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In September, 157 students began their studies in the German programme at the Medical School in Pécs, with 115 enrolled in the general medicine and 42 in the dentistry programme. This number is lower than in the previous years, which is not due to changes in the programme, but rather to external circumstances. The experiences of the start of this academic year and the tasks for the future were summarized by Professor Péter Than, Chair of the UPMS German Programme Committee.

Written by Rita Schweier

The UPMS and the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Saxony (KVS) have had a successful cooperation since 2013. Students complete their studies at the Medical School in Pécs, where they also receive their degrees, and then return to Saxony to work as general practitioners in exchange for the support they got from KVS. In September, 28 young people from Saxony began their studies as part of the “Studieren in Europa – Zukunft in Sachsen” model programme, which aims to contribute to the long-term strengthening of rural general practitioner care in Germany, Die Zeit recently reported. This programme also serves as a model for similar projects in cooperation with other partners. In 2021, the School signed an agreement with the state of Saxony-Anhalt for dentistry training, and with the state of Rhineland-Palatinate for general medicine training in 2023, with a total of 27 additional students participating each year.

Fewer applicants

“Fewer people submitted their applications for admission to Hungarian universities than in previous years, with a decline of 15-20 percent. One of the reasons for this is that we are experiencing a demographic decline, and another is that there has been a change in the school-leaving exams in some West German states, resulting in a one-year extension of the schooling period. It also affected Bavaria this year, resulting in 30,000 fewer students graduating from high school, which naturally had an impact on us as well. There are also other factors beyond our control. We were determined to maintain the standards for admission criteria, which also contributed to the decrease in the number of admissions,” said Dr. Péter Than, Chair of the UPMS German Programme Committee.

He added that newly established educational institutions in Eastern Europe and private universities in Germany are also increasing the competition. This is also reflected in feedback from their colleagues in Osijek, who reported declining numbers in their German-language programme, which was launched a few years ago, raising questions even about the legitimacy of the programme itself.

He explained that the Saxon partners were unable to fill the 40 available places in Pécs because, in addition to demographic decline, Germany had recognized the shortage of general practitioners and introduced a mandatory quota for training at German medical universities. He spoke with great pride about one of their students who passed his specialist medical exam at home and, after more than ten years of study, started working in general practice. He emphasized that these are the actual results that their partners expect.

He said that their partners in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate were also unable to fill the number of places specified in their contract. They support medical training in their district from a fund collected from donations and are very satisfied with the education provided in Pécs; six of their students have already received their white coats. The question remains as to how their students will be financed in the future, meaning whether they will be able to raise the necessary funds.

Growing interest in dentistry training

“I am delighted to report positive developments in the dentistry training, as our partners in Saxony-Anhalt requested an increase in the number of students in this area, which they have almost completely succeeded in filling. We have trained 12 students over the past three years, and last year they requested that we increase this number by an additional ten. After discussing it with the leadership of the school and the colleagues in the Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, we successfully increased the quota from 12 to 20, allowing 20 students to begin this academic year. Currently, the greatest demand is for this field, but our options are limited because it is a very practical training programme,” he added.

Dr. Péter Than believes that the popularity of the dental profession stems from the fact that it is relatively well-defined and allows for predictable free time, too.

The chair of the UPMS German Programme Committee is proud that students are not only present at the Medical School in Pécs at the beginning of their studies, but also that most students graduate from here; 57 graduates received their degrees at this year’s graduation ceremony.

Affordable pricing

He believes that the fees of the programme in Pécs are slightly more favourable than those of Central European universities with long-standing traditions that offer a similar standard of education, and that only the newly opened Eastern European educational institutions charge less. The highest fees in the region are charged by private universities in Germany.

He highlighted the competitiveness of the Medical School in Pécs in terms of housing opportunities and living costs and described the student-friendly nature of the theoretical subjects as a positive aspect, while mentioning the lack of opportunities for patient care in one’s own native language in the clinical part as a disadvantage.

Good practical knowledge, immediate employability

Speaking about the future, he emphasized the importance of international fairs in promoting the training programme and encouraging further cooperation. He considers it essential to continually strengthen their reputation and provide stable, reliable training. He emphasized the importance of maintaining constant contact and dialogue with students and providing them with appropriate and effective assistance in both their studies and everyday life.

“We have recently received positive feedback from clinics in western Germany that our graduates arrive there with good practical knowledge and are immediately ready to work in hospitals. This indicates that the quality of our training continues to be high, which is our primary goal,” summarized Dr. Péter Than.

Photo:

Lajos Kalmár