University of Pécs Medical School
 

The setting is Mediterranean, the atmosphere is relaxed. The Medical School of the historic city of Pécs provides you with a unique experience.

 

 Pécs , this hilly city in Southern Hungary, is proud to house one of the country’s oldest universities founded in 1367 by King louis the Great. This University enjoyed a real revival in 1923 when the Elisabeth University was moved from Pozsony (today’s Bratislava) to Pécs .

 

However, in the late 1960’s – with the exception of a few departments still located in the Western part of the city – most of the research and teaching facilities of the Medical  School moved to a new campus on the hillside.

All the student service facilities, including the Medical School’s Administration, the Student Residence Halls and the Student Activity Areas have also been consolidated into the same area.

  

 

An important step in the history of the University was the construction of its new hospital housing 400 beds, which provides an important part of the inpatient services for the community. The diagnostic center of the hospital as well as the newly constructed heart surgery center meets the highest international standards.

 

A rich cultural life is part of the traditional extracurricular activities of students. There are 2 theatres and 17 museums in the city. The Athletic Club has up-to-date facilities including indoor/outdoor swimming pools and tennis courts, a soccer field, basketball courts, etc.  The Medical School provides free Internet access for the students.

 

Since the establishment of Pécs University Medical School many of its graduates have gained international recognition through the Medical School’s co-operation with institution all over the word. The international program at the University started in 1984 with 36 students from a dozen countries. The number of admitted students has been gradually increased to 60 per year. The graduates are successful in passing the required examination in their home countries and the USMLE examination in the United States of America.  The international student mix always showed a great diversity, although in recent years the Norwegian, Swedish and Israeli students started to form a majority among the newcomers.

 

The program of instruction consists of six years of medical per-clinical and clinical studies. At the end of the sixth year, after a final exam a Doctor of Medicine degree is granted.

 Application and Admission Requirements
 

General Requirements

 Pécs University Medical School admits approximately 160 students in the Hungarian freshman year in general medicine. In addition to this, 130 places are reserved for the English Program.

 

The applicants must graduate from a high school/senior secondary school before being admitted to the university.

 

To keep up with the European admission standards for medical education, the applicants are expected to have had excelled in basic science courses. Thy need a strong basic science courses. They need a strong basic knowledge in biology, chemistry and physics.

 If the applicant graduated from high school more than two years before applying, he/she may be advised to take a refresher course in the required subjects.

 

Applicants with a Bachelor’s Degree

 

Candidates possessing a B.A. or B.Sc. degree are encouraged to apply, provided that their grades in biology, inorganic and organics and organic chemistry, mathematics and physics were high.
 

Entrance Examination Topics

The examination consists of a written test and an oral interview. The topics focus on biology, chemistry and physics, Medical English and Terminology. Mastery of the English language is required.

 

Guideline of Topics for the Entrance Exam

 

  1. Evolution:  chemical and biological aspects.

  2. chemical background in biology:  Structure of atoms; Molecules-chemical bonds; Solutions; Chemical reactions; Inorganic constituents; Hydrocarbons; Organic compounds containing Oxygen or Sulphur;  Organic compounds containing Nitrogen; Carbohydrates; Amino acids and Proteins; Lipids; Vitamins; Nucleic acids.

  3. The cell and its organization :  (morphology and function): Prokaryotes (viruses, bacteria) and Eukaryotes (focus on cilia and flagella, cell wall, cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, lysosome,  mitochondrion, plast, ribosome, centriole, nucleus, nucleolus).

  4. From cells to tissues of different structures and functions (plant and animal tissues as well).

  5. Cell division:  mitosis and meiosis.

  6. Anabolic and catabolic pathways regarding nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids (photosynthesis, bioenergetics included).

  7. The physiology of living organisms:  respiration, ingestion and digestion, excretion, circulation, endocrine and neural regulation, immunobiology, locomotion.

  8. Reproduction and development of animals. 

  9. Genetics:  Mendelian inheritance, human genetics.

  10. Basic ethology.

  11. Basic ecology (cycles of C, N, P, H2O included).  Note: In all of these questions, knowledge of English terminology is required!
 

Information about Admission

You will be informed about the definite decision admitted, put on the waiting list, or denied – in an official letter within two weeks after the exam.

 

Practical Information

Our academic year is divided into two five – month semesters including the examination periods. The students may leave for a short Christmas vacation and are encouraged to take a summer vacation in July and August.

 

Fees, Costs and Scholarships

 

                          Annual Tuition Fee                                           Other Costs   

 

 Year 1-6                                   USD    15,000     The expected cost of book, equipment and                                                                                    

        First semester fee              USD    8,000       Supplies are USD 500-1,000.

        Second semester fee          USD   7,000    The average living expenses for students

                                                                            are around USD 8,000 per academic year. 

