Faculty of medicine, University of East Sarajevo in Foca, Bosnia

About the University of East Sarajevo, Bosnia

The University of East Sarajevo is a public university and it has its seat in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. It has a total of 15 faculties and 2 academies located in various cities. The faculty of medicine and Faculty of Dentistry is located in the small city of Foca, around 80 kilometers south of Sarajevo. The University exists since 1992 and has approximately 13.000 students and 933 academic staff. The University is decentralized and has faculties in cities Podrinje, Semberija, Trebinje, Foča, Pale, East Sarajevo, Bijeljina, Zvornik, and Doboj.

The University is involved in various international projects, such as Erasmus+, Tempus, Horizon 2020, The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), CEEPUS, and tens of bilateral or multilateral contracts with universities from all over the world (for example with Maribor University, University KaHo Sint-Lieven in Belgium, University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy, Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, University Shandong in China, Zhejiang Wanli University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Hangzhou Normal University in China or University of Pisa in Italy). The University also cooperates with various agencies or private companies like European Public Law Organization – UES, Faculty of Law, Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences Krakow, – UES, Faculty of Technology or with Clinical Center of Montenegro, – UES, Faculty of Medicine.

It is a member of the European University Association, Alpe Adrian Rectors Conference. The University is awarding ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits, which makes the education recognisable abroad as well. The implementation of Bologna process (which is designed for standardization of studies worldwide) started in the academic year 2007/2008.

About Faculty of Medicine, University of East Sarajevo

The Faculty of Medicine is offering a program in General medicine. It has 6 years and it is taught in the English language. The faculty started its existence in 1993 with the objective of educating local hospitals with doctors, nurses, and dentists. Since then it has evolved into an institution with over 2000 students in various study programs. The Faculty started to implement requirements as per the Bologna process since 2007/2008 in the following study programs: Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Special Education and Rehabilitation (offered in Serbian at that time). There is a scientific-research center for biomedical science called The Specialist Dentistry Center working since 2016.

The international program in English started in the academic year 2020/21, therefore the academic year 2022/23 will be the third intake for a program in General medicine. Students of general medicine come from different countries, such as Italy, Slovenia, Egypt, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. There will be also a program for Dental medicine opened in 2022/2023 for the first time. The faculty is affiliated with 6 faculties of medicine in Bosnia and work closely with the University hospital, which is located next to the faculties. Teachers have experience from abroad and are holders of various certificates and diplomas from all over the world.

Membership in the Faculty of Medicine in international associations

The Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of dentistry are listed in the European Associations of Medical faculties (EAMF) and WMF. The medical degree is recognized e.g. by the Medical Council of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal. There are approximately 240 professors and assistants participate in the teaching process.  Students have access to two modern equipped amphitheatres, many classrooms, the center for research, laboratories for histology, anatomy, pathology, chemistry and biochemistry, clinical skills laboratory, two computer centers and a modern library during their studies.

The approach and teaching style of the Faculty

International students of general medicine or dental medicine can expect a really special approach from the faculty. Management of the Faculty (especially the international department) are organizing trips and free-time activities for their students. There are also meetings for new students on every Wednesday, where it is possible to ask for improvements or clear doubts. Every student will get tutor (there is ratio of 2 students per tutor) who is available at any point. These tutors are usually selected from students in higher years.

Students are organized into small groups of 5-7 people. All education is organized into theoretical and practical parts ending with a credit test or exam. Classes are usually organized in blocks, which means students have intense learning of a given subject followed by a test. There are not only teachers from Foca but also teachers from different cities coming to teach local and international students. Students might visit also various departments of other hospitals in Bosnia – eg. the Department of tropical medicine in the Hospital in Belgrade or the Department of nuclear medicine.

Students will take also an intensive course in the local language which helps them deal with during their clinical classes and to interact with patients in local hospitals. Most of the inhabitants of Foca speak the Serbian language which is the Slavic language.

About the program General medicine

The program General medicine is taught in the English language and is open to all international students. It has 6 years (360 credits) and is the cheapest option for studies of Medicine abroad. The tuition fees are only around 3000€, whereas it’s possible to pay it in 3 installments. There will be a maximum of 50 students accepted for the program. The program is running since 2020/2021, there will be a third intake in 2022/23. There is only one intake, which is in the Winter semester. Students for the first year are starting their education in November so they have enough time to complete their visa process. The academic year has 2 semesters, Winter semester is starting in November (respectively in October for higher years students) and March for the Summer semester. There are 15 weeks of education, exams are running during the whole academic year.

