Mittlerweile studiere ich im dritten Semester Medizin an der University of Navarra in Pamplona in Northern Spain. Es gab gab viele Gründe weshalb ich mich für die Universität Navarra entschieden habe, ausschlaggebend war auf jeden Fall die gute Reputation der Uni in Spanien and the wide range of cooperation with universities around the world.
Because a study in Germany was not a question for me, I went to a good university abroad, where I could study English and then in the course of my studies I could learn another language, at best a world language. This is possible at the University of Navarra. In the first year of study, almost all the lectures and practicals are in English and the university is one of the best in Spain. Each semester there is only one relatively simple course (psychology and introduction to the clinic), which is taught in Spanish. All in all, this would be a good reason for me to study at the University of Navarra. However, the offer of summer courses at other European universities, the research project all over the world in cooperation with various partners and research institutions and the Erasmus opportunities have made me even more convinced. Zudem finde ich das Aufnahmeverfahren sehr fair. The course registration is in English and is 70 minutes long and can be booked directly at the university in April. Alternatively, the result of the BMATs can be presented (the BMAT can be held at many institutions in Europe at different ends of the year). I have decided to apply for the admission test at the University and I have received the award in the middle of May.
After I successfully completed my first year at the university, we spent a week in London at Imperial College in July. In the first two years of study, the university offers a single summer course at a European university. The topic of the lectures this year was "Introduction to molecular pathology and cancer immunotherapy". The week was very intensive and very interesting. In addition to the lectures there was still some time to get to know London. Während dieser Woche habe ich total viel gelernt, hatte aber mindestens genauso viel Spaß mit meinen Kommilitonen. Generell verstehe ich mich hier sehr gut mit meinen Kommilitonen und obwohl ich vorher nur drei Monate Spanisch gelernt habe, gab es kaum Kommunikationsprobleme.
In the second year of study, there are now more than a hundred years of teachers of Spanish. But after a year, the Spanish language is good, so that I and the other international soldiers had no problem with it.
After the third year, there are opportunities for a research workshop to be held abroad. In many countries of the world, the International Craftsmen's Day will begin in the summer with partners and craftsmen in many countries. If you would like to participate in the fourth year in the single Erasmus Program (e.g. to Germany/Heidelberg or to France/Grenoble).
Generell bin ich sehr glücklich hier in Spanien, nicht nur nur die Wahl der Uni, sondern auch das Leben hier tragen dazu dazu bei. For me it was a big step into a country whose language I learned in only three months or less. But now, a few years later, I can say that it was one of the best decisions of my life and that I can continue to study here and live here for six years. Academically and humanly I have a lot to say here.
My name is Joel Marshall, I am from California and I decided to come to the University of Navarra because I was looking for adventure, change, and to experience living in another culture.
The first year starting at the UNAV was a hard year because of the adjustments I had to make living abroad, as well as the mindset I had coming into my 6 years here. I was very far from my family and friends, however I was quickly able to find a new group of friends to have a great experience and together we created an environment for supporting each other. Once I had a great group of friends and was established in Spain, I feel I was fully capable of handling the life of a medical student while also taking the time to discover the joys that Pamplona and Spain itself offers.
The Universidad de Navarra offers a very high quality Medical program. My favorite attributes of the program being the quality of education, the information they teach is all of the newest and up to date, and most highly I value the availability of the staff. I have had an amazing experience with the administration as well as my professors because of the amount of support and access you have to meet up with them and resolve any issue you have.
I was also worried when I began that the information I was being taught at the UNAV might not be the same as that taught in the US. While both systems for medical school are very different, I was still well prepared for my USMLE exams. I had to work very hard on my own to study for the USMLE seeing as subjects are taught in a different order, the information emphasized on the test is different, as well as the question structure. However, to all of those thinking of doing residency in the US, I can say after the test that there is no reason for a student at the UNAV to do poorly on the USMLE with hard work and proper self guided preparation.
Now that I am in my 6th year of medicine and looking back on my experience, I am very happy I made the decision to come study abroad at the UNAV. While the universities ideals and my own are not always in concordance, I appreciate very much the quality of education that they gave me as well as the passion I saw in the staff and in my professors to help prepare the future generations of doctors. I feel my perspective of the world has changed by living abroad, it puts the world into perspective and gives you a greater understanding of the trials of people from different cultures and backgrounds and reminds you of really what's important and unites us all.
If I was to give advice to students entering their first year at the UNAV as an international or not, I would emphasize 3 points. One, is to put yourself out there and put energy into the group of friends you will inevitably find, they will be your greatest support while away from home and will also rely on you in their times of need. Two is take advantage of all of the activities, groups, and trips organized by the university and immerse yourself into Spain's rich culture. Lastly, I would advise to take full advantage of the availability of the academic faculty. You will have struggles and problems but all of your professors and faculty is there to help you! Good luck and have the greatest experience you can!!!
