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Study Medicine in Europe

Hello People,

This thread is a place for discussion and providing advice to others seeking to secure a place at a medical school in Eastern Europe. Yes I know there are other threads covering this topic, but i feel some of them are old and a bit disorganized. So lets start fresh.

A lot of students in the UK, mostly those who have been unable to get into a place in the UK, are now looking outside the UK. You know the stats, over 80 thousand med school applicants every year, but only a fraction get those 6 or 7 thousand places. However, branching out to our neighbors seems to be on the increase! I for one am all for this. I dislike the huge tuition fees and the massive student loans students are forced to pay back at the end of their studies.

But, its no easy job finding a decent medical school, with an organised structure recognized here in the UK. There are often language barriers and confusing walls that often deter individuals.

I'm now in my sixth year and studying in Romania. Over the last 5 years i have been in close contact with patients and even assisted in surgery. Personally I am interested in vascular surgery and I have been fortunate enough to have been an instructor for micro surgical procedures at a microsurgery clinic which is a close contact of my university. I have been a member there now for the past three years.

One more year to go and hopefully i can come back and begin work. However, before i do i would like to answer any questions or just help out any others who may be confused or searching for some answers regarding this topic.

Other than being rejected by UK med schools. There are other very good reasons for pursuing this avenue, the main one being the cheaper tuition fees and cheaper living cost.

But i would like to hear from others who have gone down this road and those who are thinking about going down this avenue.

Reply 1

Camellama

What are the GCSE and A-level grade requirements? Also, what entrance exams did you have to take to get into a uni in Romania?They teach in English right? thanks :smile:

Reply 2

Bphil

Hey camelama,

The he entry requirements are pretty low, much lower than here in England as these universities want to attract more students. However, that doesn't mean it's easy to get in or just anyone can as they have an entrance exam which consists of 50 mcqs. The entrance exam is organised by the university. Students coming through an agency have an advantage as the universities have contracts with them as they handle the applications.

The he course is completely in English and is well taught in my opinion. I used to study in Leeds, and although the facilities were better here, the teaching is just the same.

Hope that helps, if you want any more info I'm happy to help.

Reply 3

Paakwas1

Original post by Bphil

why is the application process so cumbersome? And are they lots of overseas students there and how big are the classes

Reply 4

Paakwas1

How is life in romania like too many stories etc can you share some light

Reply 5

Bphil

Original post by Paakwas1

why is the application process so cumbersome? And are they lots of overseas students there and how big are the classes

Hey, sorry for late reply. Well, I didn't find the application process cumbersome. Every thing went a lot smoother than I expected. However, I was a transfer student, so maybe that had some part to play.

I would assume that the offices are very busy at this time of year and they also have to sort out the native students, which comprise of a much larger year than the international student. However, over the last two years the international student year size has rivalled that of the Romanian counterpart.

in therms of class sizes. My year (the 6th year) has only 45 students. Yes it's very small. When I studied in Leeds university the year was over 240 students. But in a way the small year size is advantageous as the teaching is more personal and when we r split into groups the teaching is from the assistant to four or five of us.

All in all I found my learning experience get better in Romania, for some reason I studied more, but the facilities are not as wonderful as in England. But that is to be expected from a poorer country. Before I studied oncology at the st James hospital in Leeds, where they have the largest oncology department in Europe. Now I studied oncology on Porombescu 59 in Timisoara, but I had more patient contact and a more thorough learning curve. It just goes to show, teaching doesn't improve with shinier floors.

My my overall experience has been great, but I'm looking forward now to completing and returning home for good. I feel I have had enough uni time. However, my time In Romania was excellent. I met lots of interesting people. I reached a level in my knowledge that I wanted to, obviously there is still a lot left, but I feel I am in control of my learning there, and not forced to do things under pressure.

Reply 6

Bphil

Original post by Paakwas1

How is life in romania like too many stories etc can you share some light

I could write a book to answer this question. But I'm not going to, yet.

I would only say one thing with regards to this. Anyone, who goes abroad to study must be mature enough to do so. You must also make sure not to forget who you are, what your morals are and the ideals you live by. I have seen too many individuals who have transformed into another personality, traded their morals and crashed.

They come to study, but end up fu**ing around metaphorically and literally.
so if your Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jew, or whatever, make sure you maintain yourself.

Reply 7

Paakwas1

Thank you trully appreciate quick question how is the mix in your year I mean student diversity within the international students what countries are represented more etc and do you guys mix with the natives etc