Frequently Asked Questions for Students of the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University in Connection with Currently Implemented Public Health Measures

At present, the management of the Faculty of Medicine is focusing on minimizing the impact of public health measures on students as well as on activities associated with the completion of their studies. We are therefore recommending that final theses be submitted electronically, with a print copy delivered on the day of the thesis defence. Final state examination dates for individual degree programmes will be set by degree programme guarantors who will then inform students through clinics, departments and institutes responsible for the implementation of the relevant degree programmes. Dates may change subject to amendments to the decision on teaching cancellation (currently in effect until 13 April 2020).

Grounds for failure to submit a final thesis by the designated deadline will be assessed individually in view of limited access to essential resources and with respect to the participation of students in voluntary or imposed work activities as mandated by Government Resolution No. 90/2020 Coll. on Work Obligations for Students to Ensure the Provision of Health Services and the Functioning of Public Health Authorities.

At present, final state examinations are not planned in distance learning mode for students of non-medical programmes.

At present, the management of the Faculty of Medicine is determined to hold Advanced Master's state examinations as scheduled. However, in view of the current situation, this may not be possible for all Advanced Master's state examination dates. Unless students are directly informed of the cancellation of a particular Advanced Master's state examination, it will take place as scheduled. The relevant committee is responsible for preventing large gatherings of students and for implementing and enforcing the necessary standards of hygiene.

Extending the semester into the summer months cannot be ruled out entirely; however, this option is not currently being discussed. At present, university as well as faculty management are focusing on minimizing the impact of public health measures on students as well as on activities associated with the completion of the semester as previously scheduled.

In accordance with a decision issued by the dean, clinical placements and clinical practice organized by the Faculty of Medicine are suspended until 13 April 2020. Unless we are forced to extend this deadline, compulsory clinical placements will not have to be made up for. Undergraduate student placements are subject to a special regime. Sixth-year students will be informed separately.

All libraries are closed in accordance with a directive issued by the Rector of Masaryk University. Entrance to the university campus buildings is currently limited to persons involved in an employment relationship with the faculty. You will be notified of any changes as soon as they occur.

All libraries are closed in accordance with a directive issued by the Rector of Masaryk University. Entrance to the university campus buildings is currently limited to persons involved in an employment relationship with the faculty. The MUCL website includes information on working with electronic resources. In case of emergencies, MUCL will provide lending and shipping services – please contact MUCL employees directly. You will be notified of any changes as soon as they occur.

Masaryk University charges a fee for extended studies. The process is essentially automatic. The collected fee does not constitute a tuition fee, but a legally stipulated regulatory fee. Once the fee is allocated, a student has the right to apply for a reduction or waiver. Student requests for fee reduction/waivers will be processed in the usual manner, i.e. on a case by case basis.

A student may refuse to fulfil the service obligation on grounds that the fulfilment of such an obligation would endanger his/her life and health or the life and health of others; alternatively, he/she may refuse to fulfil the service obligation on grounds that it is contrary to the law. In case a student is unable to perform his/her service obligation, he/she must provide evidence of this fact by submitting a medical report issued by a health service provider designated by the authority responsible for issuing the service order (governor). An exception may be granted to the student by a crisis management authority (currently the regional authority, i.e. by the governor or a person designed by him).

Standard examinations (with the exception of Advanced Master's and final state examinations) may not be held for the duration of currently valid public health measures. Alternative course completion formats are being prepared where possible (e.g. online testing). In case of unfavourable developments, examinations may be conducted in distance learning mode (e.g. via Skype). Specific conditions governing the completion of individual courses will be communicated to students by the course guarantors.

Thank you very much for your offer of help. In view of the current situation and with respect to border closures presently in place, it is impossible for you to offer any physical assistance, even though you are in fact also subject to the government resolution on work obligations for students to ensure the provision of health services and the functioning of public health authorities.

The allocation of students and other volunteers depends on the demand of individual healthcare providers and on the competence of a particular student (i.e. the level of his/her experience); in accordance with the government resolution on work obligations for students to ensure the provision of health services and the functioning of public health authorities, students will be allocated by specific healthcare providers (South Moravian region: University Hospital Brno, St. Anne's University Hospital; Vysočina region: Jihlava Hospital). Additional information about volunteering activities is available here.

Our volunteer centre will gladly welcome you; however, please note that in case you are a fifth- or sixth-year General Medicine student, or in case you are enrolled in the final, i.e. third, year of the General Nurse or Paramedic non-medical degree programme, you are subject to the government resolution on work obligations, in which case the situation will be handled by your home faculty.

Third- and fourth-year students of General Medicine and lower-year students of non-medical healthcare fields and programmes may sign up to volunteer through individual departments. All information, including the relevant application forms, may be found on the Facebook page of the student chamber of the academic senate of the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University. Information on providing assistance to University Hospital Brno may be found here.

Fifth- and sixth-year students of General Medicine and third-year students of the General Nurse and Paramedic non-medical degree programmes are subject to the government resolution on work obligations. Faculties are required to submit a list of such students to regional authorities tasked with coordinating their involvement in collaboration with the student chamber of the academic senate of the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University.

In case the Faculty of Medicine or the student chamber of the academic senate is contacted with a request or requirement for volunteer assistance, this information will be passed on to students; however, the volunteer participation process will no longer be coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine or by the student chamber of the academic senate.

We hope not; however, it is difficult to predict what the situation will look like in the autumn 2020 semester. In case a previously agreed internship is cancelled, affected students will be informed on an individual basis.