Rector’s notice (updated)

Dear Students,

In the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, again there is a great need for your dedicated hard work. Us, university leaders already had the impression in September that this was going to happen so. On October 27, 2020 every Hungarian medical university received an official request to participate in the coronavirus testing in view of the current epidemiological situation. Starting from October 29, students of medical universities are kindly requested to take part in the COVID-19 testing procedures in cooperation with the National Ambulance Service.

Since the appearance of COVID-19 in Hungary, Semmelweis University has been at the forefront in the fight against coronavirus with its own tools and resources, as it is worthy of a medical university that is a leading institution on a Central-European level. Our university initiated the increase of screening and testing numbers, and introduced a new mandatory course starting from the fall semester entitled “The comprehensive theory of coronavirus and the practice of how to test samples taken from the respiratory tract”. In the course of the first wave of COVID-19, the four medical universities led by Semmelweis University played a significant role in the national protection against the epidemic, including the representative cross-sectional nationwide coronavirus screening survey realized with the participation of medical students.

Ever since COVID-19 pandemic appeared in Hungary, the vast majority of our graduating students carries out volunteer work at the university. Starting from August, almost 200 of our students participate in the smooth management of PCR testing procedures conducted by the university in the framework of a volunteer work besides their medical studies and other engagements, with which they greatly contribute to the protection against coronavirus. Owing to student support, almost 2000 such testing is carried out at Semmelweis University on a daily basis, while nearly 40 % of the positive cases broadcasted in the news is detected at one of the screening centers of the four medical universities in Hungary.

The active participation of our medical students justifies the fact that Semmelweis University does not only educate the medical generations of the future, but educate such outstandingly hardworking, dedicated and conscientious professionals who are ready to set an example when there is a great necessity to do so.

At this point, it is not our university, but the National Ambulance Service who is asking for your kind support. We would like to express our gratitude for all the support you have provided besides your medical studies. Now we would like to ask for your help in testing and sampling procedures, extending the opportunity to every faculty of the university to participate in this volunteer work as follows:

• the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th year students of the Faculty of Medicine
• the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th year students of the Faculty of Dentistry
• the 4^th and 5^th year students of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• the 4^th year students participating in the full-time physiotherapy, midwifery, dietetics, nursing, paramedics, health care visitor and health practitioner training programs as well as the 3^rd year students participating in the full-time nursing and paramedics training programs of the Faculty of Health Sciences
• the 3^rd and 4^th year students of András Pető Faculty
• the 2^nd and 3^rd year students participating in the full-time training programs of the Faculty of Health and Public Administration

Students are kindly requested to take an active part in sample taking procedures with the coordination and supervision of the faculty deans. Students are kindly asked to participate in the fight against coronavirus in Budapest and in the region of central Hungary by being grouped into teams of 200 on a weekly basis during a period of 10 weeks (160 active participants and 40 students as backup). Students will have the opportunity to apply for a date and time on the web page established by the faculties and the Semmelweis University Students’ Union. The detailed description regarding the application will be sent to you via Neptun. The work accomplished in order to support the National Ambulance Service will be accounted for in the faculties’ curricula. On the basis of the legislation, the student may receive an exemption in the following examples:

1. in the case of pregnancy until the child’s age of 3
2. until the child’s age of 16 in case the student is a single parent
3. in case of the permanent, personal care of a relative
4. in case the rehabilitation expert body determined a health damage of at least 50 %, as well as
5. in case the student belongs to the organization unit of the National Ambulance Service related to the liquidation of the certain emergency situation.

Dear Student, on the occasion of the oath that you have taken at the beginning of your medical studies, you promised to prepare for your profession with persistent diligence and responsibility towards your fellow citizens during your medical studies. By joining the group of volunteer students, you may help your fellow citizens as it is expressed in the oath. But beyond this, you may acquire such practical experiences, which have been available to only a limited number of medical generations throughout the decades.

On behalf of all the citizens of the university, I would like to thank you for the all the support and work that you have done so far. We count on your exemplary participation in the forthcoming weeks as well.

Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector
Translation: Katalin Illés-Romhányi