Internships in Western Europe

Wow. what an amazing opportunity to take part in a wonderful work environment, with amazing colleagues, I learnt so much in my internship and had the opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience. Specifically to beyond academy, the team was so helpful, supportive and very interesting. From community engagement, to exploring different parts for london and taking part in a vast variety of events. A very active group chat where one can connect with both the team and fellow interns. Guidance on career progression, London culture and way of life and even wonder day to day Hacks and ideas. Amazing accommodation, close to transport facilities. Great communication and insight on multiple experiences, ideas and perspectives.

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.

Living: The living situation was excellent and I think is a rare find compared to most study/intern abroad programs, especially because in other programs they'd probably charge you for a private studio. I'm currently studying abroad in Barcelona and I live in a dorm with a roommate, and I still think back to how good my living situation was in Berlin. I remember there being ample cooking utensils, stove, microwave,toaster, coffee maker, not to mention it cam e with a flatscreen TV. I had queen bed and the bedroom was separate from the kitchen area. My current living space doesn't compare at all with my place in Berlin.. Like the if i wanted an apartment they wouldve charged me a large amount adn even then you share the apartment with 4 other people lol. So the berlin program had a top tier living situation. Work: This was my first internship, and I'm extremely grateful to this company for giving me the opportunity to work with them. My boss was extremely helpful and wanted to make sure we we're doing work that interests us, if we wanted to do more entreprenurial work or corporate finance/ accounting. I was impressed by the immense global reach of the company. I worked mainly in finance/accounting and most of the people I communicated with were based in the Netherlands or South Africa. A lot of the finance infrastructure was in Dutch, but using the translating tool, it was always easy to navigate.. towards the end I stopped using the translation tool and I really ended up learning a lot of Dutch finance terms. I always enjoyed socializing/ networking with other people in the office. They were very helpful and communicative, especially at the very beginning. I learned so much from them and my supervisors and working in an international environment. Now I feel more confident in the professional space and working in a team. The only complaint I have is that a clear work schedule was not specified with me and the other finance interns at the beginning, however, we soon found out and apologized for the misunderstanding. We understood to be there at 10am, we just didnt have communication or anything in writing, as to when the work day ended at first. Activities: I enjoyed the tours and group trips, great way to get to know better the city and rest of the country. I really enjoyed the Warnemunde trip. I wish I had gone on the Poland or Czechia trips. But I really enjoyed how accessible the nature was in and around Berlin. One of my favorite things to do was go hang out by a lake, which Berlin has many of and is great to do on a hot summer day. If I were to suggest another activity.. maybe a bike tour around Berlin. Or a group tour of some of the DDR sites- I loved visiting the DDR museum and all the remnants of that era. I really enjoyed my time. Hope to visit again.

My time in Berlin was amazing, I got exposed to new cultures and ideas as well as getting valuable and relevant work experience. AIFS connected me with incredible mentors who helped me grow personally and professionally as well as organized cultural outings to show me the unique experiences Berlin has to offer.

I lived in Madrid for 10 weeks and was astounded by the culture of Spain and its diversity! Sage Corps helped me get to experience the wonders of traveling abroad as a college student and be able to intern abroad! They were very supportive and led us in many group activities to interact with local experiences.

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 had a really positive experience with Beyond Academy. I think you get out of the program what you put into it, so having an open mind, being willing to meet different people, and taking initiative makes a real difference. The coordinators were fantastic: approachable, supportive, and genuinely lovely people who made it easy to ask for help and advice whenever needed. I really appreciated how personal and welcoming they made the experience feel. Overall, the program was a great opportunity to gain professional experience abroad, expand my knowledge, and step outside my comfort zone. My biggest advice to anyone considering it would be to stay curious, be proactive, and make the most of the opportunities and connections around you. Your attitude really shapes the experience you have.

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.

I had just graduated college two years early, and as proud as I was, I was also scared. So much was changing, and I worried about whether I knew enough to go out into the real world. Looking back, the opportunity to intern abroad came at exactly the right time. My time abroad taught me so much. It challenged me to live on my own, work in a new place, and step out of my comfort zone. I was the first in my family to have an opportunity like this, which made it especially meaningful, even when I didn’t know what to expect. The support of the Absolute Program Coordinators gave me peace of mind. I could connect with them about anything, from questions throughout my internship to advice on local coffee spots. Having someone to turn to made a new city feel a little more familiar. I was also grateful to have a very supportive boss on La Guilde’s communications team. He gave me the opportunity to help with big projects and marketing deliverables I didn’t think I would get to work on as an intern. Being trusted with that work helped me build confidence at a time when I was still questioning how ready I was. Beyond my internship, I always looked forward to the day and weekend trips our Program Coordinators put together. They were a chance to get outside the city, explore more of France, and take a break without breaking my budget. I’m grateful for this experience and for the people who helped me feel at ease along the way. I went abroad worried about whether I knew enough for what came next. I came home with more confidence in my ability to figure things out.

Hello, my name is Elisabeth and I am from California and I study at San Diego State University. I picked this program because in the future I want to become either a nurse, surgeon or a plastic surgeon, which was solidified while doing this program. I got to witness tons of surgeries in the operating room and it really helped me along the decision of what I want to do when I am older, which is something I’ve been pondering for a little bit. With Cerca Abroad, they’ve been really responsive, so quick and great at communicating for anything I need- from directions to any issues, if there was anything with the apartment. Athens overall has been a great experience. There’s so much to do here and I would definitely recommend doing this program to anyone who is interested in healthcare. It’s extremely flexible and will help you figure out your decision on what you want to do in the future.

