Dr. Katerina Bomert - a postgraduate and PhD student in Varna was a part of the team that developed the first in our country bio-product for corneal treatment, Dr. Stefan Baarfus – an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Medical University - Varna and a practising specialist at the Clinic of Psychiatry at University Hospital "St. Marina" in Varna, Dr. Giorgos Androniko - a medical doctor at the Department of Neurosurgery at MHAT "St. Anna" in Varna - this is just a small part of the numerous multinational community of young people, coming from all over the world, who have chosen to study medicine at Medical University - Varna and have found a field for professional development in our country.
Currently about 1600 foreign students, from 48 countries, are being trained at the Varna Medical University, more than half of whom are from Germany, followed by the British students. "More than 90% of our students are citizens of EU member states," explains Prof. Albena Kerekovska, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs. "Over the recent years the number of applicants from Ireland, Spain, Austria and Italy has been growing steadily." Students from Belgium, France, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belarus, Israel, Turkey are also being trained here. Moreover, there are students from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Jamaica, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Bolivia, Palestine.
The state-of-the-art training facilities at the University, modern high-tech teaching methods, an opportunity for English language training, diplomas recognized in all EU countries are just a part of the attractive facets of the University, which motivate young people to apply to the Medical University in Varna. With each passing year, the foreign student admission campaigns take place under ever-increasing competition, with three or more applicants competing for one place. The Biology and Chemistry exams, as well as the language competence exam, are the barriers that only those who have demonstrated the required level of knowledge and skills are able to overcome.
Once having crossed the threshold of the multinational university, students find themselves in an environment with plenty of opportunities to study the chosen programme and to develop themselves. With its nearly 60 years of traditions in education, MU-Varna is one of the fastest growing modern and high-tech universities in the country, providing excellent opportunities for training and research at a high European level. The groups are small in number, the milieu is friendly, and the lecturers are personally committed to each student. Clinical training, as a part of the general training of medical students, is set in the curriculum at an earlier stage compared to most of the countries that the students come from. Here again the University does not fall short of its high quality education criteria and students are provided with modern and high-tech clinical facilities at University Hospital "St. Marina".
Under the proficient supervision of their highly qualified lecturers,
many of whom having achieved international recognition and authority, the
students have the opportunity to choose a scientific career path, always being
able to rely on their lecturers' full support. Just the way Dr. Katerina Bomert
chose to do. After graduating from MU-Varna and after more than two years of
working in Bad Homburg, Dr. Bomert returned to Bulgaria to do her doctorate and
specialize in eye diseases. Her research activities are aimed at developing a
carrier for the first bio-product in Bulgaria for treatment of cornea, which facilitates
the regeneration of corneal surface in various degenerative conditions. She has
used the conditions and facilities at the Laboratory for Translational Medicine
and Cell Therapy at University Hospital “St. Marina” in Varna.
Practically, a great number of the international students, graduating from the Varna Medical University, return to their home countries to practise the medical profession there. However, other students, such as Dr. Stefan Baarfus from Germany and Dr. Giorgos Androniko from Cyprus, have made their decision to stay in Bulgaria. Dr. Baarfus is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Medical University - Varna, and at the same time - a practising specialist at the Third Psychiatry Clinic at the Varna University Hospital, a leading hospital in the field of Psychiatry. Dr. Androniko from Cyprus has already been a doctor at the Department of Neurosurgery at MHAT "St. Anna" in our sea capital for almost two years.
For the fourth-year medical students Shahswar Arif from the UK and Zarina Brady from Ireland, the paths of science are also wide open. They have already chosen the difficult field of Neurosurgery. After presenting their work at the 17th European Congress of Neurosurgery in Venice, and participating in the course for spine surgery of AOSpine (an international community of spine surgeons), held in Varna last year, they are going to present their project at this year's conference of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), which is to be held in March in Belgrade.
You can see the video HERE:
Darina Velcheva
