Any students attendin Charles 2007-08

[shrey]

guyz i was reading some of the previous threads and came across one where drewshaker post a thread about the students attendin Charles? (of curz it was like a long time back)..so i thought we could do somethin like that to...

I will be attendin this yr starting in Oct.
Shruyan Peter
Silver Spring, MD, USA (soon will be shifting to India though)
18 yrs. old
Charles First Faculty of Medicine
Accomodation - not yet specified (i need to get that confirmation from the coll, so i guess i dont have mch of a choice there)

[Rooney]

Hey. I've been accepted to the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove.

I went to sit the exam there back in May or June or whenever it was, and it was alright. I prefered HK to Prague - probably because it was much less to take in and everythings at a much slower pace. I was only there two days, which wasn't enough to have much of an opinion of the place other than:

-Czech trains give new meaning to the word ghetto.
-The old 'uns don't seem to like foreigners much - got me plenty of stares, I can tell ya. I can't even just shut my mouth and pretend I'm Czech what with being originally Pakistani (British though).

I'm sort of looking forward to it and sort of dreading it. Oh well.

Harun Butt
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (it's complicated)
18 yrs. old
Charles Uni FoM in HK
Accomodation - It'd be nice to find an appartment with some other foreign students. According to the lovely ladies who look after the foreign students, most do that. The halls of residence are mostly full of Czech students and the Hotel Alexandria looks pooh pooh.


It'd be great to hear from other students going to HK. You'd have thought a uni offering courses like this would have a forum for prospective students to talk properly instead of having to hunt one out like this. If there are any other good forums I should know about, that'd be cool too.

edit- I swear down, I did NOT write 'pooh pooh.'

[Zut Alors!]

There is an official forum right here, although there is only a very small subforum in English. However, everyone speaks English and the Czech students do read the English section as well, so they can help you and you can make friends with them.

Fórum LF1 UK (http://forum.lf1.cuni.cz/index.php#idx3)

[Zut Alors!]

edit- I swear down, I did NOT write 'pooh pooh.'

Yeah, the place automatically sensors obscenities.

[shrey]

Hey Roonie, that's cool man...i knw a couple of ppl from Hradec Karlove....ya the place is kinda small and slow but hey its good enough for med school...personally i couldnt write for the other faculties as i had passed the deadline....but do keep in touch man!!!

[shrey]

The old 'uns don't seem to like foreigners much - got me plenty of stares, I can tell ya. I can't even just shut my mouth and pretend I'm Czech what with being originally Pakistani (British though).

well i did experience some of this (originally being portuguese-indian) but that's kinda negligible....however prague is quite cosmopiltan...you are generall bound to expect such behaviour in smaller places as they're not used to many foreigners (ofcourse HK and Pilsen do have a quite a lot of 'em)...

[figurativelyflo]

Hello!

I'm Flo
from Malaysia (above Singapore, below Thailand, halfway round the globe from CR)
18 yrs old
got into Charles First Faculty of Medicine (07/08 intake)
Accomodation: still unsure

Yeah... There'll be quite a number of Malaysians hogging the grounds of Charles Uni this year. :p

Good to know y'all!

Oh, I'm Chinese. (But I don't speak Mandarin well, and I'm going to have to learn Czech in a few months' time which is quite ironic, I know)

[shrey]

whats up figurativelyflo! glad to hear that you'll be attending the same faculty...i did hear that a lot of students from malayasia applied last yr as well as this yr. ...so do you have any idea as to when you'll be flying to Prague? mid-september?

[figurativelyflo]

should be early or mid september, God-willing. We're sponsored students (by the government) so we've to fulfill a list of requirements before everything's confirmed. I'm waiting for my a-level results now actually.

And also bummin' around at home. Whee~

shrey are you already at prague?

[shrey]

hey figurativelyflo...no man...i'm currently in India (my parents are moving from US to India due to my dad's job n stuff...but its temporary)....so i'll be headin straight from India to prague....sometime in september ending (to be roughly precise, if there is any such thing like that...probably on the 23rd).....

but are you planning to take up an aprtment or are you gonna dorm? coz i'll be dormin for atleast a yr (could extend it).....just not sure which one i'll get as its the college's choice....

and also you takin any books from your home? coz i've heard one cant buy all the books there as they'r quite expensive....