Hi, my name is Sean, I am originally from California in the USA and currently I am a rising sophomore at CU Boulder in Colorado. I am eighteen years old and I am an intern here at the Atlantic University. I chose to intern in the field of drone automation because I am very interested in how precision hardware like drones or quadcopters intersects with a field like animation or AI. I chose Thessaloniki because I heard it has a vibrant student population, beautiful beaches and weather. During my time at the Hellenic University in my internship, I repaired a drone, which involves taking the drone apart and using precision hardware and soldering to repair this drone which has a broken motor. After that was done, we started testing with the sensors. The sensors I coded using Arduino on the bottom of this drone take readings through a DHT sensor, which senses humidity and temperature, and also a raindrop sensor, which detects leakage or, you know, raindrops. Now, this is important in the application of greenhouses or agriculture. The data is stored on the EEPROM terminal of the Arduino, which is an electronically erasable programmable read-only memory. It can be read back using a separate program on Arduino again. During my time in Thessaloniki, I visited many fun tourist spots like the beaches of Khalkidhiki and Mount Olympus, and these are very fun places to visit. The food here is great. The coffee is tasty. The people are very helpful, hospitable and kind. The students are plentiful. The city is very walkable and there is a vibrant nightlife as well. I have learned a lot about technology, culture, and history and I would love to come back in the future if possible. Cerca Abroad has been super communicative and organized. I loved it. The guides are super nice and also communicative. I really enjoyed this whole program. I would totally recommend it for friends and family. Thank you, Cerca Abroad.

Hi, my name is Brylee, I am from Utah in the USA and I study at Utah Tech University and I found this program online. I chose to do it because I wanted some clinical experience with physiotherapy and also I wanted to travel. I really enjoyed my experience here and getting to work with the physiotherapists. They have been so nice and welcoming and I have loved working with the patients. Even though I don’t speak any Greek, I’ve learned a few terms and it’s been really fun to interact with people here. It’s also been very fun to travel. If you get the chance, I would really recommend sightseeing if you can after the internship, when going out and having some fun. The coordination with the program has been fantastic- great communication. You can always message them anytime and it’s really a great program. I would recommend it a lot.

I spent 2 months living in London completing an internship in London for Business/Marketing, and I had the most amazing time! I had never really travelled much before with my family or anything growing up, but in 2025 I went to Europe for 3 weeks fresh out of high school with just my best friend. We started and ended the trip in London, and I knew straight away that London is a definitely a place I want to experience living in one day. I was super lucky I had such an amazing flatmate who I became super close with, and I also made another close friend at a lunch I went to on my 2nd day in London to meet some of the other interns. We all ended up hanging out together in London heaps, I went to Barcelona with one of them which was so much fun! I also got to see some friends from home (Melbourne, Australia) while I was in London which was amazing too. Towards the end of my time there, I even went to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest with some friends from home which was incredible!! I stayed in Sheffield with my flatmate at her uni for my last weekend before going back to Australia, and got to go to Manchester with her too! Everyone at my internship was always super lovely and helpful throughout my time there, and I really learnt a lot which was amazing. Overall, I had an amazing time, and feel so much more independent and confident having to figure things out and adapt on my own. I'm really glad I did it, I had the best time and it really showed me I'm truly capable of anything I put my mind to!

Beyond Academy responded to this reviewOctober 15, 2026

Thank you for sharing your experience, Jaeda! It’s so lovely to hear how your first visit to London inspired you to come back and experience life in the city with us. From meeting a close friend at your welcome lunch to travelling with your flatmate, it sounds like you’ve left with friendships and memories that will stay with you for years to come. We’re also delighted that your internship team made you feel so welcome and helped you learn along the way. Hearing that you’ve returned home feeling more independent, confident and sure of what you’re capable of is wonderful. Thank you for being part of our London community—we can’t wait to see where you go next! Once a Beyonder, always a Beyonder!

Hi, my name is Greta and I am from Minnesota, USA. I am currently applying to a PA school position in the U.S. and I decided to come here so that I can get some experience shadowing doctors and other medical professionals to kind of engage with what interests me the most. I’ve had a really great experience not only at the hospital but in Athens too. I really loved Athens and being able to travel to the islands has been also great. Overall, in my experience I found Greece supportive not only by the program but by the medical professionals here. I have learned so much and definitely I have a better understanding of the cultural differences as well as of myself and what I want to do in the future.

Hello, my name is Jeremy, I am from Wisconsin, America, I went to the University of Wisconsin- Parkside and it is my hope that one day- hopefully- I will become a physician. I chose this program because, one, I wanted to get experience in the healthcare field in a different or foreign country and, second of all, Greece has always been one of my dream destinations to visit. So, the answer is simple, I came to Greece. Athens has been wonderful so far, actually when I first came here I was very surprised as it was different from what I thought it would be, but it was absolutely wonderful. I also had some chances to visit some of the islands, which are absolutely gorgeous. I loved my time sightseeing here, having fun. I absolutely enjoyed all the surgeries and clinics I was able to follow and watch. It has been so insightful. I sometimes go home and write some summaries for myself about the day, my feelings and experience and I think that I genuinely learned a lot. When I first got here Cerca Abroad was so helpful and very informative and I was very welcomed. I appreciate everything that I have been going through. Like I said, I absolutely loved it.

Hello, I am Faidra, I am a medical student, I am in the first year of my studies. I study in Malta but I am half Greek- half Latin American. I decided to come to this program to see how hospitals here in Greece work, how surgeries are performed, because I am interested in plastic surgery. I also saw a lot of surgeries. Plastic surgeries like laparoscopic ones with robotic machines. I saw spine surgeries, reconstructive ones, a lot of things, and also clinical experience. We saw how doctors go and see patients, how they talk to them and how they make them feel here. I am very grateful to have been here; it was a very good experience. Athens is also beautiful. Coming here, home again, was a great idea. All the team behind the program are very good people and they can answer all your questions. Thank you.