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WELCOME TO

The LEARN MORE YOUR GUIDE THROUGHOUT THE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

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About IFMSA-Egypt Learn basic information about the international federation of medical students’ association – Egypt

FACTS Basic information about the countries

WHO TO CALL Contact information for the Egyptian embassies abroad

THE VISA GUIDE Learn almost everything about the visa extraction process of your desired country

FEEDBACK Read actual feedback forms that have almost everything you would need to know.

These feedbacks are collected from previous exchange students

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS Find basic information about many travel insurance companies and how to get a travel health insurance. Also, you can find section for the Vaccination facilities.

About The Authors FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TEAM OF THE LEARN MORE GUIDEBOOK

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IFMSA - EGYPT The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations –Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt) is an independent, non-governmental and non-political federation of medical students' associations in Egypt. IFMSA -Egypt is a full member of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) which represents 105 National Member Organizations in 97 Countries with more than 1 million medical students worldwide.

IFMSA – Egypt’s history dates back to 1968 and was known as the Egyptian Medical Students’ Associations (EMSA – Egypt) till 2007. IFMSA – Egypt is run for and by medical students on a non-profit and voluntary basis. We represent all Egyptian Medical students, through 13 Local Committees (LCs) all over Egypt. IFMSA-Egypt’s unique structure, composed of 6 Standing Committees and the Training Support Division, allows all medical students to simply contribute, innovate and have an influence on Global Health.

In IFMSA-Egypt, medical students gather to design and implement various health-related activities and projects. This is made possible through open channels of communication, online forums and partnerships with different governmental bodies, UN agencies, NGOs and other youth groups, both in Egypt and internationally. Our activities aim to address global health concerns and to improve public health in Egypt.

MISSION: To offer future Egyptian physicians a comprehensive introduction to public health issues by taking part in the international medical student community to broaden their spectrums and reach their full potential.

COMMITTEES SCOPE SCOPE, the Standing Committee on Professional Exchange, is one of the six Standing Committees of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and IFMSA - Egypt. SCOPE is the first IFMSA Standing Committee to be created. It constitutes the largest exchange program within the IFMSA and it has been running since the organization's foundation in 1951.

MISSION: Our mission is to promote international understanding and co-operation amongst medical students and all health professionals through international exchange of students.

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SCORE SCORE, the Standing Committee on Research Exchange, is one of the six Standing Committees of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and IFMSA - Egypt.

SCORE provides medical students from around the world the unique opportunity to participate in exceptionally rewarding and affordable clinical or pre-clinical research projects in a foreign country.

Through this international exchange program, SCORE hopes to contribute to the international co-operation and understanding between the medical faculties, research institutes and - last but not least - among the students and health care professionals.

MISSION: Our mission is to offer medical students from around the world the opportunity to participate in a unique research and cultural experience through clinical or pre-clinical research projects.

SCORA SCORA, the Standing Committee on Reproductive health including AIDS, is one of the six Standing Committees of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and IFMSA - Egypt.

SCORA is a forum for active discussion for medical students interested in promoting reproductive health. Our overall goal is the implementation of an optimal understanding of the reproductive health problems and their prevention by medical students. In Egypt, SCORA started to work effectively more than 5 years ago and organizes many events for medical students, from different universities around Egypt to guide them on how to improve reproductive health issues in our country. SCORA work reached the maximum within the last 2 years. It is now well established in 13 medical schools in Egypt. This big number of participation allowed the increase in various topics & styles of this committee’s work.

MISSION: Our mission is to offer Egypt’s future physicians a comprehensive introduction to reproductive health. Through education, we aim to raise awareness on a variety of reproductive health issues amongst the wide public, and strive to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and whilst challenging the widespread violation of reproductive rights and gender inequality.

SCOPH SCOPH, the Standing Committee on Public Health, is one of the six Standing Committees of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and IFMSA - Egypt.

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SCOPH is a forum for active discussion for medical students who work together to improve the public's awareness, encourage them to take on healthy life styles and get rid of wrong health beliefs, which are the major factors in most health issues that we face in our country.

In Egypt, we deeply believe in the vital role that should be played by the Public Health sector and are compelled to and concerned with all issues that affect Public Health. The SCOPH team gathers medical students from many universities all over Egypt. Together we work hand in hand for the good of the public’s health and to promote public awareness.

MISSION: Our mission is to offer Egypt’s future physicians a comprehensive introduction to public health issues, who will in turn improve public health awareness. We are dedicated to try to influence the public health status in Egypt.

SCOME SCOME, the Standing Committee on Medical Education, is one of the six Standing Committees of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and IFMSA - Egypt.

SCOME is a discussion forum for students interested in the different aspects of medical education in the hope of pursuing and achieving its aim. Medical Education should be a concern of every medical student as it shapes not only the quality of future doctors, but also the quality of healthcare.

In Egypt, SCOME was first officially introduced during the 2002-2003 term. Since then dozens of initiatives, projects and activities were launched and carried out.

MISSION: Our mission is to build awareness on topics needed for changing the Medical Education for the better.

SCOHP SCOHP, the Standing Committee on Humanitarian Projects, is one of the six Standing Committees of IFMSA – Egypt. SCOHP is a forum for active discussion for medical students interested in promoting humanitarian issues. In Egypt, SCOHP was initiated in 2007 to gather medical students from different universities around Egypt to guide them on how to share in and advocate for humanitarian issues and promote relevant projects in Egypt.

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MISSION: Our mission is to offer Egypt’s future physicians a comprehensive introduction to humanitarian issues. We are dedicated to work towards empowering and improving the life of vulnerable people and alleviating the pain of those suffering.

TRAINING The Training Support Division is one of the Support Divisions in the IFMSA. Medical professionals are continually pressed to take roles in management and improvement of health systems performance. The IFMSA is taking a key role in developing future leadership for global health and training. Developing key human resources is becoming increasingly important to provide medical students with these necessary skills that the strained academic field often fails to provide. (www.ifmsa.org/training) In IFMSA-Egypt, the newly developed Training Support Division aims to provide IFMSA -Egypt members, the future physicians, with the essential skills to potentiate work within the organization and to better prepare them for their future medical careers. We believe that training will equip medical students with the skills, knowledge and attitude that they need to make the world a healthier place for all people.

MISSION: Our mission is to provide professional standard training that will help develop our Organization and its members to achieve their fullest potential.

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The “FACTS” Do you think you know enough?

In this page you can easily find basic information about your desired country. This information was easily collected online through special websites that are concerned with providing facts about different countries. You are advised to look up your country over the internet if you have time to find more information, although we have done our best to provide you the most important, updated and needed information you should take a look at before you go with your clerkship.

Please click on the country desired and you will be directed to its page; or you can manually scroll down and look for your desired country…

ARMENIA AUSTRIA AUSTRALIA BOSNIA BRAZIL BULGARIA CANADA CROATIA CZECH REPUBLIC D ENMARK ESTONIA FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY GREECE HUNGARY ICELAND INDONESIA IRELAND ITALY JAPAN MEXICO NORWAY POLAND PORTUGAL ROMANIA SERBIA SPAIN SWEDEN SWITZERLAND THAILAND MACEDONIA THE NETHERLANDS TUNISIA TURKEY THE UNITED KINGDOM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SLOVAKIA SLOVENIA RUSSIA LITHUANIA Please note that you might find data that are not exactly the same on different websites. The authors of the LEARN MORE are not responsible for such conflicts, you are highly advised to pay visits to as many sources as possible to provide the most accurate and recent data.

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Armenia Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey total: 29,743 sq km land: 28,454 sq km water: 1,289 sq km slightly smaller than Maryland total: 1,254 km border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km highland continental, hot summers, cold winters 2,968,586 (July 2008 est.)

Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3% Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census) name: Yerevan drams (AMD) per US dollar - 344.06 (2007), 414.69 (2006), 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004), 578.76 (2003)

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Australia Location Area Areacomparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean total: 7,686,850 sq km land: 7,617,930 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states 0 km generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north 21,007,310 (July 2008 est.)

Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census) English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census) name: Canberra Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)

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Austria Location Area Areacomparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages

Capital Exchange rates

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia total: 83,870 sq km land: 82,444 sq km water: 1,426 sq km slightly smaller than Maine total: 2,562 km border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers 8,205,533 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census) German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 census) name: Vienna geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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Bosnia Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages

Capital

Exchange rates

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia total: 51,209.2 sq km land: 51,197 sq km water: 12.2 sq km slightly smaller than West Virginia total: 1,538 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 249 km, Serbia 357 km hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast 4,590,310 (July 2008 est.)

Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14% Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian name: Sarajevo geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar - 1.4419 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003) note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro

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Brazil Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean total: 8,511,965 sq km land: 8,456,510 sq km water: 55,455 sq km note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo slightly smaller than the US total: 16,885 km border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km mostly tropical, but temperate in south 196,342,592 Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census) Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note - less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages name: Brasilia reals (BRL) per US dollar - 1.85 (2007 est.), 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771 (2003)

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Bulgaria Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey total: 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km slightly larger than Tennessee total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers 7,262,675 (July 2008 est.)

Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census) Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) Sofia levs (BGN) per US dollar - 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003)

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Canada Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US total: 9,984,670 sq km land: 9,093,507 sq km water: 891,163 sq km somewhat larger than the US total: 8,893 km border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska) varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north 33,212,696 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census) English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5% name: Ottawa Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar - 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004), 1.4011 (2003)

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Croatia Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia total: 56,542 sq km land: 56,414 sq km water: 128 sq km slightly smaller than West Virginia total: 1,982 km border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 455 km Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast 4,491,543 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census) Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census) name: Zagreb kunas (HRK) per US dollar - 5.3735 (2007), 5.8625 (2006), 5.9473 (2005), 6.0358 (2004), 6.7035 (2003)

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Czech Republic Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Central Europe, southeast of Germany total: 78,866 sq km land: 77,276 sq km water: 1,590 sq km slightly smaller than South Carolina total: 1,989 km border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 815 km, Poland 615 km, Slovakia 197 km temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters 10,220,911 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census) Czech 94.9%, Slovak 2%, other 2.3%, unidentified 0.8% (2001 census) Prague koruny (CZK) per US dollar - 20.53 (2007), 22.596 (2006), 23.957 (2005), 25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003)

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Denmark Location

Area

Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn) total: 43,094 sq km land: 42,394 sq km water: 700 sq km note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts total: 68 km border countries: Germany 68 km temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers 5,484,723 (July 2008 est.)

Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2% Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language Copenhagen Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003)

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Estonia Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia total: 45,226 sq km land: 43,211 sq km water: 2,015 sq km note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined total: 633 km border countries: Latvia 343 km, Russia 290 km maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers 1,307,605 (July 2008 est.)

Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1% (2000 census) Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census) Tallinn krooni (EEK) per US dollar - 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003) note: the krooni is pegged to the euro

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Finland Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia total: 338,145 sq km land: 304,473 sq km water: 33,672 sq km slightly smaller than Montana total: 2,654 km border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,313 km cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes 5,244,749 (July 2008 est.)

Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006) Finnish 91.5% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small Sami- and Russianspeaking minorities) (2006) Helsinki euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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France Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries

Climate

Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

metropolitan France: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain total: 643,427 sq km; 547,030 sq km (metropolitan France) land: 640,053 sq km; 545,630 sq km (metropolitan France) water: 3,374 sq km; 1,400 sq km (metropolitan France) slightly less than the size of Texas metropolitan France - total: 2,889 km border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km French Guiana - total: 1,183 km border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km metropolitan France: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-tonorthwesterly wind known as mistral French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April) total: 64,057,792 note: 62,150,775 in metropolitan France (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4% overseas departments: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, pagan French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) overseas departments: French, Creole patois Paris euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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Germany Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark total: 357,021 sq km land: 349,223 sq km water: 7,798 sq km slightly smaller than Montana total: 3,621 km border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind 82,369,552 (July 2008 est.)

Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3% German Berlin euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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Greece Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey total: 131,940 sq km land: 130,800 sq km water: 1,140 sq km slightly smaller than Alabama total: 1,228 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers 10,722,816 (July 2008 est.)

Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French) Athens euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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Hungary Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Central Europe, northwest of Romania total: 93,030 sq km land: 92,340 sq km water: 690 sq km slightly smaller than Indiana total: 2,185 km border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia 166 km, Slovakia 676 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers 9,930,915 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated 14.5% (2001 census) Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census) Budapest forints (HUF) per US dollar - 186.16 (2007), 210.39 (2006), 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003)

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Iceland Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km slightly smaller than Kentucky 0 km temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers 304,367 (July 2008 est.)

Lutheran Church of Iceland 82.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2.4%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.3%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.6%, other Christian 2.8%, other religions 0.9%, unaffiliated 2.6%, other or unspecified 5.5% (2006 est.)

Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken Reykjavik Icelandic kronas (ISK) per US dollar - 63.391 (2007), 70.195 (2006), 62.982 (2005), 70.192 (2004)

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Indonesia Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean total: 1,919,440 sq km land: 1,826,440 sq km water: 93,000 sq km slightly less than three times the size of Texas total: 2,830 km border countries: Timor-Leste 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands 237,512,352 (July 2008 est.)

Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census) Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese) Jakarta Indonesian rupiahs (IDR) per US dollar - 9,056 (2007 est.), 9,159.3 (2006), 9,704.7 (2005), 8,938.9 (2004), 8,577.1 (2003)

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Ireland Location Area Areacomparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain total: 70,280 sq km land: 68,890 sq km water: 1,390 sq km slightly larger than West Virginia total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time 4,156,119 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census) English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard Dublin euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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Italy Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions

Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia total: 301,230 sq km land: 294,020 sq km water: 7,210 sq km note: includes Sardinia and Sicily slightly larger than Arizona total: 1,899.2 km border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 199 km, Switzerland 740 km predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south 58,145,320 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community) talian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area) Rome euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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Japan Location

Area

Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula total: 377,835 sq km land: 374,744 sq km water: 3,091 sq km note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minamijima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto) slightly smaller than California 0 km varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north 127,288,416 (July 2008 est.)

Observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%) Japanese Tokyo yens (JPY) per US dollar - 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006), 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004), 115.93 (2003)

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Mexico Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US total: 1,972,550 sq km land: 1,923,040 sq km water: 49,510 sq km slightly less than three times the size of Texas total: 4,353 km border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,141 km varies from tropical to desert 109,955,400 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census) Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%; note - indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005) Mexico Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar - 10.8 (2007), 10.899 (2006), 10.898 (2005), 11.286 (2004), 10.789 (2003)

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Norway Location Area Areacomparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden total: 323,802 sq km land: 307,442 sq km water: 16,360 sq km slightly larger than New Mexico total: 2,542 km border countries: Finland 727 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast 4,644,457 (July 2008 est.)

Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004) Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami is official in six municipalities Oslo Norwegian krones (NOK) per US dollar - 5.8396 (2007), 6.4117 (2006), 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003)

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Poland Location Area Area- comparative

Land boundaries

Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Central Europe, east of Germany total: 312,679 sq km land: 304,459 sq km water: 8,220 sq km slightly smaller than New Mexico total: 3,047 km border countries: Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 615 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Slovakia 420 km, Ukraine 428 km temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thunder showers 38,500,696 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002) Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census) Warsaw zlotys (PLN) per US dollar - 2.81 (2007), 3.1032 (2006), 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004), 3.8891 (2003) note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty

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Portugal Location Area Areacomparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain Total: 92,391 sq km Land: 91,951 sq km Water: 440 sq km Note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands Slightly smaller than Indiana Total: 1,214 km Border countries: Spain 1,214 km Maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south 10,676,910 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census) Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used) Lisbon Euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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Romania Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions

Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine. total: 237,500 sq km land: 230,340 sq km water: 7,160 sq km slightly smaller than Oregon total: 2,508 km border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km Temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers Romania is famous for its Summer rains .