[figurativelyflo]

I'm not sure whether I'll be taking up accomodation in a dorm or apartment; it'll be up to the uni, you say? Which is better anyway? I heard dorms are better for widening social circles, though. :rolleyes:

and regarding books, we have a 30 kg (i.e. 66 pounds) limit as students... I don't know if I can lug heavy thick med books in my luggage, so maybe I'll have to consider buying second hand books or lending them from the library or getting them brand new (and going on a fast to meet the cost XD)

Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, why CR? I heard medical schools in India are fantastic...

[shrey]

well if you'r choosing the dorms, then you pretty much dont have a choice...but apartment or studio (single) is completely up2 you...normally what students from Charles suggest is that it would be wise to first get a dorm so that you can get to know ppl and then if you find ppl acc. to your taste, then you can move into an apartment with them....so take time with the apartment...

ya i'm pretty much doin the same thing...i'm gonna try my best to get the library books first and then go for the "buying books" policy...ofcourse the one that are really important, i will buy for sure....

well abt my choice to CR...see i've never done my education in India and so the standards are quite different...yes, indeed indian med schools are fantastic but those "fantastic"" ones are only a few (like Manipal or AIIMS) which require entrance exams (manipal doesnt actually)...but the reason why i choose CR is that i do plan to get back to US (as my parents will be moving back), and Charles does a good job with covering all the topics for the USMLE (ofcourse not in the same PBL appraoch)...indian med schools are good in the theoretical part but they lack the technology standards which usually are seen in all European med schools.....i hope that answers your question?

[figurativelyflo]

oh, I see... :)

yeah, thanks for the info! :D

[figurativelyflo]

The Pragueress and Miseducation of Dan Kameny: Everywhere I live (http://pragueressofkameny.blogspot.com/2007/02/everywhere-i-live.html)

lol... I suppose we'll just have to adapt ourselves to the situation we're placed in, aye.

[shrey]

i suppose so...i've read that before...and i just said to myself to keep calm and deal with it....thats life.....anyways i think my internary's kinda fixed...i'm plannin to go from Bombay to Brussels via Jetair and from Brusses to Prague via Czech airliness....bt i might just book for luftansa or austrian airlines....what about you? your internary fixed or still looking for good deals? i suggest you look for good deals sooner coz they'll be really expensive by September (coz most of the schools in Europe generally start at that time)....

[figurativelyflo]

well, one of the many privileges of being sponsored (almost 95% of the Malaysians over there/ heading there are scholars, sponsored by the Malaysian government) is that my sponsor (i.e. the Msian government) will be funding and arranging all the err... arrangements. Yeah... my seniors took the direct flight to Amsterdam, and then to Prague if I'm not mistaken. So most probably we would be having the same itinerary.

I know, we're spoilt. :P It's fun being spoilt, that I'd have to say.

I'm wondering... where are the others? (".)

[shrey]

man you'r really lucky....i mean that's really cool that they fund for all the arrangements and stuff...does this include your accomodation, books, and food too?

[figurativelyflo]

yup, we're supposed to be covered financially for everything, and it *should* be adequate supposing we stick to a spartan (okay, maybe better than that :p) life.

it's blessings. not luck. God's blessings. :-)


But we're bonded for 10 years after that.

So what are you doing for preparations? (I'm not doing anything actually, just some sporadic glancing at Czech words... and drowning in them eventually... Hope I'll be able to learn it quick, though that's really aiming for the stars, literally)

[shrey]

well i'm not doing much either....just reading some basic day-to-day useful phrases. I also just received a letter from Charles Univ. which includes the recommended books for 1st yr....but what gets me is that the list also includes books for medical chemistry as well as biochemistry (which are actually in the 2nd yr...very confusing....:shock:)....

I guess I'll call them to find out (ie. if they answer my call)...

btw, i'm not well-off either...infact i'm planning to take some loans (stafford loans from the US)...but after 2 or 3 yrs. coz then i would have to pay much less interest on the loan...as for now, i'll be pretty much living in a spartan-lifestyle (maybe for 1-2 yrs more) due to my current financial situation....which means very limited clubbing (if any), limited food, and limited sports activities...:(

[aboulala]

hi guys
Im Ernest from southern France, Im attending Med school here and I'll be an 3rd year exchange student for one year (Erasmus program) in the first medical school in Prague. Im really looking forward doing this!
Although medicine was not my sole concern for planning this year abroad, I plan not to fail my exams...I plan to learn a lil bit of czech, go out a lot, meet amazing people from all over the world, travel quite a bit, work from time to time, do some sport like I used to before med school and find some nice deep house/garage/techno/broken beat/soul/hip hop spots.

