The 2nd Faculty of Medicine in Prague has a tradition of preparing an introductory week in which all new students are familiarised with their new home for the next 6 years. The main goal of this week is to form a solid foundation for the students before they officially start their 1st academic year.
This year was like no other! The week started the way it usually ends, with the inter-faculty welcome bash. This is a night held every year at Club Lavka which brings together all the medical students that belong to the three faculties located within Prague. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and experience Prague amazing nightlife for the first time.
A cold Monday morning began the Freshers’ week by introducing the new students to their new University at Motol Hospital. A public holiday (St. Wenceslas’ day) meant the day started with a tour around the hospital instead of the usual Czech class. After dividing the students into smaller, easier to handle groups, some senior students led guided tours to the city of Prague. The main purpose of this was to show important landmarks for their academic life here, for example, the Anatomy Department, book shops, libraries and much more.
During this week the new students are invited to attend optional Czech classes in the morning with their future Czech teachers. Early 8.30 am starts mean students need to recover quickly from their late nights in an effort to get used to a brand new language.
Every year a talk is prepared by the Dean who personally welcomes the new students by delivering a speech aimed at informing and motivating them. It is a great way of re-enforcing the importance of this new chapter in their lives.
Senior students got together and prepared a so called survival guide to help all the freshers with the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding day to day life in Prague. Multiple presentations were given in order to introduce them to the subjects they will partake in, books required for these subjects and general evaluation criteria. This was also a time where wise advice was given and personal experiences shared by the upper year students.
After a long day of Czech, and many presentations, what can be better than finally having some time to sit back, relax and enjoy the best that Prague has to offer? Thanks to our lovely seniors, events such as, a bowling night, a karaoke night and even a pub quiz were arranged. This gave everybody a chance to get to know each other in a more social setting, away from the difficulties of life as a medical student.
The week ended with a formal event called the White Coat Ceremony. This is an auspicious event for the whole family to witness their sons and daughters receiving their very first white coat, symbolising their first step in their long journey to become doctors. Each student in harmony declared the Oath initiating their lives as future physicians.
After such an amazing week comes the hard work. Welcome to Prague, future Doctors.
Rute Castelhano (4th year, Portugal) & Varun Kakkar (3rd year, England)
Here we leave some testimonials:
Where should I begin? I think it is safe to say that many of us would have been completely lost without the Freshers week. Tours of the university campus, helpful tips on how to ‘survive’ medical school and great activities in the evening were just a few of the things that truly helped me settle into my new life in Prague, as a medical student. Nonetheless, it was a great opportunity for me to get to know my peers from all over the world. I hope the freshers week will continue to be organized for many years to come, to make the transition for new students as smooth as it was for all of us. A big thank you to Catarina Carvalho and her team for all the hard work and effort they put into the freshers week. We truly appreciate it!
Natascha Wilke (1st year, Germany)
Fresher’s week. The moment that, before the first lecture, represents the beginning of the next step in our lives, university. It is in this period of seven days that we first got to know our future colleagues, friends, the different people and places that would be associated with our future (6 years or maybe even the rest of our lives).
As international students, we did not only leave our previous routine. We ‘left’ our family, friends, dogs, cats... It is definitely scary, but at the same time exciting. It is a mixture of emotions that we will only understand when we actually realize that this stay in Prague is for 6 years or longer. We made a decision and now we will have to live with it, embrace it. Fortunately, there was Fresher’s week that ‘came’ to soften the process.
I can now say that this was probably one of the greatest weeks of our lives. The independence, the adventure of getting to know a completely different city and, specially, of meeting people from, literally, all over the world. Different cultures, names, languages, behaviors. The typical sequence of questions when first talking to someone: ‘What is your name?’, ‘Excuse me, can you repeat your name?’ and ‘Where are you from?’ It is enriching, it is exciting.
Fresher’s week made it possible for us to get to know all these people just by creating events impossible to miss, from pub quiz night, to a tour around Prague, explaining every single detail about our life at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine.
The upper years were essential for this week, showing us the best bars and clarifying all our doubts. They are the living proof that this course is not as hard as we were told and that it is still possible to have a life while studying Medicine (against the common opinion). They were the ones that supported us from the moment our parents left.
They were able to give us this excitement that is essential to embrace this adventure and to contradict that face of ‘God, where are you getting yourself into?!’ that everyone, to whom we told that we are going to the Czech Republic to study, did.