Exceeds 22 millions Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census) Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2% , and it is worth mentioning that English Language is NOT the official language there , and it is hard to find someone speaking sound fleunt English , so it is STRONGLY ADVISABLE to learn a bit of romanian language Bucharest new leus (RON) per US dollar - 2.43 (2007), 2.809 (2006), 3 (2005), 3 (2004), 3 (2003)

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Serbia Location

Southeastern Europe, between Macedonia and Hungary total: 77,474 sq km

Area

land: 77,474 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area- comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolin total: 2,026 km

Land boundaries

Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 302 km, Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia 241 km, Hungary 151 km, Kosovo 352 km, Macedonia 62 km, Montenegro 124 km, Romania 476 km (relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns) 10,159,046 Serbian Orthodox 85%, Catholic 5.5%, Protestant 1.1%, Muslim 3.2%, unspecified 2.6%, other, unknown, or atheist 2.6% (2002 census) Serbian 88.3% (official), Hungarian 3.8%, Bosniak 1.8%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 4.1%, unknown 0.9% (2002 census) Belgrade (Beograd) Serbian dinars (RSD) per US dollar - 54.5 (2007)

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Sweden Location

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway total: 449,964 sq km

Area

land: 410,934 sq km water: 39,030 sq km

Area- comparative

slightly larger than California total: 2,233 km

Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north 9,045,389 (July 2008 est.)

Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13% Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities Stockholm Swedish kronas (SEK) per US dollar - 6.7629 (2007)

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Spain Location

Area Area- comparative

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France total: 504,782 sq km land: 499,542 sq km water: 5,240 sq km slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

Land boundaries

total: 1,917.8 km border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

Climate

temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast

Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

40,491,052 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 94%, other 6% Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally Madrid euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

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Switzerland Location Area Area- comparative

Central Europe, east of France , north of Italy total: 41,290 sq km land: 39,770 sq km water: 1,520 sq km slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries

total: 1,852 km border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km

Climate

temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Population

7,581,520 (July 2008 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census)

Languages

German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, SerboCroatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census) note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national and official languages

Capital Exchange rates

Bern Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar - 1.1973 (2007), 1.2539 (2006), 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003)

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Thailand Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma total: 514,000 sq km land: 511,770 sq km water: 2,230 sq km lightly more than twice the size of Wyoming total: 4,863 km border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid 65,493,296 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census) Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects Bangkok bahts (THB) per US dollar - 33.599 (2007), 37.882 (2006), 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004), 41.485 (2003)

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Macedonia Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece tal: 25,333 sq km land: 24,856 sq km water: 477 sq km slightly larger than Vermont otal: 766 km border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Kosovo 159 km, Serbia 62 km warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall 2,061,315 (July 2008 est.)

Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.37%, other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census) Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census) Skopje $7.497 billion (2007 est.)

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The Netherlands Location Area Area- comparative

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany total: 41,526 sq km land: 33,883 sq km water: 7,643 sq km slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries

total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Climate

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

16,645,313 (July 2008 est.)

Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006) Dutch (official), Frisian (official) name: Amsterdam $768.7 billion (2007 est.)

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Tunisia Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km slightly larger than Georgia total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south 10,383,577 (July 2008 est.)

Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) Tunis $35.01 billion (2007 est.)

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Turkey Location

Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria total: 780,580 sq km land: 770,760 sq km water: 9,820 sq km slightly larger than Texas total: 2,648 km border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior 71,892,808 (July 2008 est.)

Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews) Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey Ankara $663.4 billion (2007 est.)

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The United Kingdom Location Area Area- comparative Land boundaries Climate Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France total: 244,820 sq km land: 241,590 sq km water: 3,230 sq km note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands slightly smaller than Oregon total: 360 km border countries: Ireland 360 km temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast 60,943,912 (July 2008 est.)

Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1% (2001 census) English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland) London $2.773 trillion (2007 est.)

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The U.S.A Location Area

Area- comparative Land boundaries

Climate

Population Religions Languages Capital Exchange rates

North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico total: 9,826,630 sq km land: 9,161,923 sq km water: 664,707 sq km note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union otal: 12,034 km border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 km mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains 303,824,640 (July 2008 est.)

Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)

English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census) note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii Washington, DC $13.84 trillion (2007 est.)

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Slovakia

Location

Central Europe, south of Poland

Area

total: 48,845 sq km land: 48,800 sq km water: 45 sq km about twice the size of New Hampshire

Area-Comparative Land Boundaries Climate Population

The Slovak Republic borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Capital

2001 census: 5,379,455 (109th world) Density: 111/km² (88th of the world) 287/sq mi Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic 4.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census) Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%, other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census) Bratislava

Exchange Rates

1 US Dollars (USD)= 0.76746 EURO (EUR) (26/11/08)

Religions Languages

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Russian Federation Location

Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part of Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean

Area

total: 17,075,200 sq km land: 16,995,800 sq km water: 79,400 sq km approximately 1.8 times the size of the US

Area-Comparative Land Boundaries

Capital

Russia shares land borders with the following countries (counterclockwise from northwest to southeast): Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (via Kaliningrad Oblast), Poland (via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. It also borders the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Caspian Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea. Russia is close to the United States (Alaska) and Japan.

Throughout much of the territory there are only two distinct seasons — winter and summer; spring and autumn are usually brief periods of change between extremely low temperatures and extremely high. The coldest month is January (on the shores of the sea—February), the warmest usually is July.

Great ranges of temperature are typical. In winter, temperatures get colder both from south to north and from west to east. Summers can be quite hot and humid, even in Siberia. A small part of Black Sea coast around Sochi has a subtropical climate. The continental interiors are the driest areas.

2008 estimate: 142,008,838 2002 census: 145,166,731 Density: 8.3/km² (209th of the world) 21.5/sq mi 63% of respondents considered themselves Russian Orthodox, 6% of respondents considered themselves Muslim and less than 1% considered themselves either Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant or Jewish. Another 12% said they believe in God, but did not practice any religion, and 16% said they are non-believers. to the 2002 census, 142.6 million people speak Russian, followed by Tatar with 5.3 million and German with 2.9 million speakers. Russian is the only official state language, but the Constitution gives the individual republics the right to make their native language co-official next to Russian Moscow (and the largest city)

Exchange Rates

1 US Dollars (USD) = 27.319 Russian Roubles (RUB) (26/11/08)

Climate

Population

Religions

Languages

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Lithuania

Location

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia

Area

total: 65,300 sq km

Area-Comparative

slightly larger than West Virginia

Land Boundaries

Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of the Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest.

Climate

transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers

Population

July 2008 consensus: 3,565,205 (130th of the world) Density: 52/km² (120th) 134/sq mi Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)

Religions Languages

Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

Capital

Vilnius

Exchange Rates

Litass (LTL) per US dollar - 2.5362 (2007), 2.7498 (2006), 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004), 3.0609 (2003)

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Slovenia

Location

Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia

Area

total: 20,273 sq km land: 20,151 sq km water: 122 sq km slightly smaller than New Jersey

Area-Comparative Land Boundaries

Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. The capital of Slovenia is.

Climate

Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east

Population

2008 estimate: 2,039,399 2002 consensus: 1,964,036 Density: 99.6/km² (80th of the world) 251/sq mi Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002 census)

Religion Languages

Capital

The official language is Slovene, which is a member of the South Slavic language group. Hungarian and Italian enjoy the status of official languages in the ethnically mixed regions along the Hungarian and Italian borders.

Ljubljana

Exchange Rates

1 US Dollars (USD)= 0.76746 EURO (EUR)

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The “WHO TO CALL” Feel secure when you’re abroad In this part of the LEARN MORE, you can easily find data for the Egyptian embassies abroad. We have managed to gather all the contact information of our embassies abroad. We believe it’s of utter importance to save or write down the contact information of the Egyptian embassy in your desired country. In cases of emergency, as losing your passport, you can easily call for help from the Egyptian embassy. You may not need to contact the Egyptian embassy abroad at all, but you’re also advised to keep this information just in case.

Please click on the country desired and you will be directed to its page; or you can manually scroll down and look for your desired country…

ARMENIA AUSTRALIA BRAZIL CANADA CZECH REPUBLIC FRANCE GREECE HUNGARY IRELAND JAPAN NORWAY PORTUGAL SLOVENIA SWEDEN THAILAND THE NETHERLANDS TURKEY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

AUSTRIA BOSNIA BULGARIA CROATIA DENMARK FINLAND GERMANY INDONESIA ITALY MEXICO POLAND ROMANIA SPAIN SWITZERLAND SLOVAKIA TUNISIA THE UNITED KINGDOM

We have found some difficulties locating Egyptian embassies in some countries. Please note that there are countries that do not have Egyptian embassies, instead, the Egyptian embassy might be present in another nearby country and representing both countries. On the other hand, there’re some countries that do miss an Egyptian embassy. In cases of emergency, you are asked to contact the hosting organization and they will provide help.

Egyptian Consulate in Yerevan, Armenia Egyptian Embassy in Armenia 6a, Sepuhi Street ,Yerevan

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Phone: +37410-278213 +37410-220117 +37410-655805

Egyptian Consulate in Vienna, Austria Egyptian Embassy in Vienna Hohe Warte 50 – 54, Vienna 1190 Phone: +43-1-370-8104 +43-1-370-8108 +43-1-370-8160 +43-1-370-8162 Website: http://www.egyptembassyvienna.at/

Email: egyptembassyvienna@egyptembassyvienna.at

Egyptian Consulate in Sarajevo, Bosnia Egyptian Embassy in Vienna Nurudina Gackica 58, 71000, Sarajevo Phone: +38733-666498 +38733-665659 Email: eg.em.sa@bih.net.ba

Egyptian Consulate in Sofia, Bulgaria Egyptian Embassy in Sofia 5, Shesti Septemvri St., Sofia Phone: +3592-9870215 +3592-9881509 +3592-9876468 Email: egembsof@spnet.net

Egyptian Consulate in Zagreb, Croatia Egyptian Embassy in Zagreb Phone: +385-1-4834272 +385-1-4834276

Egyptian Consulate in Sydney, Australia Egyptian Consulate in Sydney

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Level 3, 241 Commonwealth Street Surry Hills, NSW, 2010 Australia City: Sydney Phone: (61 2) 9281-4844 Fax: (61 2) 9281-4344 Web Site: http://www.egypt.org.au Email: consular@egypt.org.au,visa@egypt.org.au Office Hours: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Open to public: 9:30 am - 2:00 pm

Egyptian Embassy in Canberra, Australia Embassy of Egypt in Australia 1 Darwin Ave. Yarralumla ACT 2600 City: Canberra Phone: (00612) 6273 4437 - 6273 4438 Fax: (00612) 6273 4279 Email: egyembassy@bigpond.com Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

Description: Jurisdiction: Australia Nonresidence accreditation: New Zealand- Fiji-Papua New Guinea- Marshall Islands-Independent State of Samoa

Egyptian Consulate in Melbourne, Australia Consulate of Egypt in Melbourne, Australia Level 9, 124E xhibition streets Melbourne Victoria 3000 PO Box 18128 Collins St. East, Melbourne Victoria 8003 City: Melbourne Phone: (00613) 9654 8869 Fax: (00613) 9654 8634 Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 9.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.

Egyptian Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil Embassy of Egypt in Brazil City: Brasilia Phone: +55.61.3323.8800 Fax: +55.61.3323.1039 Email: embegito@opengate.com.br, eg.emb_brasilia@mfa.gov.eg Office Hours: Mo Fr: 9:00 17:00

Egyptian Embassy in Ottawa, Canada Embassy of Egypt in Canada 454 Laurier Avenue East Ottawa

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Egyptian Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic

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Ontario K1N6R3 City: Ottawa Phone: (613)234-4931, (613)234-4935 Fax: (613)234-4398 Email: egyptemb@sympatico.ca Embassy of Egypt in Prague, Czech Republic Pelléova 14, Bubene 160 00 Praha 6 City: Prague Phone: +420 224 311 506 Fax: +420 224 311 157 Email: embassyegypt@centrum.cz Office Hours: Monday through Friday from 09.00 to 16.00; Consular Section: from 09.00 to 12.00

Office Hours: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm, except official holidays.

Egyptian Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark Embassy of Egypt in Copenhagen

Kristianiagade 19, DK-2100, Copenhagen Phone:+45-35437070 +45-35253250 Fax: +45-35253262

Egyptian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia Embassy of Egypt in Jakarta

Jl. Teuku Umar No. 68, Menteng, Jakarta Phone: +6221-3143440 +6221-31935350 +6221-31931141 Fax: +6221-3145073 Email: egypt@indosat.net.id Website: http://www.mfa.gov.eg/Missions/Indonesia/Jakarta/Embassy/en-gb

Egyptian Embassy in Roma, Italy Embassy of Egypt in Roma

Villa Savoia - Via Salaria, 267, Roma, 00199 Phone:+39-6-8440192 +39-6-8440191 Fax:+39-6-8554424

Egyptian Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico Embassy of Egypt in Mexico City

Alejandro Dumas 131 Col. Palanco ,Mexico, D.F Phone: (1-706) 2810698 / 2810823 Fax: (1-706) 2821294

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Egyptian Embassy in Helsinki, Finland Embassy of Egypt in Copenhagen

Itainen Puistotie 2 , 00140, Helsinki Phone: +3589-4777470 +3589-47774740 Fax: +3589-47774721 Email: secretaryofembassy@hotmail.com

Egyptian Embassy in Paris, France Embassy of Egypt in France 56, Avenue Diena 75116 Paris France City: Paris Phone: (+33) 1 53678830-32 Fax: (+33) 1 47230643

Egyptian Consulate in Marseille, France Consulate of Egypt in Marseille, France 166 Avenue de Hambourg 13008 City: Marseille Phone: 0033 4 91 25 04 04 Fax: 0033 4 91 73 79 31

Egyptian Consulate in Paris, France Consulate of Egypt in Paris, France 114 rue de la Boètie, 75008 City: Paris Phone: (0033) 145009989 - 145007427 - 145007710 Fax: (0033) 0145003528 Email: Paris_Con@mfa.gov.eg

Egyptian Embassy in Berlin, Germany Embassy of Egypt in Germany Stauffenberg Str. 6-7 10785 City: Berlin Phone: 030 477 54 70

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Fax: 030 477 10 49 Web Site: http://www.egyptian-embassy.de/ Email: Embassy@egyptian-embassy.de

Egyptian Consulate in Hamburg, Germany Consulate of Egypt in Hamburg, Germany Harvestehuder Weg 47 20149 City: Hamburg Phone: 0049 - 40-413326 0 Fax: 0049 - 40-413326 19 Email: gen-kons-et-hh@gmx.de, eg.con_hamburg@mfa.gov.eg Office Hours: Application: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 12:00 Collection: Monday to Friday from 14:00 to 15:00 Closed on Egyptian and German holidays.

