How to UPgrade your CV - for medical students

Getting good grades as a medical student is not enough to land you your dream job. Having extracurriculars is always what sets apart a good candidate from a great one. At the University of Pécs Medical School, there are many ways to fill your CV with things besides academics. 

In the main building at the Medical School, you will find the MediSkills Lab. The name kind of gives it away, but in case it’s not clear for some, it is a place where you can practice skills like drawing blood, inserting catheters or endotracheal tubes and surgical techniques on a dummy or by simulation on a computer. These are routine procedures that you will perform everyday as a doctor, so the chance to practice on a mannequin before a real-life patient is an amazing experience and I encourage all to take advantage of. Some classes take place at the MediSkills Lab, but for those who desire more there are also student organizations such as Pécs Surgical Society and Pécs Emergency Society, which provide opportunities to hone these practical skills outside class time.
 
If you are a born leader then the English-German Student Council (EGSC) and HÖK (which is the Hungarian Student Council) might interest you. Both tackle student issues and protect the interests of students. Both have elections annually and if you are interested you can run for election, just keep an eye out for the application call (typically in the Fall semester). Not only do the student councils ensure student rights, but they also host a number of events annually. The EGSC events include: 

• Oktoberfest - our rendition of the German folk festival held every October 
• International Evening - held every spring to celebrate the diversity of our students
• Motivational Speech - held every spring to motivate students right before the exam period starts and the school year ends
• Cyclist’s breakfast - to encourage students to ride their bikes to school and educate those who do about the bicycle laws in Pécs
• the White Coat Ceremony - held at the beginning of 3rd year to recognize that students are starting their pre-clinical students

This is a picture of me at the White Coat Ceremony in 2018.

The HÖK events include:

•   the Freshman Ball - held every fall to welcome our new students
•   Halfway Party - celebration to recognize students who have reached halfway through their studies
•   Health Promotion Days - every spring to promote health & wellness amongst students at the Medical School 

Obviously, due to COVID-19 all of these events have been postponed until further notice. 
 
For the artsy students, the Medical School hosts an Advent Concert in the Fall semester before Christmas and the Spring Concert in the spring semester before the exam period. These are a great occasion for our musically talented students and staff to perform in front of an audience. Every other Wednesday there is a musical café hosted by the Pécs Music Society (PMS). This is open not only to medical students but the whole University and city of Pécs. Once again, unfortunately due to COVID, these have not been able to take place in the past year, but they are a great way for medical students to unwind, take a break from their studies and enjoy the company of friends.
 
As a medical student, you are required to complete a thesis by your 6th year. This can be in any Department of your choosing. Most students start this in their 5th year, but you can choose your thesis at any point during your studies. One can decide to take part in research. You can choose to do both research and your thesis in the same Department or you can choose to do research in a Department which is different from the one in which you are doing your thesis. For those not interested in research, you could choose to only do the research necessary for your thesis. Either way, it’s up to you! I find that it is much easier to write a thesis about a field or a topic that truly motivates and inspires you. It is my recommendation that if you find a course you enjoy or are interested in, speak to the Head of the Department to see how you can get involved with the research they currently have going on or to pursue a project you come up with, which could end up being your thesis. Once you have done research for a semester, you can join the Undergraduate Research Society (TDK) with the permission of your supervisor. You can even take electives to get up to 8 credits (2 per semester, for a maximum of 4 semesters) for your research, so it’s well worth it to get started early! 
 
For our athletic students, every year there is friendly sports competition between the 4 medical schools in Hungary called Medikus Kupa. Students can participate in the sport of their choice and represent the medical school or just cheer on their friends who are playing. Last year, it was planned to have been held in Szeged, but had to be postponed due to COVID.

For our civic-minded students, there are organizations such as ANSA, SHS and ESN Pécs. ANSA is an organization for Norwegian students studying abroad that works to represent the interests and rights of Norwegian students. SHS stands for Students Help Students and are a group of students dedicated to charity work, their primary project is a day care for children in Romania. ESN Pécs stands for Erasmus Student Network Pécs. It is a group of volunteers that helps international and exchange students during their stay in Pécs. They plan city tours, sports activities and trips to make the time the students spend in Pécs memorable and fun. They also host events such as Country Presentation and Pub Quiz to provide opportunities for cultural understanding and to display the diversity of students that can be found in Pécs. 

A picture some of the volunteers of ESN Pécs in January 2020.

I strongly believe we are all destined for greatness so while studying in Pécs be sure to leave your mark on the city and make an impression on those around you. Joining one of these extracurriculars might just be the way of doing that!

Disclaimer: This is a simple overview of the possible extracurriculars one can join while a student at the University of Pécs. It is not exhaustive, thus it is likely there are 
 

Written by Amber Martinez
International Student Ambassador from Cayman Islands
General Medicine
University of Pécs, Medical School
cayman.islands@pte.hu​
Study in Pécs, Hungary - Cayman Islands