First of all, I’m very happy to shire with you here in my thoughts with Somali doctors forum. My collage, its really very much to tell every thing here about our medical school in Ukraine, but I would like to summarize some issues which I think its very important and benefit to tell.
If I try to talk about the most problems we Somali students specially face are uncountable. To begin with the studies of our universities isn’t very hard, but if the person is well prepared she/ he can afford to graduate very easily I mean if he/she finished the high school or equivalent institutes no matter how much marks he/she gain they can simply join. As we know since the collapse of our government we lost every thing and we became a stateless people, so if you don’t have a government which present you I mean you don’t have a un embassy where you live its very hard to you to gain what ever you need so, the Somali students here in Ukraine shire this problems with the others Somalis around the world and the common problems that occurs in our home land effects us directly or in directly.
Somali students in Ukraine estimates approximately 120 persons which most of them studies medical schools and most of them locates in Vinnitsa and Jernifcy states? They learn different faculties, but mostly general medicine.
If, I try to say some problems we Somali students face here in Ukraine is luck of respect. For example: If you want to invite a friend or your close relatives there’s extra condition in Somali students:
1. First you have to pay one year payment in advance since Somali students are not trusted they may be across the bonder.
2. When you get the invitation and send it, if the person lives somewhere, which locates Ukrainian Embassy may be she/he will get normally, and it will cost for about 150-200 US Dollars it depend on the country’s currency, but the students who lives in Somalia they will cost more money in order to get entry visa, because there’s no Embassy in Somalia, so they must go either UAE or Ethiopia, they are the nearest places that they can get a visa. Mostly they send their passports to UEA since they can’t get entry visa to Emirates at the right moment, but the best thing is that they can send passport though it cost much money.
3. One of the most problems that occur is expatiations saying they are not eligible or there’s some documents missing, since most of them they don’t know what is needed even if they are told. (Eg. Birth certificate, health certificate and e.t.c )or may be they even don’t read the regulation guards, because 1% of the applied students don’t want to study, but to across the bonder, but this will jeopardize the 99% of the others that want to study, this is the some special problems we only Somali students face here. But the common problems we shire with others students and that ok some can be solved, but the nature problems like weather, languages, racism and others…
After entry:
When you come here you have two chooses: First one is Russian programme, this version you will learn in your course only Russian language, first year will you study the fundamentals materials that you will gain common knowledge and will improve your languages skills these materials include: Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology Ukrainian history and other scientific needs, so if the student has an in adequate knowledge he/she can gain also more skills about his/her careers, for the students will take whole course 7 years. Second one is English programme , when student come he will directly join the medical school, and this course will take 6 years, but small problems of this course is that the Ukrainian teachers don’t have enough experience in English language so, they can’t give more information about their subjects as they can in Russian language, but they know very well their subjects.
Problems you face if you are student here in your self is that language is quite very difficulty since it’s new to you for the first 2 years, but benefits are more than the English programme, because after the 3rd semester you communicate the patient, freely but, if your programme is English you will find out difficulties you will need translator between you and the patient since patient doest speak English.
Students are allowed to communicate patient and to participate operation as observer and also they can take a part operation if they want, these are some good benefits students achieve during their course
The all other small problems like hostel facilities, library, sports holes are not necessary, there is also one problems which needed to be mention is that students are fully depend on their families for financial, here you can’t support your self, and there’s not gains, but to lose more… But as saying goes: If there’s will there’s always way to a thing. If the student wants to do good work and good future for his/her self, country and people, there is always way, hope and chance and to study and to my knowledge there is no place else like Ukraine where you can get medical school with Somali certificate made by Abdalla Shideeda market without permission test, does not mean that they are bad, but they want give chance students if they want gain their goals.
For more information about National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnitsa
like regulations, admissions, hostel conditions, and so on. You can find out University’s webpage which is:
http://www.vnmumedical.com/eng.
PS: There are many medical universities in Ukraine, but wrote about here only Vinnitsa, so, you have to be aware of that… although there is no big diffirent between University in Ukraine.