Egyptian Embassy in Athens, Greece Embassy of Egypt in Greece Vassilissis Sofias Av No. 3 106 71 City: Athens Phone: 210 36 18 612 13 Fax: 210 36 03 538 Email: emb.egypt@yahoo.gr, eg.emb_athens@mfa.gov.eg

Egyptian Embassy in Budapest, Hungary Embassy of Egypt in Hungary 1124 Budapest, Istenhegyi ut 7/b City: Budapest Phone: (+361) 225-2150 [Visa Section and Consular Affairs: (+361) 225-2155] Fax: (+361) 225-8596 Email: egyemb@pronet.hu, eg.emb_budapest@mfa.gov.eg Office Hours: Mo Fr: 9:00 17:00

Egyptian Embassy in Dublin, Ireland Embassy of Egypt in Ireland 12 Clyde Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 City: Dublin Phone: +353-1-6606718

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Fax: +353-1-6683745 Email: info@embegyptireland.ie

Egyptian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan Embassy of Egypt in Japan 1-5-4 Aobadai Meguro-ku 153-0042 City: Tokyo Phone: 03-3770-8022(3) Fax: 03-3770-8021 Web Site: http://www.embassyavenue.jp/egypt/ Email: egyptemb@mc.kcom.ne.jp

Egyptian Embassy in Oslo, Norway Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Norway Drammensveien 90 A N - 0244 City: Oslo Phone: +47 22 44 77 67 or +47 23 08 42 00 Fax: +47 22 56 22 68 Web Site: http://www.egypt-embassy.no/ Email: Counsellor@egypt-embassy.no Office Hours: 09.00-15.00

Egyptian Embassy in Bucharest, Romania Embassy of Egypt in Romania 67, Dacia Blvd Bucharest City: Bucharest Phone: (4021) 2110938 - 2110939 Fax: (4021) 2100337 Email: Embassyofegypt@gmail.com Office Hours: The Chancellery Monday to Friday; from 0900 to 1700 The Consular section Monday to Friday; from 0900 to 1400

Egyptian Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden Embassy of Egypt in Sweden Strandvagen 35 PO Box 14230, 10440 City: Stockholm Phone: (46 8) 662 9687 or 662 9603 or 660 3145 Fax: (46 8) 661 2664

Egyptian Embassy in Bern, Switzerland Embassy of Egypt in Switzerland

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Elfenauweg 61 3006 Bern City: Bern Phone: 031 352 80 12 / 13 Fax: 031 352 06 25 Office Hours: Opening hours: Monday Friday 09.00 14.00

Egyptian Consulate in Geneva, Switzerland Consulate General of Egypt in Switzerland 47, route de Florissant 1206 Geneva City: Geneva Phone: 022 347 62 55 Fax: 022 346 05 71 Office Hours: Opening hours: Monday Friday 09.00 15.00

Egyptian Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands Embassy of Egypt in The Hague, Netherlands Badhuisweg 92 2587CL The Hague Netherlands City: The Hague Phone: +31 (0) 70-354 20 00, +31 (0) 70-354 45 35 Fax: +31 (0) 70-354 33 04 Office Hours: From 8.30 a.m. To 15.30 p.m. (Daily except Saturdays & Sundays)

Egyptian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey Embassy of Egypt in Turkey

Ataturk Bulvari NO.126, 06680 Kavaklidere, Ankara P.O BOX 06680 Phone: (90312)4684647/4261026/4266478 Fax: (90312)4270099 Email: egankara@yahoo.com

Egyptian Consulate in Ankara, Turkey Consulate General 173, Cevdetpasa Cadbebek, Istanbul P.O BOX 37 P. K. 80810 Phone: (90212)2652440 -2636038 Fax: (90212) 2574428 Telex 26087

Email: miscons-ist@emailaccount.com

Egyptian Embassy in London, United Kingdom Embassy of Egypt in London, United Kingdom 2 Lowndes Street London SW1X 9ET City: London Phone: 020 7235 9777 Fax: 020 7235 6562 Email: info@egyptianconsulate.co.uk

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Egyptian Consulate in London, United Kingdom Consulate of Egypt in London, United Kingdom 2 Lowndes St. London SW1X 9ET City: London Phone: 020 7235 9777 Fax: 09065 540 833 Email: consulate.london@mfa.gov.eg Office Hours: Opening Hours: Monday-Friday Applications: 9:30 - 12:30 Collections: 14:30 - 16:00 same day

Egyptian Embassy in Warsaw, Poland Embassy of Egypt in Warsaw Ul. Alzcka 18, 03-972 , Warsaw Phone: +4822-6176973 +4822-6161369 +4822-6161367 Fax: +4822-6179058 Email: embassyofegypt@neostrada.pl

Egyptian Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal Embassy of Egypt in Lisbon

Av. D. Vasco Da Gama, 8 Restelo, Lisbon Phone: +351-213018301 +351-213018342 +351-213018232 Fax: +351-213017909

Egyptian Embassy in Madrid, Spain Embassy of Egypt in Madrid Velazquez 69 , Madrid

Phone: +34-91-5776308 +34-91-5776309 +34-91-5776310 Fax: +34-91-5781732 Email: info@ecros.org

Egyptian Embassy in Washington D.C., United States Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the United States 3521 International Ct. N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 United States City: Washington D.C. Phone: (+1) (202) 8955400 Fax: (+1) (202) 2444319 Email: embassy@egyptembdc.org

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Egyptian Consulate in Houston, United States Consulate of Egypt in Houston, United States City: Houston Phone: (713)961 4915 (713)9614916 (713)9614407 Fax: (713) 9613868 Office Hours: = From 9:00 AM Till 3:00 PM. = Deliveries From 9:00 AM TO 12:00 PM. = Pick Up Next Day @ 2:30. = Working Day: All Weekdays Except Saturday, Sunday And Public Holyday.

Description: The Consulate Covers 11 States, They Are: Alabama Arkansas Colorado Kansas Louisiana Mississippi Missouri New Mexico Oklahoma Tennessee Texas. = There Are Approximately Thirty Five Thousands Egyptian Nationals Or American From Egyptian Decent The Above Mentioned States.

Egyptian Consulate in New York, United States Consulate of Egypt in New York, United States 1110 Second Avenue, Suite # 201 NY, 10022 City: New York Phone: +212-759-7120/1/2 Fax: +1212-308-7643 Web Site: http://www.egyptnyc.net/ Email: info@egyptnyc.net

Egyptian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand Address : 49, Sol Ruam Rudee, Ploenchit road Bangkok 10330 Telephone : (66) 2530161 / 2538138 / 2535914 Fax : (66) 2549489

Egyptian Embassy in Tunisia Address : Mohamed El Khames st, Monblezer, Roti 6, Nahg 8007 Telephone : (21) 792233 Fax : (21) 794389

Embassy of Egypt in Slovenia Address: Opekarska cesta 18a, Ljubljajna Phone: + 386 (0) 1 429 54 20 Fax: + 386 (0) 1 283 91 22 E-mail: embassyofegypt@yahoo.com

Egyptian Embassy in Russian Federation

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Address: 12 Krapotkinsky Per. Moscow, Russia Phone: LOCAL: (0495) 246.0234 INTERNATIONAL: +7.495.246.0234 Fax: LOCAL: (0495) 246.1064 INTERNATIONAL: +7.495.246.1064 E-mail: egyemb_moscow@yahoo.com

Embassy of Egypt in Slovakia Address: Feriencikova 14, Bratislava 1, Slovakia Phone: LOCAL: (02) 5296.1474 INTERNATIONAL: +421.2.5296.1474 Fax: LOCAL: (02) 5296.7791 INTERNATIONAL: +421.2.5296.7791

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The VISA guide Finally, it’s all at your fingertips!

In this precious part of the LEARN MORE, you can find information about the embassy of your desired country. Along with the contact information, you can find further deep information about the documents required for the process of Visa extraction. Moreover, you can find out how much it costs and how long it takes to obtain your Visa.

This section has taken huge effort to be here. However, it’s my duty to inform you that it’s of utter importance to review the required documents whenever you get in touch with your desired country’s embassy, for you can never know if there’re updates, extra required documents, or any other unexpected requirements.

Please note that all these information were collected directly from the embassies, and so, your experience may differ. It’s better to check everything yourself and to make sure you have all the updated information.

Also please excuse the shortage of information about some embassies. We are doing our best to update this part frequently.

Please click on your desired country, to view its embassy in Egypt.

Bosnia Brazil Czech Republic Denmark Finland Germany Hungary Italy Macedonia Mexico Poland Portugal Romania Serbia Spain Tunisia The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVI NA (REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA): The Embassy: 42 Al Sawra Al Dokki Cairo Phones: + (00 202) 374 99 191 / + (00 202) 374 99 192 Fax: + (00 202) 374 99 190 Email: ambbih@link.net Documents required for visa extraction:

1. Original copy of official invitation letter 2. Other documents will be required after acceptance of the invitation letter Issuing time: Around 3-5 days

BRAZIL: The Embassy: 1125, Corniche El Nil Ave. – Maspero Cairo 11561 – Egypt Tel +20 2 2577-3013/2576-1466 Fax +20 2 2577-4860 E-mail: brasemb@soficom.com.eg Website: www.brazilembcairo.org/ Opening hours: Sundays to Thursdays, except holidays, from 09:00 to 15:00 hours Documents Required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Visa form filled out in English One photograph (passport size/clear back); Valid passport (minimum six months); Round-trip airway ticket to Brazil; Statement of personal bank account for the past three months; Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) Interview with Consular Authority; Payment of Consular fees.

Official invitation letter

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CZECH REPUBLIC: The Embassy: 4, Dokki Street, Giza, Egypt Tel.: 0020 - 2 - 33315333 Fax: 0020 - 2 - 37485892 E-mail: cairo@embassy.mzv.cz Website: http://www.mzv.cz/cairo/en/index.html Opening hours: Sunday - Thursday, 08:30 - 15:00 Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Completed visa application form Valid passport One passport size photo Confirmed itinerary / airline reservation or airline ticket Proof of sufficient funds (recent bank statement) with a minimum of 10100 EGP Official invitation letter Travel insurance Visa fees (around 500 EGP) Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid)

N.B: Application is only by appointment. You can make an appointment by calling (+202) 333 15 205

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DENMARK: The Embassy: 12, Hassan Sabri Street Zamalek 11211 Cairo Tel.: (+20 2) 273 96500 Fax: (+20 2) 273 96588 caiamb@um.dk Website: www.ambkairo.um.dk/en/ Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Application form Official invitation letter Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) Bank statement 2 passport size photos Valid passport and previous passports Fees: 430LE Travel insurance Preliminary booking of flight tickets

N.B: You have to call for an appointment between 8:00 and 8:30am. It might take from 7-14 days to get an appointment.

Issuing time: around 10 days

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FINLAND: The Embassy: 3 Abu El-Feda Street,13th floor 11211 Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt Tel. +20 2 2736 3722 Fax. +20 2 2737 1376 E-mail sanomat.kai@formin.fi Website: www.finland.org.eg Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday from 9:00am-12:00pm Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Application form 1 recent passport size photo on white background Valid passport Extraction fees: 60 euro or equivalent in EGP Official invitation letter Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) Bank statement covering transactions during last 6 months Travel insurance (minimum coverage 30000 euro) Preliminary booking of flight tickets

Issuing time: Around 2 weeks

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GERMANY: The Embassy: Address: 2, Sh. Berlin (off Sh. Hassan Sabri) Zamalek /Cairo Telephone number of the visa section: (00202) 2728-2178 Telephone hours of the visa section: Sundays to Wednesdays: 10.00a.m to 12.00 am and 01.00 pm to 04.00 pm Thursdays: 10.00 am to 01.00 pm Fax number of the visa section: (00202) 2728-2036 Website: http://www.kairo.diplo.de Opening hours: Sundays to Thursdays from 08.00am until 12.00pm Documents required for visa extraction:

1. Completed visa application form (available on website) 2. Valid passport + any old passports, photocopy of all passports.

3. 2 photos, light grey background, 3.5 x4.5 cm, front profile with the face filling three fourths of the photo 4. Bank statement covering transactions during last 6 months 5. Official invitation letter 6. Travel insurance (you have to mention to the country that it is for Germany) 7. Visa fees: 470 EGP 8. Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) 9. Photocopy of all submitted documents N.B: Application is only by appointment. You can make an appointment by calling 0900 70678.

Holders of Vodafone Mobiles can also dial the number 2101 daily from 08.00 a.m. to 08.00 p.m.

For each call Vodafone charges L.E. 2.00 (only two Egyptian pounds) for each minute.

If you do not want to make use of the Vodafone service, you are free to arrange an appointment directly at the Visa Section of the Embassy free of charge. In this case, please appear in person with your passport at the Visa Section of the Embassy. This service is offered every Monday between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

You can cancel appointments at the following telephone number: 02-25293955 (land line).

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HUNGARY: The Embassy: 29. Mohamed Mazhar Str. Zamalek Phone: +20-2-7356478 +20-2-7358659 +20-2-7358634 Fax: +20-2-7358648 Email: huembcairo@tedata.net.eg Documents required for visa extraction:

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Valid passport and photocopy Official invitation letter Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) Two recent passport size photos Visa application form Preliminary booking of flight ticket Travel insurance Bank statement Issuing fees: 60 euro

N.B: Application is only by appointment. You can make an appointment by calling 2101 from any mobile phone or 090070678 from any landline.

Issuing time: Around 2 weeks

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ITALY: The Embassy: 15, Abdel Rahman Fahmy Str. Garden City – Cairo Tel: +20 (0)2 27943194 - 27943195 - 27940658 Fax: +20 (0)2 27940657 E-Mail: ambasciata.cairo@esteri.it Consular Chancellery in Cairo: 24, El Galaa Str. Bulac - Cairo Tel: +20 02 27730109 - 27730110 Fax: +20 02 25770165 E-mail: consolare.cairo@esteri.it Website: http://www.ambilcairo.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Ilcairo Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday from 1 pm to 3 pm Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Issuing fees: 60 euro or equivalent in EGP Completed visa application form Official invitation letter Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) Recent passport size photo Valid passport Preliminary booking of flight ticket Health insurance policy with a minimum coverage of €30,000 for emergency hospital and repatriation expenses 9. Proof of sufficient funds with a minimum of 1043.28 euro or equivalent in EGP (e.g. bank statement) N.B: Application is only by appointment. To make an appointment by telephone: call Vodafone Call Center at 090070678 (landline) or 2101 (Vodafone mobiles). Call fee is 2 LE / min. or, as an

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alternative, address to the telephone, fax or the email of the Consular Chancellery, everyday (Friday and Saturday excluded) from 1 pm. to 3 pm.

By calling the Vodafone Visa Appointment Center (every day between 8 am and 8 pm) you can: - book an appointment for the Visa Office in Cairo - receive information on the documents required to apply for a Schengen Visa.

Issuing time: Around 10 days

MACEDONIA: The Embassy: Street 213, Degla, Maadi, Cairo Egypt Phone: +2 012 7383150 Fax: +202-25172122 Email: dkpkairo@mfa.gov.mk Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Valid passport Official invitation letter Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) A recent passport size photo Travel insurance Issuing fees: 15 euro on application and 22 euro on receiving the visa

Issuing time: Around 3 weeks

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MEXICO: The Embassy: Address: 17 Port Said, 5th floor, Maadi, Cairo, 11431 Phone: +20-2-2358-0256 +20-2-2358-0258 +20-2-2358-0259 Fax: +20-2-2359-1887 Website URL: www.sre.gob.mx/egipto/ E-mail: oficial@embamexcairo.com Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday from 09:30 to 13:30 Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Valid passport +photocopy 1 front profile photo, white background, 3.5x4.5 cm Bank statement covering transactions during last 3 months Official invitation letter Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid)

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POLAND: The Embassy: 5 El Aziz Osman Str. Zamalek Phone: +20-2-27355416 Fax: +20-2-27355427 Email: sahafa@bolanda.org Website URL: www.bolanda.org Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

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6.

7.

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Valid passport and photocopy Official invitation letter Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) Two recent passport size photos Visa application form Preliminary booking of flight ticket Travel insurance Bank statement

Issuing time: Around 3 weeks

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PORTUGAL: The Embassy: El Saleh Ayoub Street no 1, 3d floor, apt no 31 Phone: +20-2-27350779 +20-2-27350781 Fax: +20-2-27350790 +20-2-27350799 Email: embpcai@link.com.eg Website: http://www.secomunidades.pt/web/cairo/ Opening hours: From Monday to Friday, from 09h to 12:00 h. and 13:30 to 15:30 Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Valid passport Bank statement covering transactions during last 6 months Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) Recent passport size photo (white background) Travel insurance Official invitation letter which must be faxed directly to the embassy from the hosting university

N.B: Application is only by appointment. You can make an appointment by calling 2101 from any mobile phone.