Fresher’s week. One of the moments you realize that you have made the right decision!
Alexandra Prates (1st year, Portugal)
‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ And it couldn’t be more exciting to do this single step than with a Fresher’s Week at the 2nd faculty of medicine in Prague!
Fresher’s week is not only an orientation week for first year students, to help them settling down and providing a smooth transition into the first year of medical school. It is also the best opportunity to enjoy solidarity and provide cultural and social interaction. With reference to the prospective carrier of a human doctor, it supports the basic elements of medicine: social and human skills.
The Fresher’s Week 2015 started with an initial meeting, in a cosy atmosphere. This evening, and the whole week, was organized by Catarina Carvalho, a 5th year student and the spirit of Fresher’s Week organizers. The party in Lavka was without every shadow of a doubt the highlight of the day. All students of the three medical faculties of Charles University met in this fancy club, to celebrate the beginning of a new and different stage of our lives.
The following Monday was divided in two important plots. In the first guiding tour we went through the hospital (main place of the studies) and the second tour through the amazing city centre of Prague. The first impressions of the future studies were two sided. Mainly, we were feeling fear and joy. Medicine is known as a hard course. In a new town, with a new language and totally different structures of the ‘mother country’, the study might be scary... On the other hand, medicine is one of the most exciting sciences. With the help and the calming words of the senior students it can be manageable. Everybody from the organisation team was nice and helpfully. Their experiences and advices were the best way to get ready for the first year of medical education.
The highlight of the Monday was the ‘Bowling’ at Andel. The evening was nice, with all those joyful, different and inspiring people. It was fun, even for those, who wouldn’t count ‘bowling’ as their preferred physical activity.
Czech lessons were held from Tuesday to Friday. Each day was dedicated learning this totally different language. It was a good opportunity to get a feeling on how the language works. But honestly, learning Czech is hard work. Nevertheless it is necessary to get to know to the country and the people.
On Tuesday afternoon the main event was the ‘Welcome speech’ by the Dean and different presentations with general information about the up-coming year. The day was completed with a funny ‘Pub Quiz’. The students were divided in several groups. Everybody was able to show knowledge about different topics. And every time there was a little gift for the winner of different game-round. Also, the ‘Karaoke’ night on Thursday night, was a great event. Having fun with this group is great!
The formal highlight was definitely the ‘White Coat Ceremony’ on Friday evening. In a huge, historical and amazing hall, all new students were admitted ceremonially into the 2nd faculty of medicine. Called by their own name, each student received his or her own white coat. Everybody could feel the deep atmosphere. Together, as one, everybody performed the oath reverently. Together with the family and/or friends the evening was rounded off.
The long journey of becoming a human doctor is hard working. It can be a little bit compensated by a unique and unforgettable week, called Fresher’s week. ‘In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.’
Roxane Isabel Riemer (1st year, Germany)
This year’s Fresher’s week was a great experience for both freshers, and upper year students alike. The idea of this week is for the new students to get to know one another, meet the older students, and gain experience and advice from them. They learn more about their classes, teachers, and Prague. It was a great opportunity to allow them to enjoy themselves and build a connection and a sense of belonging. I personally enjoyed my time and loved meeting everyone to learn about their different cultures and upbringing. Overall, this year’s Fresher’s week was a great success, and I would like to thank Catarina Carvalho for her tremendous efforts and organization skills, and all the faculty members involved as well. I can’t wait for next year!
Sali Najim (2nd year, Canada)
The Fresher's week was a truly exceptional experience that will be extremely hard to forget! It was simply a great way of starting a new life in a new city.
Six years of medicine will be our first step towards becoming future doctors. During these years, our classmates will eventually be our family, always there for help and support. I personally thought that meeting my new classmates, or future family, outside the classrooms was a great way of getting to know them, and bonding with them. This week was greatly organized with various activities, which really helped us to get to know each other.
Secondly, the city and university tours organized by the upper years were of great help to let us be familiar with all the new systems and what to expect during our studies.
Of course, all of this would not have been possible if it wasn't for all the effort put in by the upper years, especially Catarina, who already feels like a sister to all of us. The upper years repeatedly told us to always ask them for help if needed, and that already takes off a lot of pressure for us who just started med-school.
Basically, I am truly glad I attended this week, and my advice to future students is to never miss it!
Anas Wardeh (1st year, Syria)
