Dental medicine in English – the first generation

At 10:15 a.m. on October 12th 2020, I walked into a lecture room at the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Rijeka, and saw my future colleagues for the first time. The first generation of the English program was assembled and after a warm welcome the lectures had already begun. We were shown that the study will be serious.

The class is small and internationally diverse. It consists of four Croatians, a German, five Italians, and a Slovenian. We all appreciate the size of our class because we connected surprisingly fast and we help each other daily. “Being with people from different nationalities gives you an insight into their culture and how it differs from your own,” concluded Julian Constantin Sarafiant.

How did we find out about the faculty, and why have we chosen it? Upon this question, we can divide the class in half. Students from Croatia and Slovenia have heard about the great reputation of the faculty. Italians and the German on the other hand, have either heard about the faculty through their friends or have found it through an agency.

However, the reasons for choosing this faculty differ from person to person. Some seek foreign experiences, others an international program in English language in order to do a specialization abroad after the study. Additionally, the whole class finds the coastal city a great environment to study.

I would also point out the professor’s eagerness to help. The atmosphere in lectures is very personal and friendly and students are encouraged to ask questions. “I was a student in Zagreb at some other faculty before. This was an extraordinary surprise. For me to see a helping and caring professor blew my mind!” Mare Renić summed up.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there were not many occasions to visit the city, but we saw the city centre a couple of times and had an opportunity to taste the local cuisine. We were all impressed by the Medical Faculty building. The palm trees at the entrance express that we are in a warm coastal city even more. “My first impression of Rijeka is that it is a beautiful and very welcoming city. It is perfect for university students. In fact, I would highly recommend it to people like me who want to embark on an adventure away from home,” Alessandro Lavorante described Rijeka.

Studying abroad can bring up some homesickness. “There were not many trips home,” said Alessandra, but she also added: “When I came to Rijeka I realized that it was very similar to the city of Salerno – as if I were close to home.” I believe that we have all gotten used to the new environment while we had lectures and laboratory practicals on site, but since then we have all been at home. However, we all eagerly await our return to Rijeka to embark on new adventures and challenges!

Jurij Marcos Marc