See you guys in september

ernest
ernestleclerc at gmail dot com

ps: anyone knows the starting date for 3rd year?

[figurativelyflo]

haha don't worry Shrey... you'll survive, somehow ;) besides running is free, all you gotta have are sport shoes. (Speaking of sports... I really need to get down to exercising again!!!)

Hi, Ernest! 3rd year should be starting on October 1st according to the uni's website. 1st Faculty of Medicine - First Faculty of Medicine (http://www.lf1.cuni.cz/default.asp?nLanguageID=2) See you then!

[shrey]

well i guess i need a pair too....

hey Ernest, i guess welcome to Charles First Faculty then....i know for a fact that there are a lot for erasmus students there...who actually like it a lot...Hope to see you then!!!

[shrey]

If I'm not mistaken, everyone's supposed to report to the Univ. by 25th Sept. coz i've heard that the inauguration cermemony is on the 27th....and i've pretty much decided on taking up the dorm...so i don't know which one i'll be assigned to as its all their choice...lets just hope its a good one (which actually will be a dream come true as most of the dorms are quite far away from the Univ.).....

[shrey]

Btw figurativelyflo, you said that you were waiting for your A-Level results, is that the same as the British A-Levels or is it tougher??

[figurativelyflo]

It's of the CIE (Cambridge International Examinations) Board, different from the other boards in England or the UK. I heard it's harder than most other boards as apparently the standard of A-levels in the UK has dropped somewhat.

Different boards place different emphasis on different sections of the subject. For example we don't learn about the workings of the eye and ear for Bio - they took out the topic for my year. But we learn some other things in greater depth.

But what with all these hols - my brains are getting rusty. Thought of doing revision work, but hey! hols only come by once in... a lifetime? Literally speaking. :-P

[shrey]

Well, that's actually true coz med school sure ain't easy and we're gonna have to get used to the hectic-no break lifestyle. Btw is the A-levels similar in any way to the IB exams?

...and I guess there's another student attending the first faculty from the US. Have you kept in touch with him?

[figurativelyflo]

Nope, I don't think so. Different structure. The IB programme rocks! (I think) But it's rarely taken here in Malaysia. Most people do A-Levels (London or Edexcel, mainly).

Yup, a little.

Hey, could you pls tell me about the USMLE? How do we go about taking it? Some doctors have adviced me to apply for it so that I can take up a specialty before I return to my homeland.

[shrey]

Take up a specialty? where? As far as I know the USMLE is a licensure exam to practise in the US. The USMLE consists of 3 parts: Steps 1, 2, &3...

Normally (acc. to Neil who went to Charles First Fac.), it's advisable that one takes their Step 1 of the USMLE in his/her 3rd yr., followed by the Step 2 at the end of 5th yr. or the beginning of the 6th yr. Then the Step 3 in US....

As far as the first yr.'s concerned, my sister recommended me to buy the First Aid book and do the relevant topics as discussed in that yr.

[figurativelyflo]

Ahh, okay I see. Btw, my results are out. I'll be seeing you in Prague. ;) (Thank you, God! ^^)

Going back to college tomorrow to get the accommodation settled.

[shrey]

you mean you're going back to Charles Univ.? to settle the accomodation?

[figurativelyflo]

No, no... Back to my old college where I did my A-levels. I'll be living in the hostel. Which - still uncertain.

[ultimaterevelation]

why is no one here?

[shrey]

hey there....no one's here anymore coz we e-mail each other instead.....

[snewhouse]

I'm applying for Charles for Fall 2008, and was wondering about when applications usually come in. When did you get your acceptance letters?? Thanks!

[shrey]

hey there snewhouse, there's no specific date as to when the applicaton come in n stuff but you can expect it from anytime from march onwards i guess...it's best to call the univ. and find out. and you get the acceptance letters in a week or two (sometimes it could exceed that)...but the classes start from the 1st of oct. and even if you're late by a couple of days, its ok. check out the charles first faculty homepage frequently to find out the deadlines for the applications n stuff like that...good luck and in case you're gonna be here next yr., see ya there!!

