience.

One of the things I enjoyed most about my internship in Samos was the opportunity to live in a completely new environment and experience marine conservation firsthand. Being able to participate in fieldwork, conduct biodiversity surveys, work with marine species, and contribute to research gave me valuable practical experience that I could not have gained in a classroom alone. This experience also contributed to my personal development in so many ways. Living abroad independently pushed me outside of my comfort zone and taught me to be more adaptable, confident, and comfortable navigating unfamiliar situations. I met people from different backgrounds, experienced a different culture and way of life, and gained a much broader perspective of the world. Professionally, the internship gave me hands-on experience in marine ecology and conservation and helped me develop skills in field research, observation, teamwork, communication, and scientific research. It also gave me a better understanding of the types of work I enjoy and the direction I may want to take in the future. Overall, I am very grateful for the opportunity and for everything I learned, both professionally and personally, throughout my time in Greece.

What I enjoyed most about the internship was being able to experience dentistry in a completely different environment while also exploring Barcelona and immersing myself in the local culture. It gave me the opportunity to see different approaches to patient care and treatment, which encouraged me to be more open-minded about aseptic cases and what goal is to be achieved. Personally, I became more independent, adaptable and confident, especially when communicating with people from different backgrounds. Professionally, the experience helped me develop my communication skills, broaden my understanding of dentistry and gain a better idea of the type of dentist I would like to become. Overall, the internship was a valuable experience that I will take with me throughout the rest of my dental degree and future career.