Issuing time: Around 22 days

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ROMANIA: The Embassy: 6, El-Kamel Mohamed Street Zamalek Phone: +20-2-27360107 Fax: +20-2-27360851 Email: roembegy@link.net Website: www.cairo.mae.ro Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 10:00 to 13:00 Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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Valid passport + photocopy Bank statement Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) 2 recent passport size photos (light background) Travel insurance + photocopy Official invitation letter Confirmed booking of flight tickets In case you don't have any previous tourist visas from Europe, the US, Canada or Japan you will to

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SERBIA: The Embassy: 33, Al Mansour Mohamed St. Zamalek Phone: +20-2-27354061 +20-2-27365494 +20-2-27367094 Fax: +20-2-7353913 Email: yugoemb_kairo@yahoo.com Opening hours: Monday and Wednesday from 10:00a.m to 1:00pm Documents required for visa extraction:

1. Official invitation letter 2. Bank statement in your name or a parent's name together with your birth certificate 3. Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) 4. 1 passport size photo 5. Valid passport 6. Preliminary booking of flight ticket 7. Travel insurance Issuing time: Around 11 days

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SPAIN: The Embassy: 41, Ismail Mohamed Cairo Tel: 2735 58 13 Fax: 2735 36 85 Email: embespeg@mail.mae.es Opening hours: Sunday- Thursday from 10:00 to 15:00, Consular section: Sunday- Thursday from 8:00 to 9:00

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SWITZERLAND: The Embassy: 10, Abdel Khalek Sarwat Street 11511 Cairo Tel. +202 2575 82 84 Fax +202 2574 52 36 Website: http://www.eda.admin.ch/cairo Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday 09:00-12:00 Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Application form filled out in English or German Issuing fees: equivalent of 60.- € to be paid in EGP Official invitation letter Valid passport Photocopies of the first 3 pages of passport and all valid visas Two recent passport size photos Solvency proof (bank account statement showing the movements for the last three months). Each person must have at least CHF 100.00 for every day of stay.

8. International Travel Insurance, package for medical, hospital, accident, medication.

The insurance must cover the minimum amount of EUR 30’000.--.

N.B: Visa applicants are required to book an appointment in order to file their visa application.

The Call Centre is working from Sunday to Thursday, from 08h00 to 11h00, except on official holidays.

Call Centre in Egypt: 012 600 38 11 Charge: local telephone costs Issuing time: Around 10 days

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TUNISIA: The Embassy: Website: http://www.tunisianembassyincairo.com/4.html Documents required for visa extraction:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Valid passport + 2 photocopies of the 3rd and 4th pages Official invitation letter + 2 photocopies Certificate of enrollment (shehadet kaid) 2 passport size photos 2 application forms obtainable at the chancellery during official working hours

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The Required Documents The place that makes your pre-exchange era much easier!

In this part of the Learn More, you’ll find an enormous amount of information about most of the documents that concerns you either before you apply for your Visa extraction process at the desired country’s embassy, or what the hosting organization requires for you to be able to have a clerkship at the hospital.

Most of the documents that concern you at the moment would be the travel health insurance which is a mandatory document; required at the embassy and by your hosting organization. In this part we’ll provide major 3 insurance companies in Egypt that provide such document. You’ll be able to take a look at and compare prices, places, and contact information.

Another major problem would be the vaccination and/or screening tests required invariably by most of the hosting organizations, especially when it’s about a professional and/or clinical form of exchange.

Please beware that we’ve done our best to provide the most recent and updated data for you.

However, you may face slight or major changes in price plans, contact information; depending on the facility that provides the service.

Again please note that this article is only a guide; information may be incomplete or inaccurate.

It remains your responsibility to prepare the necessary documents.

TRAVEL INSURANCE These are examples of some insurance companies which sell travel insurance policies. The provided prices are approximated and may slightly differ on buying the policy. There is no difference between the companies except the price of the policies; basically all the policies have similar conditions. You must provide the exact departure and arrival dates as those you provide in the embassy.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY COMPANY.IT IS YOUR CHOICE WHICH COMPANY TO DEAL WITH, WHETHER INCLUDED IN THIS ARTICLE OR NOT. Please click on a company to be directed to:

Delta Insurance Company Allianz AMIG

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Delta insurance company: PO Box 32, 14 Hassan El-Razzaz (Nawal), Agouza, Cairo.

Phone: 02-33352045 Fax: 202 33358990 Price plans: 1 month travel insurance policy for European countries: 192 EGP 1 month travel insurance policy for Canada: 382 EGP The only required document is your passport and the policy is issued right away.

Allianz: Branches Maadi Office: 54 Road 261, Maadi 11431 Tel: (202) 2522 0200 / 99 Heliopolis Office: 67 Horreya St., Heliopolis 11341 Tel: (202) 2413 92 00 Fax: (202) 2413 9299 Nasr City Office: 10/4 A Misr Taameer Buildings - Free Zone Nasr City Tel: (202) 2274 1814 Fax: (202) 2274 8506 Price plans: 1 month travel insurance policy for European countries or Tunisia: 225 EGP 1 month travel insurance policy for Mexico or Brazil: 371 EGP 1 month travel insurance policy valid worldwide except in the US: 290 EGP 1 month travel insurance policy valid worldwide including the US: 371 EGP 1 month travel insurance policy for Canada: 371 EGP The only required document is your passport and the policy is issued in 1 day.

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AMIG: Email: Mail@Amig.com.eg Hotline: 19901 Phone: Head Office: (002) (02) 24517620 - 24517622 - 24517624 Fax: (002) (02) 24517595 - 24517597 Address: 13 Ma'ahad ishteraki St., Merryland, Heliopolis, Cairo Branches: Nasr City (1): 29, El-Batrawy St., Nasr City, Cairo Phone: (002) (02) 22623517 – 24033012 Fax: (002) (02) 22623507 Medical Department: (002) (02) 22635137 Nasr City (2): Free Zone-Block (12), Building (1), Hai El Sefarat Phone: (002) (02) 22701930 Fax: (002) (02) 22701930 Mohandessin: 17 Syria St., Mohandessin, Giza Phone: (002) (02) 33053942 - 33053943 Fax: (002) (02) 33053923 Down Town: 28, Talaat Harb St., Down Town, Cairo Phone: (002) (02) 25788306; (002) (02) 25787908 Fax: (002) (02) 25788316 Price plans: 1 month travel insurance policy for European countries: 195 EGP 1 month travel insurance policy for Canada: 409 EGP 1 month travel insurance policy for Tunisia: 335 EGP The only required document is your passport and the policy is issued right away.

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VACCINATIONS VACSERA: Address: 51 Wizaret El-Zeraa-Agouza-Giza-Egypt , Zip-Code: 22311 Telephone: (+202) 376 111 11 Fax: (+202) 333 698 72 (+202) 374 831 87 (+202) 376 091 77 E-mail: ceo@vacsera.com Website: www.vacsera.com Vaccines: HBV: Three doses at o, 1, 6 months. Each dose costs 20 EGP DT: Either one booster dose or, the full regimen at o, 1, 6 months. In both cases one dose costs 20 EGP PLEASE REMEMBER TO ASK FOR A VACCINATION CERTIFICATE IN ENGLISH, AS NO ARABIC DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED ABROAD. Investigations: Tuberculin: It takes 48 hrs and costs 35 EGP. If positive, you will have to do a chest x-ray.

CBC: Costs 29 EGP, results are available in 24 hrs SGOT, SGPT, Bilirubin: Each costs 17 EGP, results are available in 24 hrs Gamma-GT: Costs 23 EGP, results are available in 24 hrs Urea, Creatinin: Each costs 14 EGP, results are available in 24 hrs HIV: Costs 57 EGP, results are available in 48 hrs HbsAg: Costs 45 EGP, results are available in 48 hrs HCV: Costs 38 EGP, results are available in 48 hrs Wasserman: Costs 34 EGP, results are available in 48 hrs

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The FEEDBACK Page IT’S ALWAYS BETTER TO READ FROM THEM…

Welcome to the main core of the LEARN MORE. The authors of the LEARN MORE consider this part the most important of all, and so, they have worked really hard to get this enormous amount of recent feedbacks from the previous exchange students.

To get feedbacks from the students, there was a certain unified design for the feedback, which is the feedback form. However, this feedback is considered to be a major update to an older version which you may rarely find among the collected feedbacks. We’re sorry about this old version as it contains less information, but it – as well – has the information that you need the most.

You can check an empty feedback form by clicking here.

Please note in the form that, we’ve asked the students to fill in all the fields, and answer all the questions. Still, they have all the right to use answers like, I don’t know or I don’t remember.

However, you may always find questions that are left with no answers. So please consider the answers for these questions as “I don’t know, or I don’t remember”.

Although it’s very notable among almost all the feedbacks that the general concept of the forms is mainly the “FUN” all the students have had, you might find a minority who haven’t had much fun as they expected. But still, they all would go again for their clerkships.

When you read the feedback of your desired city, you’ll get an idea about almost all the aspects of this city and/or country. From the social program to the scientific program, you’ll know almost all what you need to know.

Never forget that the main clue of the program is to “find out for yourself”. There’s always a chance that you find old or wrong information when you get to your city, but remember, that’s what the program about. So, after all, please don’t worry, and get prepared for your clerkship.

The only thing that is for sure is that you will pass through a lifetime experience.

Please move to the next page and find your country among the countries list…

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COUNTRIES LIST PLE ASE CLI CK ON THE COUNTRY AND YOU WILL BE DI RECTED TO ITS PAGE, I N THE PAGE YOU CAN CHO OSE AMONG CI TIES WITHIN THI S COUNTRY. YOU CAN ALSO FI ND MORE THAN ONE FEEDBACK FOR THE SAME CI TY.

AUSTRIA CROATIA CZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK FRANCE GERMANY GREECE HUNGARY ITALY POLAND ROMANIA SERBIA SPAIN SWEDEN MACEDONIA TUNISIA TURKEY THE UNITED KINDGOM WE ARE VERY SORRY , FEEDBACKS ARE NOT AV AILABLE FOR ALL THE COUNTRIES, BUT Y OU CAN GET A GENERAL IDE A ABOUT THE PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE AVAIL ABLE FEEDBACKS …

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Austria VIENNA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Austria City of exchange: Vienna University and/or Hospital of exchange: AKH HOSPITAL Month of exchange: JULY Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: CLINICAL

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? YES How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 10 DAYS Was it easy to prepare the required documents? YES How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 10 DAYS How many times did you apply for this Visa? ONE TIME How much did your Visa cost? NOTHING it is for free How many days was your Visa valid for? 1 MONTH Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? It is better to get the visa as early as possible because sometimes it took so much time to be done and some people need to go to the embassy more than once

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FLIGHT DETAILS

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Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes because I booked it 2 months before travelling How much was the flight ticket? 3600 How many hours did the flight take? 3 and half What was your flight agency? Egypt air

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Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes it was so easy:I followed the map

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: - Did you have to pay any extra funds ?yes I paid 50 euros for the room in the hostel and 25 euros for getting the internet to my room How many people stayed in your room? It was a double room What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? bosnian How clean was the room? It was so clean like a 5 stars hotel Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes it was so good What were the facilities provided in your room? Internet, Fridge, 4 closets, 2 bathrooms and there was a kitchen in each floor with another locker and a tv and fridge and kitchen stuffs Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? I had 2 windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom? It was so clean [as I told you it was like a s5 stars hotel] How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Yes there was a washing mashine in the main floor But it was for 2 euros each time u use it What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? There were a gym and a kitchen and a tv in each floor How did you get your food cooked? I cooked like if I was at home because all the kitchen stuffs were there I only needed to buy food stuffs but not dishes or forks or any of those and there were a microwave and a boiler in the kitchen in addition to 2 ovens ,,,,so everything was there Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? No 4-

THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? It was so easy because most of them speak english Did you have any problems using English? No not at all What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? If it is possible german What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? 5 to 6 hours per day The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country :stephanplatz and shonbrum and a lot o f palaces I don't remember the names What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? I went to Budapest and prague How did you travel from one city to the other?yes by train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? About 1000 euro each time I travelled Please describe the night life… a lot of pop clubes but I never went there with the other student I stayed in my room and entered online and may be stayed with girls in my room talking and having fun Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) no need of visa because it in shingen How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By train because it is safer tha bus but more expensive What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Stephan platz church

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? It was easy everywhere I go How expensive do you consider the country? It was ok but healthy food like fruits and salads where a little bit expensive but other than that it was ok Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? About 1500 euros What is the currency of the country?euros One Egyptian pound equals? 1 euro equal 8 pounds Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No I got 70 euros for the food of the month How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards? No Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? No How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? No How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? There were street of marie's who was full of shops What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Umbrella and a very good coat because it rains a lot How much were the discounts? No discount The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? 5 to 8 euros How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) yes because there were a Turkish restaurant next to the hostel so eat there a lot How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? I got money they didn't provide anything How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 60 from mexico france spain hungary swiiss America canada brasil ,…………………..

Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet How do you still keep in touch with these friends? yes Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? By mobile and internet Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? Yes How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 10 euros How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 14 pounds per minute How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 6 pounds per minute How did you find an internet access? yes How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 25 euros Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the ? no

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week?

How many hours did you spend in there everyday?

How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By train How much does this transportation cost? 50 euros for the month ticket What was the original topic of your study? Otorhinology Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Clinical and a saw operations too Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? So friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?yes they were so nice Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? U have to work hard to learn a lot How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 2 students austrian Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Much more clean and hygienic and more confortable What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

I don't know:may be apply infection control and quality assurance stuffs will me make our hospital better How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?yes of course I had a clinical practice and I knew how to communicate with patients What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?it was a lot of work 6 hours a day and there were talking germany so everytime they had to translate to me ,,,,,,,

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

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Name: Raneem S. Al-Sharif Year of study: 5th Home University: Alexandria Mobile phone: 0102776185 Email address: sharifr3@yahoo.com

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6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Austria City of exchange: Vienna University and/or Hospital of exchange: AKH, Vienna General Hospital Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional Exchange

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 1 week Was it easy to prepare the required documents? yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 2 weeks How many times did you apply for this Visa? once How much did your Visa cost? Nothing, free for students How many days was your Visa valid for? 28 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? no

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? yes How much was the flight ticket? Around 3000 How many hours did the flight take? 3 hrs 45 mins What was your flight agency? Egypt air Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

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Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) How many people stayed in your room? Only me What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Very clean Did you feel comfortable in this room? yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) fridge, Internet,1 closet 1 desk 1 bed, bathroom, toilet.

Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? internet Did you have windows or balconies in your room? windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom? yes How did you get your clothes cleaned up? no What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? TV room, Gym, & Tennis table How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief Microwave, fridge, oven Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Yes but not always Did you have any problems using English? no What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Dutch What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? From Monday till Friday.. they close at 7:00pm Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? graz How did you travel from one city to the other? train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Summer ticket for all the cities in the month aroud 35 euros Please describe the night life…

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Germany, Slvakia, & Czech , no extra visa How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Train or bus What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? The whole trip & all the places

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

How expensive do you consider the country? expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Around 800 euros What is the currency of the country? euro One Egyptian pound equals? 1/7 euros Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Yes for lunch If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once: once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Told us how to get a cheap one Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) very useful especially in museums Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? no What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? no

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) around 6 euros per day Please state some native dishes of this country . potatoes dishes How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) not in the first week, but then yes How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? one How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 20 days What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 . 5 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things . water bottle 0.9 euros

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 40 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet . Italian, Japanese, Taiwanese, Portuguese, Dutch, Tunisian, Spanish, Canadian, How do you still keep in touch with these friends? yes Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Phone & internet Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? both How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 14 euros How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access? In my room How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 1o euros + 4 euros for the cable Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? no Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? no During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

Yes once, but couldn’t steal ;) Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? no

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? underground How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Cardiology department Did you change this topic and study another field? no Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? no What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? good How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes, yes The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? no What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 7 Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

No comment, sure there's much better What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Lots..

