The window to Hungary

150-300 foreign students who would like to study medicine are attending the Pre-Medical (Premed) Training of the McDaniel College in Budapest. Nadav Pam (27) is one of these students, who took part in this training in the 2005-2006 academic year. Now he is doing his 4th year and studying General Medicine in Budapest. We asked him about this period.

Why did you decide to apply to the Premed Training?

After I decided to study medicine in Hungary, I contacted the Israeli Representative for Hungarian studies and checked the requirements of the entrance exam to different medical universities in Hungary.
I realized that I didn't have prior knowledge in some of the topics required for this exam, so I needed to study them. In addition, I had never lived and studied abroad before. I wasn't sure if studying medicine was what I actually hoped for. I wanted to do a kind of simulation for myself: living and studying in Budapest, and see my results before I decided about my academic future in medicine and in Hungary.
The content of the premed course is based on the topics of the entrance examinations of the universities, and there are regular tests both in writing and orally to enable students to get practice in taking examinations. These factors made me choose to apply to the premed training in 2005 -2006.

What was the difference between your studies in high school and at the premed training?

The main difference was language based. At home I studied everything in the Hebrew language. In the premed everything is taught in English, and it takes some time to get used to answering in verbal and written form in a second language.
Apart from the language difference, the studies in the premed focus on the topics of the entrance examination at universities, a fact that helped me a lot in getting prepared and focused by the time the examination took place.

Was it easier to pass the university entrance exam after the premed training?

Those students who just signed in the premed but have made no effort in their premed studies and fail their exams during the training will be reported to their parents about their progress. Then, if no improvement is achieved by the end of the course, they might even drop out. Therefore it is important to remember that signing to the premed is not enough in itself. A student who comes to the premed has to make an effort to maximize the impact of the courses on his entrance exams.

Did the premed course have any other effect beside the traditional studies?

For myself and many other foreigners the premed was the gateway or window on Hungary and Hungarian culture. The premed is an international gathering place for students from over 20 different countries, in which each one brings his own opinion and view about life. During the studies many ideas and views are exchanged among students of different religions, ages and cultures, it's like a small-scale united nations, where we feel free to step out from our boundaries and explore the different views.
In addition, the premed helps a lot beyond what is considered the official curriculum, since we premed student are all new to Hungary, and even simple small task can seem to be overwhelming: the premed team is always there to listen and support as much as they can.
On a personal level, I keep good connection with the premed team even years after I graduated from the course. I think that alone tells a lot.

What other services of the school did you use at that time?

There are many services that the premed offers. I only had the opportunity to use some of them. There is a buffet, a computer room with Internet, a copy room, help with renting an apartments, lots of extracurricular activities, for example organized tours to different universities, international cruise on the Danube, international food festival, ski trip and many more events.

Were you satisfied with the premed? Did it help you at the university entrance exam?

I was satisfied with the premed course, it was worth my time and the value of money paid. There is a saying that goes "what you cook is what you eat". This means that if you make an effort during the premed, the results can be felt in the success of the entrance exams. I can only speak about myself, and I have made the effort and managed to pass the entrance exams with high results.

Were the first years at the university a little bit easier for you after this one year?

In my experience, the first year was made easier by the fact that I had already lived and studied a year in Budapest. Therefore the initial shock of beginning the first year was dramatically decreased, allowing me more time to spend on the actual studies and on upgrading my knowledge during the initial period at the university.