Medical University of Gdansk it is!
I have finally come to a decision. I am going to study medicine in Gdansk.
Choosing Medical University of Gdansk over Semmelweis University still feels somewhat wrong but I am super excited about it nevertheless.
Now I realize that I have not only been aiming to get into medicine, but also to study at Semmelweis University. In fact, all my references come from that institution. Somehow the idea of studying medicine and studying medicine at Semmelweis was always one.
However, circumstances change the direction of our next step.
Pros&Cons of studying at Semmelweis University in Budapest:
- Amazing city. (+)
- Friends who are studying there and can give me good advice. (+)
- Renown university. (+)
- Study fees + Living costs (6 years total) sum up to a minimum of 130.000€. (-) This is a big con. Because students must pay their fees in USD it gets very expensive when the exchange rate is not in our favour. At the moment what we can loan in order to pay tuition fees does not even cover the entire bill. Thus, at the moment students must pay the rest from their own pockets meaning less income available to cover living expenses.
Pros&Cons of studying at Medical University of Gdansk:
- The city is beautiful. (+) Obviously smaller than Budapest. Still very charming and I can imagine myself living there for 6 years.
- Closer to Oslo. (+) The flight takes about 90 minutes and the flight tickets are usually cheap.
- Study fees + Living costs sum (6 years total) sum up to a maximum of 85.000€. (+) This against Budapest is a substantial amount of money.
- Possibility for longer periods of holidays. (+) Up to 3 months in the summer: July, August and September. This is a good opportunity to work in Oslo for a little longer.
- Not as renown as Semmelweis University. (-)
To make it simple my decision comes down to final student debt and the possibility to see the people I love the most a little more often. I think I’ll be grateful for it when things get tough there.
In the end, we will be all doctors. It doesn’t matter which medical school you attended as long as you are a good professional.
After 6 years everyone who comes back to Norway with a diploma from a non-Norwegian medical school has the same chances to get a job. At that point is actually more about connections than anything else.
At the beginning of the medical career, everyone earns about the same, no matter where they have graduated from. That being said, I see no reason why I would choose to end up with a 50% increased study loan.
By the way, I have not been able to find out much about how things work in Gdansk.
All I know is that students are split into groups of 10. Each group has an independent schedule and remains the same throughout the entire year. People are allowed to change groups at any time. Not sure how or when they can do it.
The passing grade in any exam is 60%. There are oral exams but I have no idea when one can take them.
The rest I am about to find out. I am planning a visit to the university campus as soon as possible.
Honestly, I can’t wait to start my journey.