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes sure What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

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Croatia Osijek Rijeka OSIJEK -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Croatia City of exchange: Osijek University and/or Hospital of exchange: Osijek Hospital Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section.

Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? None Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 15 Days How many times did you apply for this Visa? None How much did your Visa cost? 30 Dollars How many days was your Visa valid for? 30 Days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3000 LE How many hours did the flight take? 4 hours What was your flight agency? Turkish airline Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) Nope How many people stayed in your room? One What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? Cyprus How clean was the room? Yes Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (Internet, Fridge, two closets, one bathroom) Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom? It was super clean How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Washing machine What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? TV, Internet How did you get your food cooked? In the kitchen, knives, forks, oven, cups, spoons, soap Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? It was my best accommodation I ever had in all my exchanges.

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Easy Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Croatian What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Days from Monday till Friday (from 9 till 2) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country … All country is beautiful What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Zagreb How did you travel from one city to the other? Train & Bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Not more than 80 LE Please describe the night life… Like any European Country, and it’s only on Saturdays.

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) didn’t visit any How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Airplane What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Dubrovnik

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Didn’t try any How expensive do you consider the country? It’s cheap, almost like Egypt Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 3000 LE What is the currency of the country? Kuna One Egyptian pound equals? Equals 1.2 Kuna Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you travel with an ISIC card? No Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? In Zagreb, but there are better shopping in other countries What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Sports Clothes How much were the discounts? No discounts Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? 20 LE per day Please state some native dishes of this country. Don’t remember How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? It was easy just inform the hospital about your food, and you can find halal food in restaurants How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? Three How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals… 30 What do you think of the quality of these meals? From 0-10 it’s 8 How were these meals served? Hot, fresh The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please feel free to describe these meals, It differs from day to day, mostly they were beef, smashed potatoes, vegetable soup, salad, chicken, pasta, rice, bread, water.

If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things , bottle of water costs 3 LE

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 15 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Portugal, Cyprus, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Slovakia, Russia How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Mail Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there.

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Phone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Phone line from the country How much did you pay for it? 40 LE How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Don’t remember How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 0.5 LE How did you find an internet access? In hostel How much did you pay for it? Didn’t pay Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Was difficult Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

week?

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How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per 5 times How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Walking How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Orthopedics

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Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Orthopedics Please classify your study (operations) How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? So friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes, it was easy in communication Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Yes What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Nice relation between them and patients How many students were there studying with you in the same field? None Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Hygiene & equipments What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Pay more attention to medical facilities and equipments How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes, it’s easier to learn what you have practiced What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Nothing, it was perfect

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mena Nashat 2Year of study: house officer 3Home University: Tanta univ 4Mobile phone: 0020123701210 5Email address: ----------6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Croatia City of exchange: Osijek University and/or Hospital of exchange: Osijek university hospital Month of exchange: February Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: professional exchange

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Are you kidding?!!!!!!!

How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment?

U don't need an appointment, u go on the working days of the embassy and there is no much pressure on the Croatian embassy Was it easy to prepare the required documents?

Quiet ok , similar to the other embassies , one thing , u don't have to leave u passport or even to bring it with u in the interview as the other embassies , just a photo copy of the 1st 3 pages is enough How many days did it take to obtain your Visa?

From 20 days to 1 month, it depends but the minimum is 10 working days How many times did you apply for this Visa?

Once, but it always the same How much did your Visa cost?

Its increasing constantly, but the last thing i heared was 29 dollars for a single entry visa How many days was your Visa valid for?

The exact period of the exchange like in the invitation letter, in my case i was in February so it was 29 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? * U don't pay the visa fees in the embassy, u gotta pay it in the bank (credi agricole), it has a branch in el zamalek near the embassy so it’s better to go there early arround 8:30 not to stand in line then head to the embassy at 10 on the opening time :) U can pay in dollars or equivalent amount in Egyptian pounds, in a certain account number u can have from the embassy then u'll have the recipt to show in the embassy.

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book?

Yes, but u don't have many options to take to go to Zagreb, i think the checz airlines are the best for the budget and the quality.

How much was the flight ticket?

It depends on the season, but its arround 2800 in the winter and 3800 in the summer time.

How many hours did the flight take?

3 hours to Prague, then 1 hour to Zagreb.

What was your flight agency?

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I used (malev), the Hungarian airlines but it stopped its trips to Cairo so now u can go with the checz airlines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes, my contact person after i told them my arriving details Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport?

Yes, if u're in the capital its very easy, and if u're in a smaller town like in my exchange u 1 st gotta take take the train or the bus to the town then u'll take the bus to get to the hosting facility.

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: its usually a student hostel , very clean , modern , tidy and newly built , just 2 years ago , but in my case it was different as in my period of exchange ( february )there was no place in the hostel so i stayed in the university in a special unit .

Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room?

Usually you stay in a hostel of double bed rooms What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) I was alone How clean was the room?

Very clean Did you feel comfortable in this room?

Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …)

Usually it has 2 closets, 1 private bathroom, some shelfs, 2 beds, electricity and internet connections.

Did you have to pay for any of these facilities?

Internet monthly if you want to use it in the rooms, but there is an internet room in the hostel.

Did you have windows or balconies in your room?

A big window How reachable and clean was the bathroom?

U got a very clean private bathroom in your room How did you get your clothes cleaned up?

There is a laundry in the hostel What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Liberary, laundry, internet room, TV room, meeting room, a big hallway, bikes and car parking How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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There was a common kitchen in every floor provided with ovens, cookers, fridge and a microwave.

Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

You can smoke in special spots in the big hallway of the hostel, i don't remember about the rooms

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people?

Very easy going and kind people Did you have any problems using English?

Not with the young people of our age What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go?

Some Italian will be very useful, espicially at the coast line, and also german in the whole country.

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

Everyday except Saturday and Sunday, from 8 am to 4 pm, some times to 6 pm Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country plenty , the whole coast line including alot of cities ( rijeka , zadar , split , dubrovnik ) , a natural reserve (Plitvice jezera ) What are the other cities you had the chance to visit?

Zagreb, carlovac, slavonski brod, Osijek How did you travel from one city to the other?

Train and bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost?

Depend on the distance but the isic card does some reduction on the trains.

Please describe the night life…

More wild in Zagreb and less in the smaller towns, the peak is on Friday and Saturday usually, but in Osijek there is Thursday for students going out so it’s pretty wild.

The clubs starts to get paked arround mid night or 1 am and keep going till 4 or 5 am Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) with the croatian visa u can't go outside croatia , and u wanna have a multi entery visa u gotta wait till 4 month which i don't advice .

How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

Plitvice jezera

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use?

Credit cards or cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

Pretty ok How expensive do you consider the country?

Its quiet ok, the hostels are abit expensive for Eastern Europe, espicially at the sea side.

Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?

Arround 8 k What is the currency of the country?

Kuna One Egyptian pound equals?

1 or 1.2 Kuna Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization?

No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card?

How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Its useful in Croatia for some extent, it gives reduction for trains and some touristic areas entrance Do you recommend this city or country for shopping?

Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

I wandered through alot but spar was pretty good What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

Cloth and sovenirs and for sure cravattes (they invinted the cravatta :), the brand is Croatia) How much were the discounts? (If there were any) 20, 30, 50 % it depends according to the season Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

I didn't try it this time but usually its 22 % and u get it from the airport

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FOOD

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How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) Please state some native dishes of this country Churbanets (not sure of the spelling but it include dear meat) Karp fish (its a very nice fish plate comes from the river Drava espicially in slavonia reigon) Zagreb steak (a plate of chicken as i remember) How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) It’s not very common to find halal food but there is plenty of kebab stores, i guess in zagreb there is bigger varity How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day?

3 per day How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) Everyday except weekends, but i'm not sure about the weekends What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 it was very clean and healthy but maybe not very tasty , i can give it 7 or 8 out of 10 .

How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Fresh and u can have dinner box Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) Soap mainly with chicken, meat, vegetables, fish, salade, bread according to the menu of the day If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Don’t remember but its quiet ok, smiliar to other eastern European countries even less

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program?

None Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Croatians ;) How do you still keep in touch with these friends?

Still best friends till now Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there We went to do ice skating there, for Egyptian that’s weird ;)

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt?

Through internet, mobile phone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

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Definatly u gotta go for having a new sim card and use it, much better, much cheaper to do local and international calls, Most of our phones in Egypt are sim free so u can use it freely in Europe How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) The sim card is free and you pay for integrated credit, it was around 50 kunas How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

Around 5 kunas a minute How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

0.5 or 1 kuna a minute How did you find an internet access?

In the hostel How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Free of charge, students give u a user name and a password to use Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals?

Not at all Was it easy to reach mosques or churches?

Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country?

No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country?

No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week?

5 days a week, but if you want to go more u can How many hours did you spend in there everyday?

Around 5 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility?

Walking, bus or metro How much does this transportation cost?

Single way ticket is 8 kunas, but u can walk its not far What was the original topic of your study?

Gynecolgy and obestetrics Did you change this topic and study another field?

No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

I didn't try but u can move freely in the hospital The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

Clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you?

Very friendly and the staff were great, but they are abit busy so if u wanna learn u gotta ask How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Most of the time, some times the medical expressions in English was hard Do you still contact your doctors after you came back?

Sometimes What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

Descipline, working hard, caring for the scientific fidelity How many students were there studying with you in the same field?

Not much, maybe 1 or 2 Please state their nationalities Croatians What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

The technigues are similar but the possibilities are huge, students less in numbers so the difference was grand What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Increase utilities fund, better working conditions, renovation of our local hospitals, building new facilities and icrease doctors wages How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

In the present circumstanses, no What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

Its pretty short, 1 month is never enough to gain enough clinical experience or to know the country better I hope we can do like Mexico, as the student can choose between 1 month or 3 month period for exchange

RIJEKA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Hisham Mohsen Ahmed 2Year of study: 3rd year 3Home University: Zagazig Uni. 4Mobile phone: 0192985156 5Email address: H10_vip@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO?

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Croatia City of exchange: Rijeka city University and/or Hospital of exchange: Rijeka clinical Hospital Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Research

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section: Yes, I did How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? There wasn’t kind of interview, I applied for it just days after I received my invitation later on April I think “Was so early!”

Was it easy to prepare the required documents? I used the website of the embassy to prepare all documents required.

How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? I received it at June beginning as I was busy asking about it because of the exams…so cant tell exactly how does it take!

How many times did you apply for this Visa? Only once How much did your Visa cost? About 170 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 6 weeks Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? It just needs some patience from you when dealing with the stuff there

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Almost yes How much was the flight ticket? On Turkish airlines “the cheapest” = 3700 L.E How many hours did the flight take? As it wasn’t direct flight “without the transient time”=6hrs What was your flight agency? Turkish Airlines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Just in my city of destination, not at the Zagreb Airport Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes, it takes 2:30 by bus “more expensive” and 4:00 hrs by train “cheaper”.

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no at all How many people stayed in your room? 2 persons / room “luckily just luck I was alone!”

What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Perfect Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes, I did What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) net plug-in, 2 closets, 2 desks and chairs…

Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? One Window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Under continues cleaning.

How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Self-helping, through paying and using the laundry room What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? T.V. room, coffee and sweets machine and Computer with net connection How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief I didn’t use to cook there, but there were provided oven and fridge Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) I guess that’s enough!

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? No special difficulties Did you have any problems using English? Not so much problems What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Just English What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Everyday except Sunday Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country: Trsat Castle in Rijeka, the Roman coliseum in Pula city, the historical cities of Split & Dubrovnik, the National park of Plitvice beside the amazing islands and sightseeing all over the country!

What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Zagreb, Pula, Opatija, Plitvice, Supetar, Brac island, Split and Dubrovnik How did you travel from one city to the other? Mainly by Bus and few by trains How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? There was free bus transportation through the city.

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Please describe the night life…u can find people in the center of the city “Korzo”, night clubs and so on..

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) No, I didn’t How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? National Park of Plitivice and Dubrovnik city

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? More than easy!

How expensive do you consider the country? It is very expensive “described as the most expensive Eastern Europe Country” Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 1000$ was enough I guess!

What is the currency of the country? Kuna One Egyptian pound equals? Almost the same but Kuna is higher Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards? No Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card? Extremely Useful!!

Did you travel with an ISIC card? No, but It would be useful How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No, better to enjoy going out!

What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? I visited the tower center of Rijeka…must be visited What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? No specific items…

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) variable Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) Variable Please state some native dishes of this country Fish dishes!

How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) wasn’t so easy…Care is needed How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 2 meals The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) all the month What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10: may be 7 from 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) fried and smashed Potatoes were the main dish…

If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things 7 Kuna for water bottle and Soda, 9 Kuna for Pizza cut, 6-12 Kuna for ice-cream…

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? We were 42 students Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet: Spain,Macedonia,Italy,Germany,Romania,Hungary,Bosnia,Serbia,Lebanon,Israel,Portugal,Russ ia, Montenegro, Armenia, Turkey, Poland and Bulgaria…

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? In continues contact Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there no special accidents

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Through the internet and mobile Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Both How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) Tele 2 line = 25 Kuna How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Don’t remember How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Cheap and sometimes free if for the same mobile line!

How did you find an internet access? Free wire-less in the city center and net connection in my room as I had my own laptop How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? There was one mosque there Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No, just religious discussing The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

NO Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? NO

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 3 Times and it depends How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 3-4 hrs How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By Bus How much does this transportation cost? Free What was the original topic of your study? Anesthesia and ICU Did you change this topic and study another field? NO Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? YES What did you study in this country? I had been in many surgeries Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very helpful and friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes there was great Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No, but I can be What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Their cleverness and calmness How many students were there studying with you in the same field? No one Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Don’t know!

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

No thing special..just try to see how clean and well organized the places there How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

May be What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? That I was pre-clinical student so I had some difficulties to get everything so clearly

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Czech Republic BRNO -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Ahmed Hisham Gardoh 2Year of study: 5th 3Home University: Zagazig University 4Mobile phone: 0020121835043 5Email address: toa7med@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Czech Republic City of exchange: Brno University and/or Hospital of exchange: Masarykova University Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 25 Days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 25 Days How many times did you apply for this Visa? One time How much did your Visa cost? 500 Egyptian Pound = 60 Euros How many days was your Visa valid for? 30 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3500 LE How many hours did the flight take? 4 hours approximately What was your flight agency? Czech Airlines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room?

2 persons What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Egyptian Guy How clean was the room?

Good Did you feel comfortable in this room?

Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …)

Closet, Bed, Fridge, Bathroom Did you have to pay for any of these facilities?

Yes Did you have windows or balconies in your room?

Yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom?

Good How did you get your clothes cleaned up?

You have to pay for cleaning it in the hostel laundry What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Games room How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief In the student restaurant, there were cheap meals … chicken + meat + potatoes + soap + salads The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

No

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people?

Quite Easy Did you have any problems using English?

No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go?

German What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

Available in the official time, markets 7 days/week till 8 p.m., I didn't deal with any governmental offices Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country What are the other cities you had the chance to visit?

Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Munich How did you travel from one city to the other?

Student Agency (Bus Agency) + Trains How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost?

Cheap Please describe the night life…

Amazing Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Austria + Slovakia + Hungary (No extra visa) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Bus + Train What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

Prague

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use?

Cash + Credit card How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

Reachable How expensive do you consider the country?

Quite cheap The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?

750 euros What is the currency of the country?

Koruna One Egyptian pound equals?

1 E.P. = 2.5 KORUNA Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization?

YES If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once Once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) About 1800 LE Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation?

Yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

No Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

Completely free How useful was this card?

Very useful Did you travel with an ISIC card?

Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Very useful Do you recommend this city or country for shopping?

Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

Galareya Vankovka What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

Clothes + Souvenirs How much were the discounts? (If there were any) 50 % till 70 % Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

No

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FOOD

60 LE -

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) Please state some native dishes of this country

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Skanina (I am not sure about the spelling) + Langosh How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) Reachable How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day?

They gave me the pocket money instead of providing regular meals How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program?

