Charles vs. Semmelweis 6 yr, residency, school???

[elementalsix]

Hey all,
I'm planning on applying to three Central European schools, but I have quite a dilemma. I am from the USA, B.S. Biology, looking for a school to help prime me to take the USMLE's 1 & 2, and return to the States for Anesthesiology/Emergency Medicine/Psychiatry/ or maybe Gastro. Here are my questions:

1) Both Charles University in Prague and Semmelweiss in Hungary I hear are very similar in comparison. However, I've been doing some research and it seems that the medical system in Hungary is inferior to Czech Republic. Does anyone have any advice on the two universities compared. Remember, this is for the 6 year program.

2) Both Charles Univ. and Semmelweis are approved in ALL 50 USA states. Yet, the program is 6 years long.

3) Poznan, which I'm also applying, is only 4 years long, supposidly has more USMLE Preparation and also has Shelf Exams?? Yet, it isn't approved to the state of California, where I'm from. Yet, I want to practice in the state of Washington. Still, my friends work at Kaiser Permanente (hospitals in CA), and maybe would be able to get me a better residency???

Now, out of these three schools, does anyone know which program is stronger for a better USA residency?? I've heard people getting placed well for Charles University. Yet, I've also heard some good things about Poznan. 6 year program vs. 4 year....CA or all 50 states????

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Miklos]

Originally Posted by elementalsix

Hey all,
I'm planning on applying to three Central European schools, but I have quite a dilemma. I am from the USA, B.S. Biology, looking for a school to help prime me to take the USMLE's 1 & 2, and return to the States for Anesthesiology/Emergency Medicine/Psychiatry/ or maybe Gastro. Here are my questions:

Just so you know, Gastroenterology is a subspecialty of internal medicine and is a fellowship. You need to complete three years of an internal medicine residency in order to apply for a fellowship. At first glance, given that 28.1% of its fellows are IMGs it doesn't look competitive. But, you should not be fooled as overall in IM, IMGs account for 52.3% of residents. EM OTOH is very competitive with 5.7% IMG representation. Of your choices, Psychiatry is the easiest by far with 37.4% IMG representation.

1) Both Charles University in Prague and Semmelweiss in Hungary I hear are very similar in comparison. However, I've been doing some research and it seems that the medical system in Hungary is inferior to Czech Republic. Does anyone have any advice on the two universities compared. Remember, this is for the 6 year program.

I don't know how you can call the medical system 'inferior'. However, Hungarian schools have a reputation of being among the toughest and most unforgiving in the region. I know folks who transferred from Hungary to the CR and found it much easier over there. That is not say that the CR schools do not provide you with a good education. Quite to the contrary, it is just that Hungarian schools are generally 'brutal'.

2) Both Charles Univ. and Semmelweis are approved in ALL 50 USA states. Yet, the program is 6 years long.

They are not 'approved' in all 50 states. For instance, Charles (if memory serves me right) is listed on the Texas Medical Equivalence list. No Hungarian school is. However, licensure is still possible. Neither is approved in NYS, excluding a residency if you do more than 12 weeks of clinicals away from the home country of the medical school. Licensure, however is still possible. Best said, is that both schools can get you licensure just about anywhere, provided that you follow the given state's rules.

3) Poznan, which I'm also applying, is only 4 years long, supposidly has more USMLE Preparation and also has Shelf Exams?? Yet, it isn't approved to the state of California, where I'm from. Yet, I want to practice in the state of Washington. Still, my friends work at Kaiser Permanente (hospitals in CA), and maybe would be able to get me a better residency???

Unless your friend is actually a blood relative and the program director, they are probably not going to help you get a residency. It doesn't work like that.

Now, out of these three schools, does anyone know which program is stronger for a better USA residency?? I've heard people getting placed well for Charles University. Yet, I've also heard some good things about Poznan. 6 year program vs. 4 year....CA or all 50 states????

Any help is greatly appreciated!

I don't think that there is any great difference in the outcome simply based on the school. However, the four year program at Poznan is full of people heading to the US. The other schools are overwhelmingly filled with European students heading back to their home countries. In addition, if you already have a university degree, I would not recommend going to a six year program unless your sciences are really weak. If California is a must for you, choose a California approved school in the region or elsewhere.

Good luck.

[KluverB]

Originally Posted by Miklos

Unless your friend is actually a blood relative and the program director, they are probably not going to help you get a residency. It doesn't work like that.

As if the match was a fair process, actually run by computers...

but we know it's not, right...

[elementalsix]

Miklos,
Thank you for some of the advice. Helped me out. Yes, my father is actually the head of Orthopaedics in one of the hospitals in CA. Doesn't necessarily mean that "My daddy's going to me in" mentality, just a thought.

No, my sciences aren't weak, that's for sure. B.S. Biology, perfect marks my last year, but the prior year....not so great, but passing.

Interesting that the Hungarian schools are "brutal". Maybe that's why I've heard some good things and bad things. Charles would be great, but 6years. No, CA is not a MUST, but it'd be nice to have the option.

Poznan does sound the best route. However, I'm not going to attend unless I visit ALL the schools to where I'm applying. Just not worth the headache and blindness that many students go through.

Thanks again!

[The Full Metal Geneticist]

Hey its in regards to explaining the 6 year thing...

Its just the USA that requires the Pre Med BSc. However the rest of the world usually has 5 or 6 year courses in Medicine Direct from school leaving. So most students would be 18 years old. So its just as good as any american curriculum, just that a lot of BSc biology and so on is covered here.

[tzatziki]

OFF.
Ooooh, that's the very thing I never understood... would someone be so kind as to explain the difference between the 4 year and the 6 year course? I'm only familiar with the latter one. If I understood The Full Metal Geneticist correctly, you have to do some pre-med course to attend a 4 year medical course in the States, is that true? What exactly is pre-med education and how long does it take one to do it?
Forgive me for being absolutely uninformed.