Interview with Dean Ondrej Hrusak, MD, PhD

Congratulations! This is the start of your second term as Dean. How do you think this term will be different from your first?
Thank you. Well it is definitely different, especially in my case because I am relatively young in such a position and before my first term I hadn't had experience in a similar job, although I had lead a scientific group. After 4 yrs, things start to run in the way I want them to run so I hope it will be rewarding. We will see by the end of the term!
 
Obviously with this interview there is an International student bias so ... if you had to talk to prospective foreign students, what would you say is the best or most attractive aspect of 2nd fac compared with the other medical faculties of Charles University?
Obviously, we are the best  but frankly, all CZ faculties are of a good level, so differences may be more prominent if you compare our faculty to some faculties abroad. I think all over the post communist countries, schools were surprised that they could indeed collect some non-negligible money from foreign students and in some schools it started to be the only motivation of the schools. I definitely didn't want this to happen here. So we – as teachers – do the best regarding the level of teaching. And we ask you to be hard working students. Definitely, after our faculty, you can go home or go any place in the world and say I'm a well prepared medical doctor. This is why I started the Motivational Plan for foreign students, which is quite unprecedented.
 
The motivation plan?
The very best [students] receive half of the tuition fee back and the top 10 %, regardless where they are as compared with the Czechs, they get another decent part of their tuition [back].
 
That sort of leads to my next question: How first year tends to be the largest no. of students and they reduce as they progress through the years. Personally, there was around 50 in my first year now there is less than 30. Is this a problem in the sense that compared with the Czechs this repeating/failure rate is high – is it a concern?
You are seeing it in its highest amplitude at the moment. Among the International students, the quality definitely goes up, but still you must be aware we have been accepting the vast majority of [foreign] applicants and we accept only 18 % of Czechs; so there is a higher likelihood of a foreign student being unable to finish at this moment. I would like to have a better possibility of selection even among the foreigners.
 
Will you for next year?
We will see. It depends how many applicants we will have because our capacity is slightly above 50 students.
 
From the teaching side ... maybe 2nd fac is quite traditional in that there is a sharp line between preclinical and clinical... you are bringing in a way [for students] to be with patients as they enter the hospital, as they are admitted and you follow each patient, their progression and so forth.
Yes, we want the students to have more of the practical experience. This is the same for foreign and Czech students. This is why I have always been stressing the need to talk decent Czech so that you can speak to the patient and understand the medical records.
 
There is a stress on learning but perhaps it is not carried through in that Czech is pretty poor amongst students. When compared with their academic knowledge, there is a discrepancy. We should learn Czech but we don't, yet we still progress.
I know – and there are exceptions who can speak fluent Czech – but I think what is satisfactory is a basic language. It has improved. It might not be at the level I would like but the trend is definitely improving.
 
There are some new posts for academic staff. I was wondering with the new positions will there be a new teaching style?
You mean the vice deans. I think it is more a continuation of the same policy, not to expect any revolution on the curriculum. We will focus on all subjects of the curriculum slightly more than in the first term. It will be a quite a difficult task because as you know we also have Physiotherapy and other programmes.
 
Regarding fees, do you see them going up or down or being converted to Euros? The crown has been strong for quite a while now.
It is in Czech crowns but I hope Czechia converts to the Euro to solve the problem! Everything we have to spend is in crowns, it is thus logical to collect it in crowns; I don't think we'll be experiencing any big changes. It depends on the amount of foreign applicants. With the Motivation plan we actually receive slightly less money. But I think it is worth it.
 
Some [International] students stay on to work in Czech. How hard is that, particularly for non-EU students?
It is definitely possible. I am not the best person to tell you about work permits and so on but our responsibility is to make good doctors of all students in the medical programme – Czech or International. So paper work is do-able, language you need, and there is quite a confusing situation in the Czech post-grad medical system just now. We hope to put things in order. After this it might be more attractive for more foreign students.
 
Regarding Halls of accommodation, International students used to be charged more. Is this still the case?
This is something we have succeeded in. It has taken a while. There is some paperwork to be filled and someone must support your application but it is now possible for foreign students to be charged the same as Czechs for accommodation.
 
2nd fac has been named again – successively – as the top med school in CZ.
At least 3 yrs in a row, I think.
 
They have broken it down into categories: teaching, research, social. Something to be proud of.
Yes, sure but there is still quite a list of errands of we should still do!
 
Good!
 
Regarding Erasmus students, there are quite a lot of them and obviously they go with the foreign students. Clinical years can get quite crowded. For example, more than 6 students in an „ambulance“ (outpatient office). Is there a way of getting more groups?
Well, we are at the top of our capacity with the Erasmus students. This is something that has only recently come to our attention, frankly. The number of foreign students in higher years tended to be quite low so we thought once we got these larger groups in the higher years. We somehow managed to fit them into the schedule of the year but now the size of the groups for one teacher might be too high (although still not as high as a regular study group in some other faculties). We have to be careful about accepting more students and look at the capacity.
 
Lastly, the student questionnaires ... there has been positive feedback. Students think it is a good idea. Are there any other ways students can contribute?
These surveys – this one of the things that has not worked out, since too few students responded. Unlike the Czechs who have filled out these surveys always...
 
You can go online and see the Czech responses. They are not high [in terms of numbers who responded].
Ok, it's low because you looked at the start of the year. The amount of Czechs who responded is definitely over 50 %, usually 80 % or so. The International students have very few responses. The reason for this perhaps you didn't think about it ... and we didn't force you.
 
You want to make it an obligation?
It is an obligation already!
 
The academic conference is coming up with some foreign students presenting posters. You would encourage students to get involved?
Last year some of the posters were really good! You should participate in this; and run in the Motol mile; come for the party; definitely listen to the CZ lecturers if your language permits...
 
...You're quite visible or high profile [as a dean] in that you turn up to non-curricular or extra-curricular events. You see it as important to talk to and meet students?
Well, the dean's job may be taken by the person who performs it in many ways. For some, apart from running the institution, it may be a possibility to enter higher politics or be more visible within the media. I have not done much in this respect, but as I said in one of the award ceremonies, we the teachers know how the school should be like but the students are really the ones who make the school what it is, so I like to meet the students.
 
Thank you for the interview.
Thank you!
 
-tc-