Curricula of the study program General medicine

1st year: Anatomy, Histology and embryology, Cell biology and human genetics, Medicine and society, Clinical practice 1 and emergency medical help, methodology of scientific research, Serbian language 1 and two subjects from elective subjects – Medical terminology and latin, Informatics in Medicine, Biophysics, Communication skills or English language

2nd year: Medical biochemistry with chemistry, Physiology, Immunology, Microbiology, Clinical practice 2. Serbian language 2 and two from the elective subjects – Biomarkers of oxidative stress, Possibility of applying bacteria for pracrival purposes, nutrition physiology, physiology of sport,

3rd year: Pathology, Pathological Physiology, Epidemiology, General pharmacology, Radiology and nuclear medicine, Clinical propedeutics, Medical statistics and 2 from the list of elective subjects: New methods in radiology, Pathophysiological aspects of functional diagnostics, Clinical Autopsy, analysis and importance, Medical psychology

4th year: Special pharmacology and toxicology, Internal medicine, Infectious diseases with special epidemiology, Neurology, Psychiatry, Dermatovenerology, Clinical microbiology and 2 elective subjects: Intrahospital infections and their preventions, clinical immunology, Health management, Clinical pharmacokinetics and rational pharmacotherapy.

5th year: Surgery, Pediatrics, Gynecology, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Social medicine, Clinical oncology and 2 elective subjects: Geriatrics, Pain medicine, Palliative Medicine, Clinical pathology

6th year: Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology with maxillofacial surgery, Clinical pharmacology, Family medicine, Hygiene with medical ecology, Occupational medicine, Forensic medicine, Emergency medicine, Clinical practical training from Surgery, Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Family medicine, Gynecology, Emergency medicine

You can click on the Curricula for Faculty of medicine in Foca – General medicine.

About the program Dental medicine

The program is starting in intake 2022/23 and is taught in the English language. It is open to all international students that pass the entrance exam and comply with admission rules. There is a maximum of 20 students admitted to the program. The program has a total of 6 years to be completed. The Faculty of Dentistry is located on the same campus, directly next to the University hospital of Foca. There is one intake (in the Winter semester). The academic year has 2 semesters, one is starting in November, the second is in March. Students usually finish their exams in June / July.

 

 

 

Transfers to Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Dentistry, University of East Sarajevo

The Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of dentistry are accepting transfer students. There are the following documents needed to be submitted: stamped transcript of records, stamped curricula of the subjects. Students can currently join the 3rd year (for the academic year 2022). There are no restrictions on the number of transfer students that faculty can accept. There could be lengthy processing time as heads of each department must assess the files and then decide whether the subject will be or will not be recognized. Therefore it is recommended to start the process a minimum of 3-4 months before the start of classes.

Tuition fees for the program

The tuition fee is 3100€, it is possible to pay the fees in 3 installments. It is the cheapest medical education in Europe. The tuition fees will be guaranteed during the studies, but it might be increased for new freshers in the upcoming academic years.

Application and selection process

The application process is done fully remotely (including the submission of documents), so applicants do not need to travel to Bosnia. It is possible to score a maximum of 100 points, the applicant will need a minimum of 51 points to be accepted. The point structure is the following: 20 points for a test of biology, 20 points for a test of chemistry, 10 points for an oral interview, and 50 points for marks from secondary school. There are also preparatory materials offered by the university for prospective students. Currently, there is no minimum number of points needed from secondary school marks in order to be considered a candidate for admission.

There will be 3 selection dates – July, August, and September. It is better to choose a sooner date as places might be allocated to students before you take an entrance exam. Students in the first year are starting their education in November, so there is enough time for the visa process for non-EU students to arrive in Bosnia. EU students do not need any special visas or passports to arrive in Bosnia.

Documents for registration for the entrance exam

There are the following documents to be submitted for registration for the entrance exam:

1. application form
2. copy of ID or passport
3. birth certificate – in international format or in English
4. motivational letter
5. transcript of records from all years of study at secondary school and school leaving certificate – translated to English or Serbian
6. application fee of 250BAM (127€)

Academic documents must be verified (by apostille or superlegalisation by the given embassy) after being accepted the university. Acceptance letters for visas will be issued after payment of tuition fees. There are 3 admission dates: 10th of July 2023, TBA. The admission procedure is organised in the online form.