30 students Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Russian , Spanish , Italian , Latvian , Egyptian , Portuguese , Greek , Bulgarian , Romanian , Macedonian , Serbian , Croatian , How do you still keep in touch with these friends?

Through Facebook + chatting from time to time Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt?

Using the rooming mobile service Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Yes How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 200 Koruna = 70 LE How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

I don't know How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access?

The internet lab in the University (Free of charge access 24/day) How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Free of charge Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals?

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No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches?

No Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country?

No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country?

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week?

5 times How many hours did you spend in there everyday?

4 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility?

Bus How much does this transportation cost?

Free of charge using the transportation card which my contact person gave to me What was the original topic of your study?

Ophthalmology Did you change this topic and study another field?

No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

No What did you study in this country?

Yes Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

Clinical + Operations How friendly were the doctors and professors to you?

Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Easy communication, yes they answered my questions Do you still contact your doctors after you came back?

No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field?

One more student Please state their nationalities Portuguese The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

I don’t want to answer What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

I don’t want to answer How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

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Denmark AARHUS -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Hatem Alaa 2Year of study: 5th 3Home University: Cairo 4Mobile phone: 010-1016243 5Email address: hatem.alaa@gmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? YES

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Denmark City of exchange: Āarhus University and/or Hospital of exchange: Århus Sygehus, Tage-Hansens Gade Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 22 days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 14 days, exactly as they said How many times did you apply for this Visa? once How much did your Visa cost? 500LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 1 month Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? You have to call the embassy before going to make sure you have all the right documents & an advice for all Schengen countries applicants, the travel insurance they ask for must end at least 2 weeks after your return date The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? Approx 3400LE How many hours did the flight take? I had a connection in Paris with Air France because SAS airlines traveling directly to Copenhagen are very expensive,almost double the price, soit was 4.5 hours to Paris,then 1.5 hours waiting then 2.5 hours from Paris to Copenhagen What was your flight agency? Air France (best offers were Air France & Austrian Airlines) Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Train station, not the airport Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes, in fact Copenhagen airport has a great advantage of having an underground train station in it so you don’t leave the airport, just take a train from there to the city you’re going to if you’re not staying in Copenhagen

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: A collegium ; it’s like a hostel , but with private single rooms but shared bathrooms & kitchens Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) 50 Euros as in insurance & took them back at the ned as nothing was damaged.

How many people stayed in your room? Only me, some other students shared though, it’s random according to the place you are allocated to, I was the only exchange student in that hospital as there are 3 hospitals in Aarhus belonging to the university, they weren’t in the same place What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) NONE , the other students in the city with me where (2 guys ; Ukrainian &Turkish & 5 girls; Croatian, Portuguese, Canadian, Indonesian& Turkish ) How clean was the room? Very clean Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V( yes, but no satellite channels, only the Danish news channel)., Internet(NO), Fridge(shared in the kitchen, they give you a shelf in it), how many closets(2) , sofa(no just a desk chair) , bathroom (shared, a small sink inside the room was suitable for washing hands, brushing teeth,…etc) Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? NO, there was an option of paying for laundry coupons but I didn’t need them Did you have windows or balconies in your room? 1 window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Close & clean The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How did you get your clothes cleaned up?

What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Mentioned before How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief (fully equipped kitchen; microwave,fridge,oven,dining table,you were allowed to use some public dishes & utensils as long as you left them as clean as you found them) Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? Sometimes (because all of the other students in the same collegium were Danish, I felt a little bit alien to the place, but I ddidnt stay a long time in it anyway, I was out most of the time touring around

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? English & German are widely used, however in the shops/supermarkets/many important places there are no sign in a language other than Danish, so u had to ask people Did you have any problems using English? People speak well, but no signs/any info written in English, u have to ask.

What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Eng/German, one of them is enough What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Monday to Friday, Saturday is a half day for shops, but no hospital & Sunday is a holiday everywhere Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country : Too many to state, but in Aarhus & Copenhagen & every other major city in Denmark there is a huge tourist office in every train station that gives an endless amount of brouchures for touristic places; the must sees in my opinion in Aarhus are The Steno Museum Moesgard museum, http://www.moesmus.dk/ ,Aarhus art museum ( ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum) & in Copenhagen; the little mermaid , the historical castles & Tivoli gardens (expensive ticket)

What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? With the arranged social programme ; Copenhagen & RØmo.I traveled with some friends and on my own to the outskirts of Copehagen Flensburg, (Germany) , SØnderborg & Helsinborg (Sweden). Traveling to Sweden is very easy from Copenhagen, only costs an amount equivalent to 40LE by a ferry (two directions) & takes 20 minutes How did you travel from one city to the other? Train, very expensive but I have a very good advice that you may find of use; there is a discount card that gives you a 50% discount in weekdays & 25% in weekends, the problems that you may face in making it is that the form is in Danish, so if you were in a hurry to catch up the train on the first day & someone will be waiting for you in the station, then you just pay a full ticket & make it later. If not, ask for someone to help you in filling it, the problem then is that you have to provide an address for them to send The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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the card to & it takes a 3-5 weeks period so a good thing that I did later (I wasn’t able to make it on the arrival day) is writing the address of one of my Danish friends there after asking him & they give you a temporary paper card that you can immediately use until the official card (which u might never be able to see like me) & it gives u discount on all your journeys :D How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Expensive. train from one city to another can cost up to an equivalent of 450LE especially in weekends. For Aarhus internal transport; bicycles is number 1 mean of transport, but I preferred the bus;one way ride is 20 Dkk there are discounted tickets ( clip ticket for 10 rides for 115 Dkk ;approx 125 LE available at Seven Eleven shops) and there is a free monthly pass that u buy but I didn’t get one so dunno where, so ask ur contact person abt that) Please dscribe the night life…

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Sweden, Germany :NO How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Germany by car of my friends (train first to the borders) & Sweden by a ferry from Copenhagen What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Aarhus has beautiful forests! & The nature is Super..

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? I had US dollars that I exchanged there; not many exchange offices only 1 or 2 in the city centre.

How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? A lot of ATM machines at the city centre & shopping places How expensive do you consider the country? EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE more than you can imagine, that’s the only disadvantage of Denmark, Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Cant estimate What is the currency of the country? Danish Kroners, NOT Euros One Egyptian pound equals? 1Dkk=1.2EGP , Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? no If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? no Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card? See before Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) useless in discounts, only useful as an ID Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? NOT AT ALL…if u can bring anything with u get it!! The food,clothes, everything is almost 10 times Egypt!

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What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Bruuns shopping centre & the city centre . I don’t recommend buying anything with less than 70% discount & the cheapest shop there is H&M What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? NONE How much were the discounts? (If there were any) : even with discounts, things are expensive Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? no

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day).I had breakfast & lunch at the hospital & allowed me to have a take away sandwich/dish for later. They also offered drinks(juice/cocoa milk).It was one of the best aspects about the accommodation. Food outside is very expensive, a cup of coffe in any caffee is for approx 30LE & a meal in a fancy restaurant may cost you up to 300LE & a McDonalds meal is approx 60LE ; the pepsi & 7-up 1litre bottle is approx ; 20LE Please state some native dishes of this country the best is Frikadellas (like Egyptian kofa; sometimes with beef but usually with pork) & salads especially potatoes salad & Fish in all types (best is smoked salmon) How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) . The hospital occasionally served chicken & fish dishes & you can always ask if there is pork in the food & people there are very considerate and respective of all beliefs.

How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? I had breakfast & lunch at the hospital.

How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) all working days in the hospital & they told me I can take food at the weekends from another hospital but I felt it was quite awkward to go to a strange place just for eating & I was out of town in all weekends anyway.

What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 (9) How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Variable Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) . Potatoes in every form (healthy form, not French fries), salads bar, fish, chicken, their bread is very hard (rye bread) & they use almost no grease / fat in cooking If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things See before () a bottleof water (small one) is for approx 15LE, but tap water was great, you can drink it.

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FRIENDS

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How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? See before Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet see before +we met students from other cities having exchange in Denmark from Taiwan, Kuwait,Russia,Spain & Brazil How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Faceebok,emails Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Intenret,available at hospital + SMSs Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Bought a phone line, available at Seven eleven shops (Lebara company provided best offers) How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 50Dk for the line (SIM card) & the smallest credit unit was 100Dkk How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Don’t know exactly, used it for SMSs mainly, How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access? Hospital….internet café is very expensive & few (2oDkk per hour) & some libraries have free internet How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? Sometimes Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? No mosques, only 1 mosque in the whole city Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? Not at all….on the contrary, During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No, Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? it’s very safe.

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? everyday How many hours did you spend in there everyday? Variable according to the clinic flow of patients but officially from 9 to 2, sometimes I left at 1pm How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? bus How much does this transportation cost? 20Dkk (see before) What was the original topic of your study? Sports Medicine (orthopedics) Did you change this topic and study another field? no The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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yes -

Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? Didn’t try to What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly & helpful How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Some of them What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? Only me Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

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France TOLOUSE -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: France City of exchange: Toulouse University and/or Hospital of exchange: Rangeuille Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 1 month!!!!!!!

Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 15 days!

How many times did you apply for this Visa?

How much did your Visa cost?

How many days was your Visa valid for? 3 months Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? Yes please if the organization can cope with us and the Visa to be extracted easier for us... As a program of exchange and college, it would be easier for all of us to extract it…

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? No, we reserved the last 2 tickets!! And were signed as waiting list in the airlines we wanted!

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How much was the flight ticket? 3000 LE How many hours did the flight take? Transit Romania... SO “Cairo-Romania” about 2 hrs, “Romania –Paris” about 2hrs, “Paris –Toulouse” about 1 hr...

What was your flight agency? Romanian unfortunately!

Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes. Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? By car As Airport was really far from where we stayed...

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: “The exchange student left us her house “ Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room? House: But we stayed 2 together... Me and my partner What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Egyptian How clean was the room? Not bad Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes, it was ok What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) House so basically everything (2 rooms, 1 bed each, Bathroom, microwave, oven, fridge, 1 big closet) NO TV, Phone and internet!

Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Was ok How did you get your clothes cleaned up? HAND Washing What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? As I said before it was just a house away from others which was really annoying not being around others…

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief mentioned above...

Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) just was annoying not being around other students... Hostels are much more fun!!

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

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How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Very easy Did you have any problems using English? Not at all... Actually we used French more...

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What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? France: French is a must!

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? 5 days a week... how many hours, depends on how much work... for us it was optional...

Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Paris, Luchon How did you travel from one city to the other? Paris by train, Luchon with the group by cars…

How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? It Depends Please describe the night life… Too quite in Toulouse, a little bit dangerous to walk out alone…

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Barcelona, Amsterdam How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By train What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Everywhere in Barcelona

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash sometimes visa How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Everywhere How expensive do you consider the country? Toulouse was ok, not really expensive as the Capital Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?

What is the currency of the country? Euro One Egyptian pound equals?

Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Just 70 Euros for breakfast If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once in the beginning of the trip How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) ------Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards? No Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Completely free... for bus and metro How useful was this card? Extremely useful Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Very useful Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

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What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) Please state some native dishes of this country How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) Very reachable, everywhere… because of the Algerians and Moroccans How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? One meal How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 5 days a week What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10: 10/10. French 4 stars restaurant you can imagine!

How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Fresh, hot and yummy Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) Appetizers.. Bread, every sort of cheese Main dish: CHO, Ptn, and VEGETABLES, VARIABLE. Desert: everyday something different ice cream, mousse, and fruits... Just, you can take anything home with you if you want... Fridges there are opened for us 24hrs!

If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? About 15 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Spanish, Ukrainian, English, SYRIAN, From Latvia How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Often, we talk till now…

Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

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How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Mobile Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? Yes

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How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? --------How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? ----------How did you find an internet access? Yes How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) In hospitals, we’re allowed... for free. In internet cafés 1 euro an hour Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? NOPE, MOSQUES WEREN’T THAT MUCH BUT YOU FIND IF YOU SEARCH Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No 9-

THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 Days/week How many hours did you spend in there everyday? Optional, But usually 2 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By bus and metro How much does this transportation cost? --------What was the original topic of your study? Plastic surgery Did you change this topic and study another field? ----------Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? -------------------What did you study in this country? Operations Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Very easy, and they were helpful..

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No. What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Many things How many students were there studying with you in the same field? Only one Please state their nationalities my Egyptian friend What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

No comparison, I’ll need an hour to explain this... basically everything is different..!!

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

------How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes a lot of difference.. It was really helpful What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Staying in a house away from other students..

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Germany Bochum Rostock BOCHUM -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mousa Azer 2Year of study: 5th 3Home University: Cairo University – Faculty of Medicine 4Mobile phone: +2 010 650 7410 5Email address: Mcc_Online@msn.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Germany City of exchange: Bochum University and/or Hospital of exchange: University of Bochum – Bergmannsheil Hospital Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Yes -

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section.

How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? Around 50 days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 11 Days How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 520 LE

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How many days was your Visa valid for? 35 days (Exactly as I requested) Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? It’s always better to call the Visa appointment center as early as possible, that was the only problem I faced, I had to wait for around 50 days. I tried contacting the counselor, the other phone numbers of the embassy, and even the Vodafone center all over again, but I never managed to change the date. I went to the embassy and they told me that only emergency cases (that include only medical reasons) are the only cases allowed to have exceptional appointments. People at the embassy are very strict about the time, if you’re late by even one minute (and I mean one minute) or missing any sort of paper or even a copy of it, you will be immediately rejected!

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 1900 LE How many hours did the flight take? 4 hours What was your flight agency? Tuifly – German Airlines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

I arrived at Munich so no one was waiting for me at the airport, but it never caused a problem.

Everything in Germany is explained in English, direction to everything is always present so you never need to ask pedestrians. However, when I arrived at the main train station in Bochum, there was someone waiting for me and took me to the hostel Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? The airport was not at the same city of Exchange, but from the train station the hostel where I stayed was easily reachable by the subway

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel formed of apartments where 2, 3, or 4 students stay in one apartment Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room? In my room I stayed alone, but there were 3 flat mates in my place What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) They were students studying in Germany and not taking part of the IFMSA Students’ exchange program. But they were originally from Germany, Morocco, and Turkey How clean was the room? Extremely clean, actually the place was more of a 3 star hotel Did you feel comfortable in this room? Very comfortable What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …)? One locker, one bed that could be used as a sofa, one desk and chair, I always have the chance of bringing more chairs from the apartment to my room The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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whenever I have guests. There was an internet cable access for free and a wireless internet connection for around 25 Euros per month Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? One window and a balcony from where I could see an extremely green view with the grey line (the road) running through How reachable and clean was the bathroom? I had two separate bathrooms in our flat.

One big bathroom that included a place for taking shower and the other one was a little smaller.

Both were exactly 1 and 1.5 meters away from the door of my room How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Actually I never did, I always bought new clothes. But there was a room downstairs were people could get their clothes washed What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? We had 2 small fridges and a freezer in the flat. Downstairs there were lots of machines where you can buy Pepsi cans, bottles of water, chocolates, candies…

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief. I – myself – often bought food from restaurants directly, but I also bought cheese, yogurt, and lots of easy cooked food. In the kitchen there were all the devices you need to cook anything along with cupboards for every one in the apartment. There was another common table where we used to have dinner together. The kitchen itself was kind of big that we had some parties inside!

Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) Being accommodated in this private flat, I had all the freedom in the world! I could smoke anytime (But I don’t smoke actually) I could receive guests anytime, go out and come back anytime.

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Very easy, Germans (especially in the former western Germany) are pretty close to England, so they do speak English VERY well, they’re just too proud to use any other language but Deutsch. They were very helpful whenever I need to ask about any sort of place or service, but they’re never friendly, and that’s something they do realize and actually proud of Did you have any problems using English? Using English in places like for example touristic places was never a problem. On the contrary, people are very pleased to receive tourists in their country. However, being in a German hospital and dealing with patients or even doctors is a SERIOUS problem in case you only speak English.

What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Deutsch, that’s nearly a must before you go to Germany!