[happy01]

Hi

im hoping to study at charles med ( dunno which fac yet) next yr.

i was wondering if u guys can help me out...

how difficult is it for an average student ( grades about B) to get thro the interview and entrance exams?

what is the competition like for an international student to get into charles?

thanks and hope u will reply me soon :)

[happy01]

hi guys

im planning to apply for charles for 2008
i will be applying to all fac as well as palacky to see where i can get in ( that is if i get in anywhere ... lol)

just wondering if you could help me out a bit -

how diffilcult is it for an average student ( with grades app. B) to get thro the entrance exams and interview and be offered a place? Is the competition to get a placement hard?

I was planning to study med this yr in NZ but my grades have slipped drastically so i cant anymore... czech is my last hope of studying med...

appreciate ur help guys!

[shrey]

hey there happy01, well the competition gets worse every yr. this yr. we had 107 medical students (out of quite a few actually) so it's more like 5 students per every seat. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? i'm asking coz in some case they consider the nationality of the students (along with the entrance exam scores ofcourse)...

when you said **, are you referring to those grades in high school or college? anyways either ways they'll consider it for sure....it ultimately comes down to the entrance exam (i wouldn't worry much about the interview as it's more of a formality).....so if you have a solid background in your sciences, then i'm sure you stand a good chance of passing.

usually it's not that hard to get into a european med school....the trick is staying in......(you'll only find out this after you're in)...good luck with your future and do lemme know if you have any questions regarding the charles first faculty of medicine....

[happy01]

Im from NZ and just finished my freshmen yr as of today! had my last exam this morning lol

the grades are from this yr ( college)... but hoping that they would look at my grades from high school cos they were much better...

wow, i didnt expect the comp to be that tough for czech...

anyways, if you dnt mind me asking, what were your grades like? does everyone get invited for entrance exam?

[diogenes]

I'm assuming (probably incorrectly!) that as a Kiwi you did A-levels or similar at high school. People with a good grasp of Physics, Chem., and Biology at that level usually do well at the entrance exams. But it's a good idea to get hold of some of their sample questions - they don't correspond exactly to A-level style and content. If you do badly in a particular section explain that you didn't do that stuff on your course! Horse-trading does take place! The first year of the Czech courses (whether its Prague or elsewhere) is in part a recap of A-level material.
Palacky has in the past been significantly easier to get into - which makes it something of a bargain as it's not a bad school; it is of course a smaller, less cosmopolitan city.

[shrey]

Hey happy01, i took the IB program and i did quite well (although the program was crazy!!)...so the entrance wasn't really hard for me...i scored well....like i said, it's really not that hard getting in....i'm sure they'll let you sit for the entrance. Like diogenes said, it's best to get the sample questions from the univ. as early as you can and then just look at them to get a basic idea. Another imp. tip: take the entrance as soon as you can (when the entrance exam period starts) so that you have a good chance of getting in. (Coz a lot of students apply and it's more like a first come first serve basis sometimes...so you just might get lucky!!!)

But I don't agree with diogenes that the 1st yr. is a recap of the A level. I mean do they have anatomy, histology, medical informatics, and biophysics in the A levels? if so, then i guess it's similar (but i'm sure they don't have anatomy and histo)....

[diogenes]

................
But I don't agree with diogenes that the 1st yr. is a recap of the A level. I mean do they have anatomy, histology, medical informatics, and biophysics in the A levels? if so, then i guess it's similar (but i'm sure they don't have anatomy and histo)....
:confused:I said "in part a recap of A-levels". Of course anatomy etc. are new; but there is a certain amount of material in 'medicinal chemistry', biology and biophysics (yes, some of this too is covered in A-level) for example which revisits school work before taking it to higher levels.

[Mister]

Hey Guys. I am fairly new and I haves asked shrey a PM question already, but why not ask here as well? Why 1st faculty of Charles, not 2nd or 3rd or Hardec Kralove? and have you guys also searched Polish schools? I only ask because I am interested in studying in EEurope but am unsure of the Specific school? Any advise? anyone?..... P.S why does 2nd faculty bash the 1st faculty is it really that bad?