Many university students look forward to the summer to be able to leave the environment of classroom and to be able to do everything they don't do during the academic year. And that is why this past summer, with the intention of giving a plus to my vacation, I decided to sign up for two activities offered by the University of Navarra abroad for students of the School of Medicine.
The first one was a Summer Course, which is held every summer for both first and second year students belonging to the International Program in Medicine. This past year it was organized at Imperial College London and it was given at subject of Clinical Neurology. During this experience I had the opportunity to learn and reinforce knowledge from past courses while sharing good times with my fellow students, all in a city with so many alternatives as London. The classes were in the morning with lunch breaks. In them, we learned both theoretical concepts and practical issues that are extremely useful for a health professional. There was no shortage of advice from experiential lectures by professors who told us about their own experiences and encouraged us to follow in their footsteps. It was after the talk of a researcher invited by the university when I took the opportunity to ask her about my next trip, which coincides with my second experience of exchange in my summer. Of all the things I took away from London I would highlight, independently of all the good things I learned, the opportunity to get to know my colleagues at degree program in more depth, as the bond that is created is not comparable to the one during the course.
My second experience abroad last summer also came from the university, which, every summer, organizes research and clinical rotations to a wide variety of locations and programs. I spent a month at a laboratory at the University of Kansas, involved in a project that was trying to find a cure for ALS. Throughout the first few days I spent my time following the researcher of the project and trying to learn all about this therapy so that I could get up to speed and gradually be able to take on tasks on my own. During my stay, from my laboratory I was encouraged to take the animal training course offered by the University of Kansas. With this training course I was able to access the animal facility and do neurological assessments of the mice to follow up on treatment. My stay in Kansas was a very enriching experience, not only academically but also at staff. During this time, I learned many new techniques, acquired a great deal of knowledge and experience internship and had the opportunity to do so surrounded by very experienced professionals who were always available to solve any of my doubts.
Finally, I believe that until you go out and put on internship everything you learn on classroom, you don't know what you are capable of. During the summer I discovered that my degree program goes beyond that and that traveling abroad to learn new things has made me realize how great my profession can be.
▲ Dr. Calhoun with his students at #MedUNAV.
Dr. Byron Calhoun visits the School of Medicine at the University of Navarra every year to teach Maternal Fetal Medicine. He works at West Virginia University and is one of the greatest experts on Perinatal Palliative Care and a pioneer in this area in the United States.
How can you define your experience as an international professor at the University of Navarra?
It is actually a wonderful experience. Pamplona is a beautiful city, it is compact, it is very safe, the people are very friendly... and the food is excellent! The university is beautiful and the facilities are very, very good. The audio visual is excellent, everything here is very welcoming. I think anybody who wants to do an international experience should come to the University of Navarra, plus it is easy to get to Pamplona. There are direct flights from the US to Barcelona and Madrid and easy transport. It's great place, I love coming back, and that is why I come back every year.
Do you think the University of Navarra School of Medicine is a good place for international students?
I do. I think that the welcoming atmosphere here is excellent. The Spanish students are very welcoming. The School of Medicine is very interested in teaching. The city is beautiful. The area has a reasonable living experience and I think that for students, this is a great place because it's small enough to be very easily navigated but yet it's got really state-of-the-art education, so I think everyone would be satisfied here, it's wonderful place. I love coming here!
How do you see the students when you give class?
The students are very enthusiastic and we get a lot of participation. Fortunately, they speak good English because my Spanish in not that good and we can communicate and we have a lot of interaction. I like to interact with the students, many questions, a lot of give and take and they have been very good at participating in that. They are very interested and I have had good participation. A full class this year, so it has been very gratifying and I really like coming here because the students are just wonderful to teach, really a lot of fun to educate. They are interested in my topics, and that is the best of all.
▲ Lola de Marcos, standing, third from right.
Without a doubt, my participation in the laboratory Sepulcre(Sepulcre Lab) at Harvard Medical School has been one of the most stimulating experiences of my time at School of Medicine at the University of Navarra. From my arrival in Boston in May until my departure in August, I learned, grew and met many people with whom I hope I will never lose touch at contact.
Academically, I have been able to better understand the applications of fMRI/fcMRI and its value in gaining insight into brain functioning. Although I had already studied the basics of the technique during the degree program, in Boston I was able to really understand how brain flow can predict not only brain activity, but also its connectivity. On the other hand, graph theory was a completely new field for me and I found its application in neuroscience fascinating.
In addition, I have realized that the integration multidisciplinary is fundamental in biomedicalresearch . Coming from the School of Medicine, where the most different thing we encounter is some Pharmacy student who has made a mistake in classroom, the possibility of working with engineers, psychologists and even neuro-economists has been very enriching.
The very nature of laboratory Sepulcre is multidisciplinary, as it combines two specialties (Radiology and Neurology) that approach the same disease (Alzheimer's disease) from different perspectives. The opportunity to work with engineers allowed me to learn about the world of computer science and programming and the immense possibilities that exist in this field.