 * Dentistry is 5 Year                   USD   16,000 

 

 * Pharmecy is 5 Year                 USD    9,500

 

                            Additional Fees                                                   Scholarship

 

Application fee                       Euro        300

Entrance examination fee       Euro        400*                         Scholarship are available

* If the exam is taken in Hungary. (At other locations              based on academic

the price will be given by the official representative.)                achievements.

 

 
 

Curriculum, Academic Policies,

Academic Calendar
 

Curriculum

The curriculum of the general medicine course in Pécs is designed to form a foundation upon which the future physician can build his or her medical knowledge in a continuously evolving profession.

At the Medical School, the academic year is divided into two five-month semesters including a period for the examination. This program of instruction consists of six years of medical pre-clinical and clinical studies (ten semesters and one year of clinical rotations). The curriculum is drawn up in the belief that direct experience with patients, either at the bedside or in the operating theatre, is fundamental to a sound medical education.
 

Credit System

In September 2003, the credit system and modularization of the curriculum was implemented at the Medical School. The new system is in concordance with the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). The workload in one semester is 30 credits, and 1 credit is the equivalent of one hour per week of study throughout the semester (fourteen week). The new educational scheme is flexible. The students have the opportunity to take the same obligatory or optional course at another university in Hungary or abroad, and to create an individual plan from a wider rang of choices.
 

Compulsory subjects and criterion requirements

First module  

1st year :  Biometrics and Computing; Biophysics; First Aid; Human Anatomy; Histology and Embryology; Hungarian language; Medical Anthropology-Medical Ethics; Medical Chemistry; Medical Communication Skills; Molecular Cell Biology; Physical Education; Summer Practice in Hospital Care; Summer Practice in Medical Communication skills.

 

2nd years: Basic Immunology; Biochemistry; Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology; Hungarian Language; Medical Sociology; Physical Education; Physiology.

 

Second module

3rd year:  Internal Medicine (Propaedeutics); Medical  Psychology; Microbiology; Neuropsychology; Pathology; Pathophysiology; Pharmacology; Preventive Medicine-Public Health; Summer Practice in Internal Medicine or Surgery; Surgical Propaedeutics and Basic Surgical Techniques.

 

Third module

4th – 5th year:  Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy; Clinical Immunology Rheumatology; Clinical Radiology; Dermatology; Family Medicine; Forensic Medicine; Infectious Diseases; Internal Medicine (Cardiology); Internal Medicine (Endocrinology, Metabolism, Diabetes); Internal Medicine (Gastroenterology); Internal Medicine (Haematology); Internal Medicine (Nephrology, Angiology); Medical Genetics; Neurology; Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Oncology; ophthalmology; Oral Medicine; Orthopaedics; Otolaryngology; Paediatrics; Pharmacology; Preventive Medicine – Public Health; Psychiatry; Pulmonology; Summer Practice in Internal Medicine or Surgery; Surgery; Traumatology; Urology.
 

Fourth module

6th year:  Family Medicine; Internal Medicine; Neurology; Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Oxyology; Paediatrics; Psychiatry; Surgery – Traumatology.

Elective and facultative subjects

In addition to the compulsory subject and criterion requirements, a certain number of elective and facultative subjects must be taken.

 

Grading System

The curriculum at the Medical School is divided into six successive academic years, two semesters per year. Each year builds on the subject material of the preceding years. The student must successfully complete all the course work of a module before being approved for promotion to the next module. At the end of each semester, the student’s performance in all the required courses is evaluated and recorded. The academic proficiency achieved by the student in a given semester is based on the results of the evaluations (examination) in all the courses of the curriculum for that particular semester.

 

The grades excellent (5), good (4), average (3), satisfactory (2), and fail (1) are used on the examinations in all the basic sciences, pre-clinical subjects, and on the Final Closing Examination, too.

 

Attendance and Absences

The students required to attend the lectures, seminars and practices prescribed by the curriculum, including hospital training during the summers, and night and weekend duties. Regardless of the reasons, students missing a clerkship may be required to make up for the missed time depending on the length of the time period involved.

In case of illness the students have to cover their absences with a valid medical certificate issued by a physician (clinical department, hospital or district doctor).

 

Anticipated absences of more than two days duration should be arranged with the Chairman of the English Program and the departments concerned.
 

Research

Although the primary purpose of the Medical School is to teach sciences and the art of medicine, research is another of its important functions.

There are over 60 ongoing research projects supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the National Research Foundation and the Hungarian Ministry of Welfare. Additional grants come from local pharmaceutical companies and various industrial firms.

 

Students interested in pursuing a career in medical research are strongly encouraged to do so through our programs. The options include the full spectrum of specialties. The Student Researchers’ Society is a program operating in each of the departments of the Medical School. The students enrolled in these programs are provided with the opportunity to review the basic sciences, take part in clinical work, engage in laboratory work, and get a solid foundation for postgraduate researches.