Further steps in practice-oriented education: Curriculum 2.0 launched
In 2019, in the 250th year of its foundation, Semmelweis University was the first at national level to reform the medical and health sciences curriculum in order to strengthen practice-oriented education. In the academic year 2024/25, the university has stepped up a gear: The curriculum reform has been evaluated and fine-tuned accordingly. The aim is to train doctors and health professionals with considerable practical skills and real clinical knowledge.
The university is ranked 31st in the world in Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems and in the top 100 in Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Semmelweis University has moved up 12 places from last year in the U.S. News 2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings to 31st position in Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems. This year, the university has been listed in 14 medical and health sciences disciplines and is ranked number one in most of these in Hungary. It has improved in three categories in ShanghaiRanking’s 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects: It is among the world’s top 100 universities in Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, and it has also improved its position in Human Biological Sciences and Biological Sciences compared to last year. In Clinical Medicine, the institution remains in the top 200, while in Dentistry & Oral Sciences as well as Medical Technology, it is in the top 300. As the best higher education institution in Hungary and the region, Semmelweis University continues to be listed among the world’s top 300 in Times Higher Education’s 2025 World University Rankings, climbing 28 places with its overall score rising slightly compared to last year. Of the five areas assessed, Semmelweis University once again performed best in Teaching and improved significantly in several others as well. The institution moved up 123 places in industry-related results (innovation and knowledge transfer) and 71 places in the performance indicator Research Quality, which measures the impact of scientific publications.
There was a demonstrable increase in the excellence of scientific work and the impact of research carried out at Semmelweis University
In 2024, the excellence of Semmelweis University’s scientific work continued to improve compared to the previous year, with more and more publications by Semmelweis researchers being cited worldwide, which means that the impact and productivity of the university’s research have also increased. There was a significant increase in the number of publications in the highest-ranked journals, in the top 10 percent of their field, where the corresponding author is a member of the university’s academic staff. By October 2024 alone, 270 such publications had been published, the highest number ever. There has also been a steady rise in the number of Highly Cited articles with a Semmelweis academic as co-author, which was 313 up to October 2024, again the highest ever. This category includes publications that are in the top 1 percent of their field in terms of the number of citations. Authors with a significant number of highly cited publications in their field are included in the list of “Highly Cited Researchers,” which features two academics from Semmelweis University: Dr. Péter Ferdinandy and Dr. Balázs Győrffy.
The university has established a new institute for joint research with Dr. Ferenc Krausz
Semmelweis University and the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. Ferenc Krausz are jointly researching the medical and diagnostic application of the infrared molecular fingerprinting method developed by the Center for Molecular Fingerprinting (CMF), which is headed by Dr. Ferenc Krausz. Among other things, it is for this reason that the two institutions have jointly established the John von Neumann Institute for Data Science within Semmelweis University. The ultimate goal of the research is to enable the diagnosis of diseases at an early stage by a simple blood test and, at the same time, the selection of the optimal personalized treatment.
Unique surgery courses in the Interdisciplinary Cadaver Operating Room
The Interdisciplinary Cadaver Operating Room of the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology hosted a number of unique hands-on surgery courses during 2024. For example, at the unique cardiac surgery training course, the novel tissue fixation technique developed at the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and the equipment realistically mimicking the heartbeat inside the cadaver’s chest allowed the participants to practice coronary artery bypass grafting under conditions very similar to those in the operating room. The course in gynecological cadaveric surgery at Semmelweis University offered an unparalleled opportunity for further training at national level, making it possible to practice how to avoid a specific complication of laparoscopic hysterectomy, which is considered the most modern technique currently available. During the gastroenterology session of the cadaver course series, the participants were able to practice gastroscopy and colonoscopy using the currently available endoscopes in a manner similar to that experienced during real-life surgeries.
The cadaver operating room and its associated facilities provide a state-of-the-art environment for events of two main profiles, similar to a bedside care setting. Firstly, it can host cadaveric medical vocational and professional training courses, together with renowned representatives of clinical specialties. Secondly, it provides a test environment for medical instrumentation projects. The workspace allows physicians, surgical teams, and development engineers to perform interventions under real human anatomical conditions.
Dr. Klaudia Vivien Nagy of Semmelweis University becomes the first Hungarian ESA-certified flight surgeon
Dr. Klaudia Vivien Nagy, Assistant Professor at Semmelweis University’s Városmajor Heart and Vascular Center, was the first in Hungary to complete the European Space Agency’s (ESA) accredited space medicine training, thus becoming the first person from Hungary whom the ESA certified to practice space medicine in support of European astronauts, including Tibor Kapu, who is scheduled to go to space in 2025. Semmelweis University has taken an active role in the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) Astronaut Program, providing medical background, which involves the medical selection and training of astronauts as well as monitoring their health.
The Semmelweis HELP symptom checker application has been expanded
In addition to pediatrics, Semmelweis University’s unique Semmelweis HELP free symptom checker app can now be used for adult diseases. The mobile and web application, published almost a year ago, has been expanded to include ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, and general adult family medicine. It helps users to know when to go to the emergency room, hospital, or specialist in case of illness or accident, and how to alleviate symptoms at home.
Eszter Keresztes
Translation: Dr. Balázs Csizmadia
Photos by Bálint Barta, Attila Kovács, Boglárka Zellei – Semmelweis University