My experience was also exciting at staff. I was able to participate in a professional environment, grasping its dynamics and responsibilities. In this sense, what struck me the most was the incredible work teamwork of the researchers around me; we all helped each other a lot. In addition, I realized that creativity, cooperation and courage are among the most valued qualities, which motivated me to improve in these areas. On the other hand, living in Boston forced me to jump out of my comfort zone and I think this helped me to adapt quickly. I would repeat the experience without hesitation and would recommend it to any fellow who dares to cross the pond. The School of Medicine offers this opportunity every year and it is worth taking advantage of it.
▲ Ramón Pardo, in red, in one of his stays at volunteer activities.
My name is Ramón Pardo Puras and I am studying Medicine + International Program at the University of Navarra. I am in the fifth year of degree program and the truth is that it is flying by. They are hard years because you have to study a lot, but it is a very nice degree program and it is worth it.
I am fortunate that the University of Navarra, where I study, encourages not only academic training , but also the training staff. On Saturday afternoons I do volunteer activities at association Anfas with a group of disabled children and adolescents. These are children who cannot make plans without supervision as children their age would do and they do them with me and the group of volunteers. I started in first of degree program and have continued so far. It is something I recommend any student of the School to do.
During the summers I have done volunteer activities in two countries in Africa. In 2016 I was in Uganda, working in a clinic in the mornings and, in the afternoons, in a high school-orphanage. In the clinic I learned many rudimentary methods that, due to lack of resources, are what they use there to diagnose malaria, control a pregnancy... I was lucky to be with a doctor from whom I not only learned Medicine, but he taught me many aspects of the doctor-patient relationship. The attention he gave to his patients (people who were poorly surviving on a daily basis) was spectacular and one of the most humane I have observed, for the moment, in my brief professional degree program .
The high school-orphanage was attended by children from one of the poorest districts in the country. With my group of volunteers we painted the high school and bought them a goat to encourage an alternative income source . A year later I raised the funds for the NGO Ugandan Water Project to build a rainwater collection system at high school that, through a series of filtrations, made it fit for human consumption, since their "source water source" was a polluted spring. To this day I maintain the contact with the high school and I would like to continue doing projects with them.
This past summer I have been with a friend from School of Medicine in Tanzania, this time in a high school in one of the largest cities in the country, Arusha. In the high school there were 90 children studying in two tiny classes and in each one there was only one teacher. We were in charge of helping with the day to day tasks, correcting homework, helping in the classes, preparing food... This time we organized a fundraiser to buy chickens with two objectives: first, so that the high school would have an alternative income source ; second, so that the children's per diem expenses (based on flour, water and sugar) would be a little more varied and complete. We also bought a water tank so that they could make a small garden at high school and grow vegetables. We are still at contact with the high school and plan to do more projects in the future.
Both experiences have helped me to grow not only professionally, but also personally, which is fundamental, even more so in a degree program like Medicine. One of the things I like most about the University of Navarra is that they take this formative aspect very much into account and try to provide it to students through lectures, projects, TANTAKA... which I think is of vital importance.
▲ Carmen Giménez, first on the left.
Hi reader! My name is Carmen Giménez, and I am a fifth year medical student at the University of Navarra School of Medicine. Even though I like to think I am almost about to finish my studies, I can't help but going back to the beginning, six years ago when I was still studying 2nd of high school diploma.
By then I already knew I was going to study Medicine, or at least try my best to do so. And then a friend of mine told me about this Clinical Case Competition organized by University of Navarra, in which we could get to play doctors trying to solve clinical cases. So I gathered other friends interested in studying Medicine and we started working on it. It was so much fun! We were clueless about Medicine, but we spent our breaks in school in the IT room googling the symptoms we were given and trying to interpret test results. Our tutor was of great help and she oriented us along the way. I am from Cádiz (Spain), so we couldn't do the first part of the presentation in Pamplona (where the UNAV's Campus is located) and we did it via Skype. We though that would be a handicap and that there was no way we would be getting into the final, but we were wrong and very happy about it. So after more break hours invested and some meetings to practice the oral presentation itself, off we went to the final in Madrid. We were really nervous and all 8 groups did great, but we managed to end up being second!
After that, we carried on with our studies and focused on university entrance exambut when the time came I was really doubting between studying in Madrid or in Pamplona. As a price for the Clinical Case Competition, I won a 3 days shadowing at Universidad de Navarra, and so my dad told me: "Hey, how about we go on a trip to both Pamplona and Madrid, you'll see both campuses and then you'll decide". That is what we did, and after seeing the University of Navarra and meeting everyone here (including the one who is my current clinical tutor) all my doubts were cleared.
As I mentioned before, I am in fifth year, but since the beginning I loved the city of Pamplona (even though getting used to the weather was a little hard), the University, and obviously Medicine. It doesn't matter where in the world I end up after finishing my degree, I will always take with me the knowledge (theoretical and practical about Medicine and life in general) I acquired over the six years, and the amazing friends and contacts I've made during the way at the University of Navarra School of Medicine.