Ede Birtalan, 6th year student at Semmelweis University’s Faculty of Medicine has visited three different continents thanks to various academic scholarships. He has recently launched a course at the Frigyes Korányi College for Advanced Studies to share his experiences. According to him the international experience is important, however, the domestic environment is irreplaceable.
The three-part course titled “Throughout three continents with scholarships” gave an account primarily of his experiences abroad to interested students and he also talked about the various scholarships with the relevant official coordinators. His guests were Katalin F. Tóth, institutional coordinator of the EU programmes at Semmelweis University; Professor József Sándor, one of the founders of the Saitama scholarship and Dr. László Csáthy, the president of the Hungarian Medical Association of America. The primary goal of the experience based practical course is to encourage students to participate in international scholarships. According to Mr. Birtalan many students consider applying but they remain unsure and ultimately they don’t submit their applications.
Ede Birtalan spent a semester in Freiburg, Germany in the framework of the Erasmus programme where – according to him – the education system was one of the most interesting characteristics. “Due to the block system we only undertook one practical course for weeks which allowed me to follow through with a patient from diagnosis to therapy all the way till recuperation.” Later on, he completed the mandatory month-long training course in Japan at the Saitama Medical University where he visited state-of-the-art hospitals and performed microsurgery on smaller animals. During the three months he spent in Buffalo NY, he had the possibility to see the Da Vinci robot in action and to practice laparoscopic procedures on the Da Vinci simulator which showed every movement in 3D on the screen.
[pullquote]a few years abroad are certainly a worthwhile investment since it is an excellent opportunity to gather experience and to gain new perspectives on what is better here at home[/pullquote]Having experienced the healthcare systems in three different continents, Ede Birtalan says that even though the possibilities are more promising abroad, those who leave the country lose more than those who stay. They would lose their cultural and linguistic roots and wouldn’t even understand local jokes anymore. However, a few years abroad are certainly a worthwhile investment since it is an excellent opportunity to gather experience and to gain new perspectives on what is better here at home – says he.
Semmelweis University’s bilateral relations, which are coordinated by the Directorate of International Relations, allow the best students to undertake practical courses or complementary education at partner institutions abroad. The University’s over 3 decades old relations with the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg is one of its oldest partnerships. Thanks to the extensive possibilities there are annual calls for proposals in the fields of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. The cooperation between Semmelweis University and The State University of New York, University at Buffalo’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences was established in 1995 and entails a 3 months long training programme in the US. Semmelweis University’s relations with Saitama Medical University provide a possibility for two students and one staff member to undertake practical training courses in Japan while SE receives Japanese students and staff on the same conditions.
Mária Mozer
Translated by: Bonifac Makkai