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Officer, markets (including food markets) close daily at 8 pm. And you will never know the meaning of 8:00 pm till you go to Germany. Streets get surprisingly empty at 8:01 pm as if there was a bomb just exploded in the place! On Saturdays they close at 7:00 pm, and Sunday is totally off The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country. Germany itself is an amazing place for the merge of a wide variety of cultures. I saw people from nearly every spot in the world in Germany! There’re even districts in some cities (like Dusseldorf) named after certain races or nations, like the Japanese district. In Munich there’s the BMW museum. In Berlin there’s the old wall of Berlin. Across the country you’ll find out that every city has its own history that is preciously recognized by the native people. P.S. you’ll find the train stations actually a touristic place!

What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Munich, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Koln, Essen, and many other small cities I really can’t remember…

How did you travel from one city to the other? Mostly by Train which is actually more luxurious than an airplane! You should learn now about the ICE train that runs at 300 km/hr How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? It depends on the type of the train. You can easily view all kinds of trains and their time tables at the official website of the DB (Deutsch Bahn) or the German Trains, but the range of the tickets varies between 2.5 Euros for the S Bahn and especially for the short distances, and up to 140 Euros for the ICE trains along with long distances and last minutes bookings Please describe the night life… I haven’t had enough time to experience the night life in other cities apart from the city I was staying (Bochum). There’s mainly a place called Bermuda triangle, and you should read the tale of this place in the USA. It’s known for the planes that got lost and never came back from there. The place (the one in Bochum) was named after this place because people go there at the beginning of the night and drink as much as they can and they often lose their way back! You can easily find restaurants, pubs and clubs in the place. They all serve the FINEST beverages! Tourists come to Germany in general to experience the finest wine and of course the world famous German Beer! And if you ever get the chance to drink in there, the word “cheers” in Deutsch is Prost (pronounced as Pghost). However, and in case you are not interested in such places, there’re lots of quiet places where you can walk, sit and have alcohol free drinks. Please bear in mind that all the official governmental places and malls close exactly at 8:00 pm. On many days there were festivals at night. You can watch lots of young generation bands performing live on the streets for free!

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) The Netherlands (Amsterdam) – France (Paris) – Belgium (Brussels) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By bus as former western Germany is close to all these places. However, the eastern part of Germany and also the northern part are close to many other countries like Denmark, Sweden… you can also go there by bus. All these countries are parts of the Schengen countries so the Schengen Visa is valid among them all and actually there’re no borders in between, just a sign on the road, you never get checked for your passport along the way, but it’s of course better to have it around What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Paris, you can actually smell love in the air, sense it all over the old brick roads. The place is so alive that you regret wasting moments of your life anywhere else. Apart from the great tour Eiffel which you will wait not less than 3 hours just to get inside it paying around 12 Euros for the ticket, there’re even much more The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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interesting places in Paris; the old restaurants and the native wine made from the finest farms and the oldest working brands in the field constitutes an experience of its own!

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Credit cards and cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Easily reachable and you can always find banks where you can withdraw money from. You just need to make sure your visa is a Master card or VISA because they’re the commonest, and not Visa electron as only few places deal with it. Money exchange offices are extremely rare, and they take a huge profit for every exchange process you do. However, Money transfer is easily found and these places are mostly run by Arabs How expensive do you consider the country? One of the most expensive places, I have been to other European countries but Germany is definitely expensive especially when it comes to food or drinks Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? I really haven’t calculated it!

What is the currency of the country? Euro One Egyptian pound equals? 8.5 EGP back then Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Yes If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once. Weekly (Every Wednesday) How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) around 50 Euros, I remember my doctor in Germany when he asked me this question and I proudly answered 50 Euros, he looked at me in the most unforgettable surprised attitude and said “This can’t get you 13 bottles of Beer!”, well this wasn’t the problem but what I mean is 50 Euros in Germany is NOT enough at all!

Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Yes, a student transportation card Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Originally you don’t pay for it but because they bought it late in August, it was 13 Euros more expensive than the usual and I was asked to pay that extra money (subtracted from my weekly pocket money) Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? It had a very complicated system. It gives free transportation by buses, subways, or trains inside the city of Bochum any time of the day, trains to the outside of the city of Bochum but still in the defined region (in the map) including subways only after 7:00 pm any day in the week or during the whole weekends (Saturdays and Sundays), and when I need to go beyond the defined region, I only have to pay extra money and not the full price of the ticket (so it gives discounts in this condition) How useful was this card? As you can see it was extremely useful! It was for 63 Euros (and I only paid the extra 13 Euros) but it saved me A LOT! Did you travel with an ISIC card? No How useful was this card? (In case you had it) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? I hardly remember names of malls, but there were many of them, they all had almost the same shops What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Not electronics, there’s nothing made in Germany anymore! Everything is made in china! That was the most disappointing issue I had when I entered Saturn and other electronic malls, but you can buy clothes at great qualities. Of course brands like Adidas should be kept in your mind How much were the discounts? (If there were any) they ranged dramatically from nothing to 95 percent and buy one get two for free! As a rule, old things (and by that I mean the last season) are extremely cheap Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) that’s a very hard question, I never eat the same everyday, but for example you can have dinner for 10 Euros including any kind of drink, and you can have it for 3.5 Euros if you are not very hungry, so you can say 10-15 Euros per day Please state some native dishes of this country. I didn’t have the chance to try some native dishes as the country itself resembles an extreme point of cultural merge! But I’ve been told that sausage sandwiches originates from the region of my city How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) Halal food was extremely reachable, there are lots of Turkish shops for Shawerma (Doner Kebab) you can easily find this series of restaurants among almost all the main cities of Germany How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? No meals How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things. Coca-Cola cans costs from 2 Euros to 3.5 Euros, water costs around 1 Euro.

Macdonald meals revolves around 6-8 Euros, same goes for Burger king, and of course you can easily find cheaper sandwiches but they just don’t work for me. Halal food is the least expensive and the stuffiest! You can get sandwiches for 2 or 3 Euros…

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FRIENDS

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How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 3 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet. From the IFMSA the students were from Japan, Ukraine and Alexandria, but in my flat and in the same building there were people from Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Korea, Turkey, Morocco, and many other places I can’t remember…

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? E-mails and Facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there.

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? By phone and internet Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Bought a mobile phone line How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) around 20 Euros, but there are lots of companies in the field that differ in the price, I only prefer Vodafone How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Around half a Euro, it has a complicated system which I never paid attention to, but it wasn’t that expensive How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Around 0.2 Euro and you can call any Vodafone mobile phone for free and unlimitedly on weekends How did you find an internet access? I had my own cable internet access in the room which was around 20 MBPS, and there was internet access available at the hospital but I needn’t use it How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Nothing Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No, but I got offended because I didn’t speak German During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 days a week and I even went there on some weekends!

How many hours did you spend in there everyday? In some days I had to spend around 11 hours! Yes it’s very true (from 7 am till 6 pm!) and on other free days I spent 5 hours (from 8 am till 1 pm) How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By the Subway The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How much does this transportation cost? Nothing coz I had my transportation card What was the original topic of your study? Plastic Surgery Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Plastic Surgery Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) Clinical study at the beginning of the day and passing by the wards and checking on the patients, giving them IV injections and taking their samples (in clean manners you can never see anywhere else in the world) and then comes the operations section where I could observe around 3-6 operations per day. After we finish we used to have small tutorials for one or two hours but I was excused not to attend all these sessions because they were all in German How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? They were extremely nice to me, but never friendly. They’re truly professionals, seriously helpful and cooperative, always there when I happen to have any sort of question, but they never look forward for any long term relations How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Communication was extremely easy, I even spoke to my head of department who happened to be the head of the German society of surgeons and the media was often in the hospital interviewing him. All my questions was answered in the most sufficient manner, I was never ignored or mistreated for asking questions.

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Yes What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Unfortunately I learn that every medical student needs to go to Germany (or any similar places I haven’t heard of) before they graduate and becomes a doctor How many students were there studying with you in the same field? From the IFMSA no one but there was a German student in the same department of mine Please state their nationalities. Deutsch What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Actually I feel that we’re not very different from such hospitals, it’s just that some people just need to learn the manners of life, and not just the manners of medicine, if they just respect what they have and what they are doing, I’m very sure whatever the differences will move aside What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

I recommend mainly paying more attention to the young doctors increasing their awareness of the manners of international models of doctors. I wouldn’t like to recommend things that I’m sure they’re hard to do, but at least repairing the manners would do for now How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Actually I haven’t studied this field up till now, but I wasn’t just learning surgery in Germany, I believe those doctors I’ve met and these places I’ve seen have changed MANY things in me and in my character which I believe will someday distinguish my actions What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? I would have preferred to assist in more operations as I only assisted in two out of more than 40 operations I have had the chance to observe… but I wanted very much to have a plan or a curriculum for what I’m about The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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to study so that I could have the time to prepare and learn more about whatever I’m going to see or do, I believe that would have even doubled the benefits and the outcome ROSTOCK

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Ahmed Gamaleldin Lotfy Foly 2Year of study: 5th year 3Home University: Cairo University 4Mobile phone: +2 010 2620155 5Email address: a_gamal_elfoly@hotmail.de 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Germany City of exchange: Rostock University and/or Hospital of exchange: Rostock University , Klinikum Susdat Rostock Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Research

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? YES How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? More than 2 months Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Not really easy , u have to prepare everything How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 11 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? one How much did your Visa cost? 610 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 35 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? Yes, you have to apply as early as u can especially at high season as really to get The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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an appoint will take to months or more , also be sure to have all your papers well prepared , and to be very accurate in everything ,, It is very easy to obtain avisa , also it is very difficult and all depend on that u care or not!!!!

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? I think it was okay How much was the flight ticket? 200 EUROS How many hours did the flight take? About 3 hours What was your flight agency? good Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: It was an apartment Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance)?

NO How many people stayed in your room? I was alone " private room" What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? IT was clean Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yea it was really a lovely one What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) There were internet , closets , piano !! , books , Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? no Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes two windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom? There were a bathroom in the flat and usually it was clean we clean it every friday How did you get your clothes cleaned up? There was an automatic washing machine in the flat What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? TV , DVD ,fridge and really everything How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief it was cooked at the kitchen ,it was a big one really everything was there , cooker , knifes forks spoons , plates , all spices really everything was available , dish washing machine Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) YEA u have to be cooperative and kind to people so that u will enjoy your stay there , also u have to respect everyone's culture and thoughts The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Really that was a problem as most of people there don’t speak English , only students and doctors also lots of youth speaks English well but otherwise other people in supermarkets in shops, Stations , Buses , metro also nurses and patients have really weak English Did you have any problems using English? Yes as I mentioned before What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? German,, really it is nearer to be a must as this will help them a lot there What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Fro Monday till Friday from 7 am to 4 pm..and u have to take care of this as also supermarkets , pharmacies and everything clothes at Sunday and lots of them clothes at Saturday as well so if u think that u will be sick on Sunday >>> buy your medications on Friday!!!

Also u have to buy all ur food stuffs and do all shopping before Saturday ,,, only restaurants and some places to visit open on weekends …

Also u may be amazed when u know that everything " MALLS , Supermarkets , Places to visit ,, everything clothes at maximum by 8 pm and so u may not find people in streets ,, the only thing which is open is the disco !!!

Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country? I think it is enough to say,, It is Germany!! U can spend a week in a city like Berlin and u can't finish visiting everything, also Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt,, Rostock!! Really Germany overall is so interesting What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? In the country : Berlin , Munich How did you travel from one city to the other? Usually by train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Every time its about 35 euros but there is offers at weekend they give u 5 tickets to anywhere in Germany only for 35 euros so u can travel with your friends very cheap , also there is an amazing way of transport which is called Mitfuhgling ' really I don’t remember the spelling ' but by this way through using the internet u get contact with people who are traveling to the place u want to go and they can take u with them in there car for really Avery fair and cheap price , but also I don’t recommend that girls use this idea!!! But also u will find on the internet people bought that weekend ticket I mentioned before and they may be 3 or 4 and so u can share them in their ticket and travel to any place with a fair price Please describe the night life… Usually u will stay at home watching the TV or using the computer otherwise the only place to go will be the Disco Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) France, SWEDEN, Denmark at all are schingen States so no more visas How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By Air What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Berlin

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash , Credit Card How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Really anywhere How expensive do you consider the country? It was expensive when u go there forget what is in Egypt or other developing countries Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? About 1000 euros What is the currency of the country? Euro One Egyptian pound equals? 0.8 Euro Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Yes 200 Euro If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once?..Once upon my arrival How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? no Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yes u will pay for all your transport Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? no How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) not very useful , very few people accept it Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Not so much , Really New Yorkers was good for shopping ,,but some of my friends told me that H& M at Munich is good for shopping but I am not sure…,, also there is something strange happened to me that I bought a laptop from there but it was nearly the same price here and what is amazing that I bought a printer from Germany and after I am back it was here cheaper about 100 LE!!!

What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Sports Mall , Khaufhaus… Saturin, and I recommend them all What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? May be some gifts How much were the discounts? (If there were any) about 50 % but after the sale they were also more expensive than in Egypt Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? Yes and that was really nice and try not to forget it ,, it ranges from 15% to 19 % of the whole price

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) one moderate meal will cost about 5 euros , but also search for the Turkish restaurants such as Donner they are much cheaper Please state some native dishes of this country Really I don’t remember names but u will find the cooked potatoes nearly in every meal also they have interesting Cakes

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How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) ,, Really I needed them ,, really it was very difficult to find such foods so I depended mainly on eating chicken and sea food..

How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? They gave me about 6 euros which is enough for a meal ,, and if u are not so hungry it is enough for a meal and a half or a meal with salad!!...

How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 6 Euros every day which is enough for….. as I mentioned before What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things MacDonald's which is the major restaurant in Europe one meal is about 5 to 7 or 8 euros ' of course there are much higher prices but this for a fair meal' .. bread about 0.8 euros , water bottles about 1 euro but also u will find very nice offers especially in malls as example one time I bought 1.5 liter Pepsi for 0.75 euros and bottle of water for0.50 euros so u have to check well for good offers and if there is buy as much as u can ,,

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 2 students Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet ?

German , Polish, Iranian How do you still keep in touch with these friends? By email & facebook !!! some times by mobile Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Through Internet also through mobile Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? I bought aphone line How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 20 euros How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 1 minute about 1 euro How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? I minute for about 0.50 euros and if u charged again u will call inside country for about 0.29 euros How did you find an internet access? At my room there were an internet port and 1st I used the laptop of my friend then I used mine ' after I have bought it ' The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Nothing Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? Really yes ,, as u will find very different system of everything of work of sleeping really it differs a lot from here but also I think if u want to to keep all your prays u can do about 70 or 80 % Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Really there were a place ' a small mosque at Munich airport' and that’s was really fine but at my city there were no mosques but there were lots of churches and that’s definitely due to the religion of people there '' really german people are respectable and respectful '…

Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No never,, u may find some Jews excite u ' or may be not Jews but they want to see your response to their excitement but really I loved what they do !!!'''' and so u have to be very malleable in treating such cases !!!

During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No thanks to God Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 times per week How many hours did you spend in there everyday? From 7 am to 4 pm '' take care time is strict there'''' if u came 7.05 u are allowed to enter but everyone will be annoyed from you as u will miss the morning meeting and if the door is closed or the prof. is inside u will never enter the meeting that they will discuss everything they will do for that day ….'''' Really I did not like the meeting a lot as they speak german all the time and I don’t understand but also I was attending as this means that u are a good man and strict for you time and also if u try to understand what they say u will understand some How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By usage of my lovely bike ,, which the hosting facility gave to me really that bike was very useful as u can use it for anything for shopping , going to train station , help to reach the beach ,, really it was very nice..