Accommodation for foreign students

There is a dormitory located only 10-15 minutes by walking from the University. It was constructed in 2018 and offers new facilities for

foreign students (you can see the dormitory from the air in the video below at 1:27). First-year students are encouraged to stay at dormitories so they are in touch with their classmates or seniors and mentors (every 2 students are assigned one mentor during their study). Students in higher years can decide to stay in the dormitory and can move to private accommodation within the city.

The price of accommodation is approximately 250€, but it includes 3 meals a day. There is a plan to construct a new dormitory in the following years. Students have access to a study room located at the ground floor of the building. The canteen is located next to reception on the ground floor and offers variety of meals for students. This accommodation is definitely meeting the standards of western dormitories and has more then a reasonable price. Internet is included in the price of accommodation.

About City

Foca is a city located approximately 80 kilometers from the capital of Bosnia – Sarajevo. It has approximately 20.000 inhabitants. Local and international students form around 10% of the inhabitants of the city (there are approximately 2000 students). There is an international airport in Sarajevo that is offering mainly flights to western countries (Germany) and Eastern countries (Turkey). Microbus is running on a daily basis between Sarajevo and Foca – usually every 1-2 hours.

The City of Foca is not big and basically, everything is within walkable distance. The Faculty is located in the middle of beautiful nature, next to the Drina river. There is also Sutjeska National Park located in Foca municipality

About Country of Bosnia

Bosnia (called also Bosnia and Hercegovina) is located in Balkan, it has a dimension of 51,129 km2 and 3,5 million of inhabitants. There are 3 groups: Bosniaks, Serbians and Croatians. The majority of the population are Muslims (51%), followed by Serbian Orthodox Christians (31%) and Roman Catholics (15%). There are 3 regions in Bosnia: the Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina, the Republic of Serbia (please note it is different from the country of Serbia), and the District of Brčko.

Details about visas procedures to study in Bosnia

When applying for the temporary residence permit following documents must be submitted:
1. Application for the first temporary residence permit/the request for extension of the residence permit in BiH (please fill in correctly and completely, in block letters)
2. 150 BAM (approximately 75€) of the administrative fee
3. Photo 35x45mm
4. Verified copy of passport, having validity of a minimum of three months longer than the period of requested temporary residence (the page of passport with data and the page with the imprint of the entry stamp, the long-stay visa (visa D) or the sticker of the previously approved temporary residence)
5. Certificate of registration of residence if the application was submitted on the territory of BiH
6. Proof that the student is enrolled in a higher education institution, in the current academic year
7. Proof that the student comes within the framework of exchange programs, i.e. youth mobility if students enroll the higher education institution on that basis (not required)
8. Proof of provided funds required for subsistence for the current academic year in the amount of 400 KM (approximately 200€) per month or a written statement of a BiH citizen, or a foreigner with approved or permanent residence in BiH confirming maintenance during the intended stay with a proof of permanent source of income or other source of funding (Students have to open a bank account in Bosnia and put that amount of money
there (200€/month for ten months) to get a certificate to guarantee that they have funds required for subsistence for the current academic year; after getting the certificate from the
bank, they can take their money from the bank account)

9. Medical certificate issued no later than three months before the day of submission of the request, from which it is evident that a student does not suffer from diseases that pose a threat to public health in BiH (approximately 10€)
10. Proof of provided accommodation
11. Proof of provided health insurance in BiH – voluntary health insurance (approximately 50€)
12. Certificate issued by the competent authority of the country of origin that no criminal proceedings have been instituted against the foreigner and that he has not been punished for criminal offenses, issued within the last six months (Police Clearance Certificate)
NOTE: documents 1-11 may be collected upon students’ arrival to Foca; only document no.

12 has to be obtained in the country of origin, before arrival

The documentation attached to the application in accordance with provisions of the Law on Movement and Stay of Foreigners shall be submitted in the original copy or a duly certified copy.
Documentation in a foreign language or script shall be submitted translated into one of the official languages in BiH by a notarized court interpreter.