I embarked on the adventure of studying Medicine in Budapest
Sara Sánchez García, 20-year old from Huesca, had a clear idea: she wanted to study Medicine, in Spain or anywhere else. And the destination turned out to be Budapest. She arrived there in August 2010, she likes the degree and the city. In the future, she does not know whether to go back to Spain or carry on studying in Hungary, another European city or in the USA.
“I came to Budapest for two reasons: I wanted to study Medicine in English and because being admitted into University in Spain was slightly complicated. My parents and I searched for options to study in Europe, through the website estudiosmedicina.com. I liked the information about Hungary, I took an exam at the embassy in Madrid and I was accepted in three universities. I chose the Faculty of Budapest because it was the capital” she told us.
And on the 17th of August 2010 she landed on the Hungarian capital. “I came to Budapest and I did not know the city, or the language, or my future Spanish fellow students, I had not read a single travel guide, I had only looked where the University and my flat were located… an adventure! I have a good level of English (which I have improved now) and that was what saved me.
Obstacles
The first months were difficult, due to the change from a small town to big city, being away from her friends and family and due to the language barrier. “People barely speak English here. It is very difficult to find someone with a medium-high level. That is why it is so hard to open a bank account, get a mobile phone contract or an Internet contract and all the paperwork for the flat”, she told us.
Now she is very integrated in the university and the city. At university there are students from all over the world, among them, many Spanish students. Lectures are held in English, and we are also taught Hungarian for our daily routines and hospital practical training. The city has a lively student life. Budapest is a beautiful city, with a great architectonic and historical heritage. Life is cheaper than in Spain. Transportation is particularly cheap for students. The monthly ticket costs 13 euros and you can use it for the underground, the tram, the bus or the trolley bus.
“From Huesca, I miss spending time with my family and friends, and my village, Ayerbe. I go to Huesca three or four times a year. And when I come back to Budapest, I bring tons of food with me: serrano ham, cheese, sausage, anise cake…, so I am not far away, gastronomically speaking”, she commented.
At the moment she is planning to keep studying in Budapest at least one more year. She has different options for the future. ““I do not know whether to take my sixth year in Spain or in Europe.. Then I would like to take the MIR in Spain or its equivalent in the USA, the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination). What I am certain of is that I will not stay in Hungary to work, as I do not have enough knowledge of Hungarian to work as a doctor here. I think that having an alternative to the Spanish MIR is a great advantage for my future” she assured us.
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