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Professor Péter Than, Chair of the German Programme Committee and Head of University of Pécs Clinical Centre Department of Orthopaedics, heard about the German programme when the first German students arrived at their department. As he said, he was very happy to meet them because he has a strong connection with the German language and Germanness, not to mention the fact that the programme has opened up new opportunities for the Medical School.

“The fast establishment of the German programme is proof that if you really want to create something, you can do it quickly. We cannot be grateful enough to the founders, Professor Balázs Sümegi, who was the Dean back then, and Professors Róbert Ohmacht and Béla Mess since this is not only a huge benefit for the university but for the city and the region as well,” he said in the podcast.

In the interview, he pointed out that the programme started with a hundred students in three groups because there was a large oversubscription in Budapest. This was because it was very difficult to get into German medical schools, and only those with excellent grades were accepted, and the first two years were not easy to complete either because they had to take an exam similar to a state examination. In the beginning, students only completed the first two years in Pécs, but later, more and more of them also stayed for the clinical period because they enjoyed being here, and it was increasingly difficult to be able to return to a German university.

“Today, there are many more German students studying and finishing their studies at Eastern European universities than in the early days. 60-70 of the 160-170 admitted students graduate here at our Medical School. This is also due to our international cooperation agreements, which are necessary because there is a competition for students within Hungary as well. The reason for this is that there are more and more institutions in Eastern Europe, which also offer cheaper prices than ours. As a result, the number of our students has stagnated or slightly decreased in recent years,” said Dr. Péter Than, who has been running the German programme for six years.

He emphasized that the expanding cooperation opportunities in Germany serve as security and perspective for the Medical School, but at the same time, the School's capacities must also be adapted to these. He added that only very few people stay to work here because working in Hungary is not an alternative for the graduates of the German programme.

“One of our most important tasks is to maintain the quality of our training, with motivated, committed teachers and the right infrastructure. Fortunately, there is a demand for our programme, which is growing because in Germany it has a good reputation, and our graduates are well-prepared. It is essential that we continue to meet the high expectations of our partners, who invest a lot of money in their students,” he said, summing up the future goals.

Foto:

Lajos KALMÁR