Throughout the internship, students were introduced to the organizational structure, clinical workflows, and professional standards at Semmelweis University. The program included guided visits to key clinical departments, offering first-hand exposure to patient-centered care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
The program began at the Városmajor Heart and Vascular Center, where participants explored interventional cardiology through hybrid and pacemaker operating room visits, intensive care units, and direct interaction with clinical staff. Further clinical insight was gained at the Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Gastroenterology (STéG), where students observed outpatient services, ward rounds, operating room activity, and case-based discussions highlighting complex surgical care.
The program also provided in-depth exposure to critical care at the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, followed by advanced neurological care at the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurointervention, where students observed live surgical procedures, neurointerventional techniques, and neuroimaging applications. The internship concluded at the Pediatric Center, offering multidisciplinary bedside practice across several pediatric subspecialties.
A key highlight was the visit to the Department of Ophthalmology, where a guided tour led by a physician introduced students to ophthalmic diagnostics, outpatient workflows, and the role of precision imaging in everyday clinical decision-making: an especially strong visual and educational component of the program.
Beyond the academic content, the program also emphasized international academic exchange. Bringing together students from different Chinese institutions, including Qinghai University, Harbin Medical University, Soochow University, and The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, the internship fostered cross-cultural perspectives and professional networking within a European medical education framework.
This short-term clinical internship demonstrates how focused, well-structured programs can provide meaningful educational value even within a limited timeframe. By combining clinical exposure, institutional insight, and international academic exchange, the program demonstrated how short-term internships at Semmelweis University can deliver meaningful professional value while fostering global collaboration in medical education.
Image and text: Directorate of International Relations and Alumni Affairs
