Hi everybody,
I have done some general research about admissions, cost of living, and study curriculum in both Semmelweis and Debrecen medical schools. I am Canadian student with a Bachelor's degree in Medical Science.
From the numerous number of posts I read, I learned that getting admitted into Hungarian medical schools is fairly easy. However, successfully finishing the English program in 6 year can be a challenge for some. The drop-rate is jaw-droppingly high compared to Canadian and US medical schools (3% drop-rate for most Canadian medical school). I was wondering if this is due to less strict admission policies of Hungarian medical schools?
The costs of living appears to be cheaper in Debrecen compared to Semmelweis. I presume this is because Semmelweis is located in the capital, Budapest.
I have read some negative reviews about the general examination process in Hungarian medical schools. It appears as though most of their exams are oral and how well one can do in them depends on the attitude and mood of the professors (examiners). Can someone please confirm if this is true?
I also learned that with Semmelwies medical school, the classes are scattered all over the city. So, you would need to commute a lot, which can be a major inconvenience at times. But, with Debrecen, everything is located within leg's reach (5-10 min walk between lecture halls, labs, etc).
The degree that one obtains from both Semmelwies and Debrecen is essentially the same, and yet it costs more to study at Semmelwies. I wonder if someone could argue in favour of Semmelwies when being compared to Debrecen?
I agree, some of you might say to stay in Canada and try for Canadian or US medical schools. If you look at their statistics, you wouldn't even feel like applying. For instance, over 4500 applicants apply to McMaster Medical School in Canada. Around 500 are called in for interview and only 200 actually make it. I am sure a huge proportion of these applicants are very competent individuals with good academic records, and yet a very small number of them are admitted. And for Canadian/US medical school grades aren't the only criteria that they assess in the process of admission. They look at your volunteer work, your commitment, your awards and accomplishments, your research experience, your reference letters, your MCAT scores, etc. I have done a lot of volunteer work, I got good recommendation letters, and my average is decent (87%), my MCAT score is 9-8-11 and yet I stand no chance.
I personally know many people doing a second undergraduate degree after their graduation to improve their chances of getting into Canada/US medical schools, but I think they are just wasting their valuable time. I think going to an Eastern European country is a much better option.
I am planning on applying to Semmelwies and Debrecen, please let me know which one you think is better and why?
On the side, I wonder how everybody feels about Hungarian VS Polish medical schools (i.e. which one do they recommend and why)?
Cheers,
