‘The University of Debrecen is a sound institution, specialising in the medical sciences. It has a high academic standard and students are expected to work hard to pass each subject in order to continue to the next semester. All the professors speak good English and many speak other European languages too. The educational system is attractive as it allows students to gain bonus points during the initial few years which, in turn, keeps students working hard throughout the year and alleviates pressure from their final exams.
The university is constantly involved in new developments which subsequently update the facilities and the opportunities available to students. Over the last few years a new set of lecture theatres and a medical library has been built with a large expansion to the dentistry building which is currently in progress. A large regional teaching hospital is associated with the university that carries out major surgery as well the teaching of undergraduate students. This development allows students to be at the forefront of cutting-edge medical practice.
The university is situated in a small city with a population of around 220,000. In 2009 we saw the opening of a large shopping centre with the first Burger King and KFC. Debrecen, in my opinion, is a perfect “Student city” as there are not too many social distractions but enough clubs, bars and places to go out to create a good balance between university and social life.
It may seem daunting at first when thinking about applying to a university abroad for many reasons but going through the UK representative, Mr Sandor Bone, was a tremendous help and a confidence boost. Sandor has worked with the university for many years and is very experienced with the application process and the running of the university. He has close contact with the staff, current students and alumni. He is very informative and this in turn helps many students to make a decision to study at the university.
Over the five years Sandor was not only a representative and an adviser but also a good friend that I can trust and rely on. He helped me to buy my car in Hungary and also helped me sell it after I left. He has helped me in difficult situations and has been instrumental towards my development during the time I spent there.
I was an active member of the Students Union, known as the Foreign Medical Students Association (FMSA) and was elected as the Dental President for my final two years at the university. I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘family’ I was a part of. We organised numerous events (including charity events) to add to the social life of Foreign and Hungarian students alike. To name a few… the annual ball, the Halloween monster hunt and party, medical week, International Food Day and many more. We have around 30 members in the FMSA all assigned to different posts ranging from academic to sports and social to ensure all the issues raised within the students union are addressed to the university. We also have an Asian society, known as the University of Debrecen Asian Society (UDAS) that organises annual charity events on a very large scale.
I graduated from the University of Debrecen in June 2013. I am now working in the NHS at Cardiff University Dental Hospital for the next two years during my Dental Foundation Training (previously known as VT). The University of Debrecen prepared me to face the challenges as a dentist in the UK. I can now build on the foundation that was given to me in dental school to further my career. I am grateful to the Dental faculty staff and the friends I made while I was in Debrecen.’
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Dr. Amit Dattani D.M.D.
Dental Graduate 2013