Hi guys!
The exam period is fast approaching and I know it is a stressful time for many- heightened emotions and all that. For some, it will be a period of new decisions. I care about you all as students, and because I care about you, I know that sometimes the best thing I can tell another student is about the possibilities to redirect their future. This one is near and dear to me because I very much had these sentiments at a time. I felt all over the place and started to lose the passion I had, amidst thoughts of inadequacy. I won’t go into my own personal experience, perhaps in the future. Today’s about you.
So if you feel like PTE is not working for you, it could be one of many reasons. Most popular is often due to having to redo a year or even more, a situation that derails your plans. We all know how the educational and testing system is here and how unpredictable an exam period can be. For others it’s a financial situation, and then there are those that feel like they are not getting a good educational experience here. If you fall into any of these groups, we can discuss your options here.
The first thing to do is identify the reason you feel unsatisfied here. That will be the main determining factor as to what you then choose to do.
Now, the options in Hungary:
- Semmelweis University (SOTE)
- University of Debrecen (DOTE)
- University of Szeged (SZOTE)
Semmelweis University
First thing you need to know, the application period for transfers open from mid-May and close on the 15th of July, giving you approximately, 2 months to make a decision. By then you should have an idea of how your exam period is going/has gone to know if this is something you want to move forward with.
Tuition fee: 19,200 USD/year
You need to submit your applications via the SEMAPHOR (Semmelweis Application Handling and Online Review) platform.
What you need to submit:
- a certified copy of a sealed course record book or an equivalent certificate: this would have to be requested from RO.
- a certificate of student legal status: also requested from RO.
- the detailed curriculum of the training they have participated in and the certified course syllabuses of the completed subjects: this can be gotten from the University website.
The decision is made by the Studies and Examinations Committee taking into account your academic progress and achievement. The year you are admitted into will depend on the year you are completing at the time of application and on the similarity of the curriculum, amongst other criteria.
Who cannot apply:
- If you have been dismissed or were eligible for dismissal at the time of transfer application, your application will not be considered.
- If you have not gained up to 30 credits in the “transferring-from” institution, your application will not be considered.
- If the curriculum of the “transferring-from” institution has less than 75% correspondence (or similarity) with SOTE’s curriculum, you are subject to further conditions and may even need to take an exam.
Find more information here and if you need to contact someone, reach out at this e-mail address: admission[at]semmelweis[dash]univ[dot]hu.
University of Debrecen
The application deadline for transfers is 30th of June, 2024. You will need to apply on the online platform which you can access here. You might be a bit pressed for time here because the application period ends when the exam period ends, so take a note of that.
Tuition fee: 16,900 USD/year
What you need to submit:
- official University transcripts sealed and signed by the institute in English
- your filled credit transfer request form (available on the website here)
- a detailed course descriptions of the completed subjects.
- high school diploma (officially translated to English)
- short CV
- a copy of the relevant pages of your passport
- passport-sized photograph
- proof of payment of the application fee (150 USD) to be transferred here.
Again, the Sub-Committee for Educational Matters and Credit Transfer (SCEMCT) will decide which year you can apply to, on the basis of the similarity of the curriculum. You can only be transferred to the 2nd, 3rd or 4th year, based on the following criteria:
- you should have completed at least two full valid semesters and obtained a minimum of 40 credit points in the compulsory subjects in the last two semesters.
- your legal status as a student has not been terminated because of exclusion or dismissal
- if your stipend index of the last two semesters was at least 3.00.
If the SCEMCT make a positive decision regarding the transfer, the students will have to sit for a personal entrance interview for a general assessment of the educational background and the student’s English communication skills, the fee of which is interview is 350 USD.
Find more information here and if you need to contact someone, reach out to this address: info[at]edu[dot]unideb[dot]hu.
University of Szeged
The application deadline for transfers is 31st of May, 2024. You will need to apply online and you can access the application guide here. Now this deadline is tight and so if you are firmly decided on transferring here, you should start gathering your documents asap.
Tuition fee: 15800 EUR/year
What you need to submit:
- transcripts indicating the previously studied subjects and achieved grades.
- course descriptions of your completed courses.
- certificate of your student status (issues/valid within 15 days).
- there may be some additional application documents required by the faculty that will be communicated to you.
The decision will be made by the Academic Board. You will need to complete the credit transfer process and the evaluation time is about 3 weeks.
Eligibility criteria:
- You must have successfully completed two semesters at the time of transfer at the time if submitting the request.
- You must have an active student status at the time of submitting the request.
- There must be at least 75% similarity between the curriculum of the “transferring-from” institution and the University of Szeged’s.
- According to the Faculty Academic Regulations, “transfer is possible solely if the student obtains at least half of the credit points assigned to the 6-year medical program at the diploma-issuing institution, the University of Szeged“. Basically, you should accrue half the credit points needed for SZOTE’s diploma from SZOTE. What that means to me is that you can’t apply for any higher than Year 4 since Year 4 is the halfway mark. SZOTE says Year 3 so not really sure what’s up with that.
As a transfer student, you might be subject to online evaluation examinations in certain subjects. so take note of that.
Find more information here and if you need to contact someone, reach out to this address: apply[dot]fs[at]med[dot]u[dash]szeged[dot]hu.
So that’s it for this post. If you are applying for a transfer, I wish you a smooth and successful process. For those interested in transferring outside of Hungary, stay tuned for a blog post about that.
Author’s note: I am not affiliated with any university or institution mentioned in this blog post and do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided. Any reliance placed on such information is strictly at the reader’s own risk. It is the responsibility of each reader to familiarise themselves with the specific requirements and processes of each university they are interested in applying to.