The Faculty of Medicine is probably the most international faculty of Masaryk University. 700 international students study throughout all the English programmes. We asked several of our international students why they chose LF MU and how they are coping with being far from their homes and loved ones.
Can you tell us something about yourself? Where did you come from? How long have you been studying in Brno?
My name is Johannes, I’m a med-student from Germany, currently in the second year of my studies.
Why did you decide to study at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University? Did you know anything about the university or the Czech Republic before you arrived?
Before attending Masaryk, I used to study chemistry in Vienna where on occasions I took day trips to cities in the region, including to Brno. It wasn’t my first time in the Czech Republic, so I had a rough idea of what to expect but I was positively surprised. At roughly the same time I realised chemistry wasn’t the best fit for me and an as luck would have it, I got to know some students at Masaryk via common friends. They wholeheartedly encouraged me to take the entrance exam and after having been to Brno before the thought of actually studying there didn’t seem that outlandish anymore.
Studying at the Faculty of Medicine is generally quite challenging. How do you perceive the quality of study at the Faculty of Medicine of MU?
There is no way to sugar-coat it, studying medicine is demanding, but that should dissuade anyone from starting it anyway. MU and especially the staff in the individual departments have helped me a long way, not to lose my head during my studies so far. I found the courses to be taught well, in state-of-the-art facilities. And should questions or problems arise, the staff has been incredibly helpful and patient to answer them.
How do you perceive the current situation? You're far from your family, your friends. Do you have a trick to handle this situation? Does it help you to study? Are you discussing the situation with your classmates?
First few days, when the government started clamping down on public life, we’re incredibly stressful and confusing. As an EU citizen we live with incredible privileges in this country, and besides the fact that people speak a different language, you never truly feel like a foreigner: any extra paperwork, no dealings immigration documents, no need for residency permits. That changed abruptly when travel restrictions changed every other day, and I had to decide where I’d rather be stuck at when public life would eventually grind to a halt. The topic cost me and my friends several hours of sleep that week. The faculty has done its best to keep us updated on the current situation and I ended up deciding to stay in Brno. After a few days of initial confusion, I started to settle with the new reality and developed a routine. I normally study with friends in the library and to give myself some sense of normality I ended up studying with them via Facetime. The faculty also started providing us with new course materials fairly quickly, however it does not replace the actual work in a lab or seminar, and I do miss it.
What is the situation in your country? Are you in touch with your family?
As I’m writing this, it is yet unclear whether Germany has seen the worst of it already or more is still to come. The country is under a lockdown similar to the Czech Republic and case rates have decreased noticeably. By the time the Czech government called the state of emergency, the situation was already far worse in back home in Munich. My family, therefore, encouraged me to stay put in Brno, for my own health but also as travelling unnecessarily would pose a greater risk to them, too. After a few years aboard seeing them on a video call has become the new normal so the situation hasn’t changed that much.
The pandemic shows the importance of healthcare. So far, the Czech approach has proved to be a good way. Do you think this approach is applicable to other countries?
Politics aside, I do have to give credit to the Czech government for recognising the importance of face masks relatively soon, that trend now seems to catch on elsewhere in Europe, too. Implementing a lockdown relatively soon after the case numbers started to rise also appeared to be a good call. I think the next test to the Czech approach will be, to what extent a return to a ‘normal’ public life will be possible and under what limitations.
And finally, a personal question. How do you like it in the Czech Republic? Is there something that surprised you in good or something you still don't understand?
I feel quite at home in Brno, and the Czech way of life makes that rather easy. There is a German saying “Liebe geht durch den Magen”, roughly translating to “the way to a man’s heart goes through his stomach”. And that rings true in Brno. What might be a lovely Café during to the day turns to a pub in the evening, and unlike places like Vienna it doesn’t break your bank. Another thing that somewhat surprised me is that the CR seems to be a lot more tech-savvy than other countries. In Germany, one does not get very far without cash in your pocket - imagine my surprise when I see people paying for mulled wine on a Christmas market with their phone.
Thank you for the interview.
The Critical and Creative Thinking Course is a two-block series of workshops whose aim is to broaden and improve repertoires of Masaryk University staff´s critical and creative skills, strategies and techniques. It offers hands-on experience and practical insight into dealing with situations of professional character that have open solutions.
Every year, over sixty students come to Brno hospitals for exchange internships under the auspices of the IFMSA student organisation. They take home not only valuable work experience.