How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Cardiology Did you change this topic and study another field? Yes to Heart Surgery then to Gynecology Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? Yes as I said I changed the original topic ,, really the project was cancelled and this helped me a lot to change into a better project which I loved more What did you study in this country? Gynecology & Heart Surgery Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) Mainly Operations and also you can visit Wards but examination is some sort of impossible as they

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usually refuse any foreign doctor to examine them especially at the gynecology department ,,, but really I enjoyed a lot the operations time and it was very interesting and useful How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Really very friendly ,, but for sure u will find some people not so friendly but when u treat them well they will treat u very friendly. and indeed most of people when they know that u are Egyptian they love you and that is very good thing How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes I communicate with them easily,, and they answered all my questions Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? yes What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? To be strict in time and to be strict in your life How many students were there studying with you in the same field? In heart surgery they were only one more student ,, but at gynecology they were about 15 students Please state their nationalities ? Germans ,, and one Polish What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

No way of Comparison !!!!! very high facility very excellent hygiene , operating rooms are all passworded , all instruments are present very nice ICU really everything is in place and all emergencies are prepared What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

I hope they will change everything completely ,, but really not only ministry of health also populations should learn how to deal with everything also we have to decrease the number of population '' u cant imagine In that hospital there were about 2500 births per year and they said that this is avery large number and I think in hospitals like kasr alainy we have all those births in about one month only !!!'''

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? No clinical examination,, no vaginal delivery attendance,,, Nurses don’t speak English

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Please feel free to write as much as you want about this trip as a whole, you can also write about anything you would like to change in the system…

Well Really there a lot lots of things to talk about Germany,, but I think the most important thing is to talk about,,, your contact with everything there especially people..

First of all if u are going to Germany u have to know that everything is strict there,, u have to come and go and do everything on time as an example the train there when it is written that it will reach the station by 16:37 it will never reach by 16:38,, everything is well organized and have its time,, and I would like to tell u something happened to me ,, u cant Imagine ,On my trip to Denmark,,,, I went to Denmark and back using the ship only for 14 euros ,, and that was great,,,, but as I haven't organized my time well ,, when I back to The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Germany it was 12 am, so there were no buses nor metros so I took taxi from the port to the flat for 17.5 euros so u can see: so going and returning back from a different country may be cheaper than the taxi from the port to my flat!!!

Also when I was in Paris ,, First u cant imagine I booked a trip through the internet from Germany to Sweden and from Sweden to Paris all this "and round trips" for only 140 euros but as usual when I was getting back from Paris,,,, I have to go to the bus station where I would take bus to the airport,,, I was too late so I missed the bus, and then I took taxi for 138 euros!!

U can imagine if u gave taxi driver here in Egypt 138 euros I think he will take u to Aswan and back!!!

So take care u can visit 3 countries for 140 euros and u can pay them to ataxi driver!!!!

So take care of this if u get wrong there u will pay a lot and a lot ,, and as I mentioned u can take all this trip by air for 140 euros and u can take the same trip for 400 euros so be ware of the internet offers If it possible try to get internet card with u there…It will help u a lot in catching such offers,,, About people,, really the German people are interesting and good people to stay with,, but u have to be kind , intelligent and hard worker to cope with them Also I would like to tell u an occasion also it never meant to me anything but I think I have to tell u about it,,, one of my roommates although he was one of the kindest people there and I loved him a lot,, but he usually wear a T shirt on it Israel flag ,,,he usually wear this shirt at house and he usually asks me if I am angry of this or not ,,but to me I usually tells him its okay!!!! So , also u have to be,, open minded in treating with people..

Also u may find some strange things due to different cultures such as some people drinks a lot till being drunk but usually these dose not differs a lot in coping with them but they may do some unexpected things or un expected talks that I don’t like to talk more about it!!!!

Also the beach of my city it was nude beach so take care of this,,,111!!!! I am saying this so that u avoid going there but I think that after u have known this u will spend your training on the beach!!!!!

About the weather,, German Weather is MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD really mad weather. so take care of this ,, Four seasons per day, really u may find it sunny ,then after an hour it rains and then get cold very cold and then Autumn comes!!!

But really when u stays there for some time u will know that this taught me to wear a summer T shirt and the jacket is in your bag!!!! And I will till u a situation about this The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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When I went to Berlin ,,there,, there is the German parlment u cant imagine about 200 people are waiting to enter u can watch the video in my facebook profile!!!!

And really I would stay in Berlin only 2 days and it looks that I will not wait all those 200 or more people to enter before me ,, but on the 2 nd day it was really sunny day ,,and there was the surprise ,, when I went there I found that there are 300 people or more waiting so I was so depressed that I will not enter the parlment and then the Mercy from God occured>>> It rained heavily really very heavily ,,so every body ran away from the rain they went away to be hidden from it ,as everyone were wearing summer clothes but to me!!!

I just opened my bag and got out the rain coat and after I weared it I went through the rain and so I was lucky to enter the parlment !!!! So usually take rain coat with you!!!

Also I would like to mention that usually the dorms of hostels and the bathrooms are mixed ' for both males and females so take care of this,, also at exchange flats or hostels u may find a girl in the next room '' I know that most of u will pray that this happen!!'' also u may find a gay !!! but thanks to God my roommates were girls!!!! And nice boys!!

Also about the bathroom usually when u are inside keep it locked as at any time and really on unexpected time u will find it opened and some one inside may be aboy or agirl ,, nothing outside called girl or boy..,,, everything is okay!!! """"

About Berlin,, if u have gone to Germany and u haven't visited Berlin so u have to go there again, and the most interesting thing of Berlin is the Free Bike Tour , where u can take a bike with tour guide for free and he will show u everything important of Berlin, he will take you to the most interesting places there and all this for FREE!! Tips based only , u will find advertisement about this tour in the Tourist Map which u can find at any Information center or train station‌

Also take care before going or traveling to any place , to book your accommodation there through the internet otherwise u may not find place to stay at , ar u will have to go to hotel which is much much expensive to stay at,, Also be sure of Timing everything!!!

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Greece THESSALONIKI 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Name:Mohamed abdel ghafar mokhtar Contact info:0102773122 Country:Greece City: thessaloniki Month of exchange:august Type of exchange:professional

Concerning the Hosting City: Please rate the city out of 10:

1. Quality of accommodation: Very good

Good

Poor

Very poor

Poor

Very poor

2. Accommodation cleanliness: Very good

Good

3. Type of accommodation: College dorms

Private

Hosting families

Hotels

Others

4. Number of students per room: 1

2

3

4

5

>5

5. Number of cultures that you dealt with i.e. people from how many different countries: Less than 5

5-10

>10

>15

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6. What are the tourist attractive areas (please specify those in your city and in other cities you’ve been to):

7. Living expenses (please mention how much food and transportation cost):

8. Communication and language:

9. Social program (please mention the activities, events and their cost):

10. People, culture and tradition:

11. Night life:

12. Did you travel with your ISIC (International Student Identification Card) Yes

No

13. If yes, was it of much use: Yes

No

14. Can you please explain:

15. How much did the air ticket cost:

16. How easy was it to book your flight, and how frequent were the flights:

Concerning the Hosting Organization: Please rate the hosting organization out of 10:

1. Reception at the airport: Yes

No

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2. Cooperation and help: Helpful and cooperative

Unhelpful and un cooperative

3. Very helpful members (please specify specific members by name):

4. Name of the hospital at which you were training:

5. Hospital quality: Excellent

Very good

Good

Average

Poor

Very poor

6. Doctors (cooperation and communication):

7. Working time per day and working hours:

8. What did you find over there at the hospitals that you would like to bring with you here (no matter how strange it is):

9. Complaints:

10. Any thing you would like to add?

11. places to vsisit there:-in thessaloniki:old city,kamara,maccedoniana and bezuntic musieums

12. outside thessaloniki:athina(lekavitos hill,acropolis,2big parks there,

13. islands to vsisit(thasos,skiatos,halkidiki,crete)

14. other places (metora contain a lot of churches above high mountains wounderful,vergina where philp 2 born in,and Alexander great)

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Hungary Budapest Debrecen Szeged BUDAPEST -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Wessam Nader Ahmed 2Year of study: 5th 3Home University: Cairo University 4Mobile phone: 0105088010 5Email address: Wesamzzz@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Hungary City of exchange: Budapest University and/or Hospital of exchange: Semmelweis University Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Yes -

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? Sorry, can’t remember Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? About 20 days more or less.

How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 time

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How much did your Visa cost? 60 Euros How many days was your Visa valid for? 31days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No 2-

FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3200LE How many hours did the flight take? 3hours What was your flight agency? Egypt air Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

NO Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) 50 Euros as sort of insurance that was refunded on departure How many people stayed in your room? 4 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Turkish How clean was the room? Good Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom…) 1 Fridge, 4 closets, 1 table and 2 desks Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Fair How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Me washing them in the washing machine What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

There were no many facilities except some coffee machines and baby foot table How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief. There was a microwave and an oven Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) No

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Not so easy as they don’t know a word in English except for the Contact persons Did you have any problems using English? Yes as I mentioned above.

What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? According to the country but I guess German is useful beside English in many countries.

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Starting from Sunday to Friday usually from 8 am to 5 for government offices and markets follow by 2 or 3 hours Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country a)The Parliament Building b)the labyrinth c)Citadel d)Buda Castle e)Margret’s Island f)Balaton Lake g)Museums What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? I didn’t go to any cities inside Hungary but I visited some cities outside it as Vienna in Austria and Munich in Germany How did you travel from one city to the other? By Bus or Train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? About 50 Euros 2 way ticket.

Please describe the night life… Night life is parties, discos or night clubs Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) As I said Vienna and Munich with no need for any extra visas How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By bus or Train also What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Vienna

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Visa or cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? They were a lot.

How expensive do you consider the country? Not so expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? All of the trip including flight ticket about 20 000LE What is the currency of the country? Forint One Egyptian pound equals? 27 Forint Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Student card to minimize the transportation fees and fairs Did you have to pay anything for such cards? 500 forint Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Discount How useful was this card? Very good The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Not so bad Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? West end mall, Fashion Street and Arena Plaza mall What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Clothes and Shoes How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Up to 70% Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? Yes but not so much just 15 Euros

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 2000 to 3000Forint Please state some native dishes of this country. Goulash Dish How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) Not so easy especially in cheese and sausages. It requires reading everything before you buy in HUNGARIAN language which wasn’t so easy… But I can only remember just the meaning of the two words PORK and CHICKEN in Hungarian to differentiate the food How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 1 Meal How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 6 Days What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 (4) How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Frozen Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) chicken, fish, rice and soups If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Water bottle was about 300 forint=1 Euro, MacDonald’s meals was starting from 1500 forint = 5 to 8 Euros

7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? Can’t remember the exact number but about 100 students Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet. Turkish, Germans, Belgians, Mexicans, Brazilians, French, Romanians, Tunisians, Bulgarians, Italians, Serbians, Spanish, Ukrainians, Latvians…

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Face book or By Emails Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Through the internet or by phone calls Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Both How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) sorry can’t remember How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? About 6 to 8 LE per minute How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 33 forint per minute How did you find an internet access? In the library of the university How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) It was for free Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 days How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 3 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Walking How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Internal Medicine Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? Attended a nephrology course there What did you study in this country? Internal medicine and nephrology Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) Clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Respect the others whoever you are How many students were there studying with you in the same field? About 9 Please state their nationalities. Tunisian, Italian, Belgian, Egyptian, Ukrainian, Turkish What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Cleanliness, Respect, Specialty and hard working The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

To improve the above mentioned items How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Unfortunately no because it was kind of routine working everyday on the contrary of other departments as surgery What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Choosing the department of internal medicine… It is the most boring thing ever... other students who chose surgery with all its subspecialties had benefits a lot from their training… they learnt how to get sterilized and to open and close sutures besides they had the chance to attend a lot of operations every day .

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mina Sami Halim Fawzy Youssef 2Year of study: 6th year 3Home University: Cairo University 4Mobile phone: 0101731559 5Email address: mina_mino87@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Hungary City of exchange: Budapest University and/or Hospital of exchange: Semmeliwis Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

1-

THE VISA

-

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 10 days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? It was easy How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 2weeks How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once

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How much did your Visa cost? 60euros How many days was your Visa valid for? 31 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us 2-

FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 2900egyptian pounds How many hours did the flight take? 4 hours What was your flight agency? I don’t remember Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Somehow yes 3-

ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) 50euros insurance How many people stayed in your room? 4 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Turkish Egyptian How clean was the room? Moderate Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) only fridge and closet no TV, no internet, no sofa, no bathroom Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom? It was bad How did you get your clothes cleaned up? There was a washer What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief there was a microwave to heat the precooked meal they gave to us Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

4-

THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

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How easy was it to communicate with the native people? It was easy

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Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Only English What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? All days except Saturday and Sunday Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country. Many like the citadellla the museums What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Vienna and Munich How did you travel from one city to the other? Bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Like 2000 Egyptian pounds Please describe the night life… it was nice and there were many pubs till a late hour and good transportation late Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them). Germany and Austria no visa How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? The shonbrun palace in Vienna

5-

PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use?

How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

How expensive do you consider the country?

Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?

What is the currency of the country?

One Egyptian pound equals?

Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization?

If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation?

Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card?

How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping?

What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

6-

FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 15 euros Please state some native dishes of this country. Gyros How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) I didn’t need How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 1 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 5 What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10. 4 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Precooked Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things MacDonald’s combo for like 6 euros ,water for like 2 Euros

7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? Many from Egypt like 15 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Italian Portuguese Greece German French Netherlands Romanian How do you still keep in touch with these friends? To some extent Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

8-

PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Cabin phones or the called me on my Egyptian Vodafone and internet Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? I used the roaming service and bought a Hungarian SIMs How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) like 150 pounds How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Like an international call How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? I didn’t try but it was cheap How did you find an internet access? In a building near the host for free How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? I didn’t try Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country?

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? Not much it was not valuable How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Walking How much does this transportation cost? It was cheap What was the original topic of your study? Internal medicine Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Internal medicine Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? They were so friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? To care about students How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 7 Please state their nationalities Egypt Italy turkey and Romania What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mohamed Ahmed Elhadad 2Year of study: fourth year 3Home University: Tanta 4Mobile phone: 0107884874 5Email address: m_elhadad2003@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES -

EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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123456-

Country of exchange: Hungary City of exchange: Budapest University and/or Hospital of exchange: Semmelewis university cardiology department Month of exchange: 8 Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: bilateral

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? Nearly a month Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? Two weeks How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 65 euro How many days was your Visa valid for? 31 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No 2-

FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3250 LE How many hours did the flight take? 6 hours What was your flight agency? Alitalia Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? No 3-

ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? 3 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) 2 Egyptians and Tunisian guy How clean was the room? It wasn't clean at all The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Did you feel comfortable in this room? Not really What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) fridge, 4 closets Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? It was public bathroom How did you get your clothes cleaned up? I washed it in washing machine in the bathroom for 100 forint What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? Baby football How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief microwave and oven Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Well it wasn't easy because not many people speak English Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go?

Deutsch What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Every day from 8 is to 6 pm except Saturday and Sunday Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Buda castle, and Balaton Lake, What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Balaton How did you travel from one city to the other? By train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? I don't remember Please describe the night life… it was good Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Austria, and I did not need visa How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By bus What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? The millennium 5-

PAY MENT

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What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

How expensive do you consider the country? Not expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 1000 euro

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What is the currency of the country? Forint One Egyptian pound equals? 3.6 pounds Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yes Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Discount How useful was this card? Very useful Did you travel with an ISIC card? No How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Mammoth mall, arena plaza, west end What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Clothes How much were the discounts? (If there were any) from 5 to 50% Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No 6-

FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 350 euro roughly Please state some native dishes of this country goulash How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) it was extremely difficult because of the language barrier How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? One in five days of the week How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) five per week What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 three How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Cold Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things I don't remember 7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? Around 25 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Italian, Mexican, Tunisian, Latvian, French, deutsch How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Facebook The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? By net and telephone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? I bought a phone line How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 2000 forint How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? I don't know How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 7 forint a minute How did you find an internet access? In the library of the university How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? Sometimes Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No 9-

THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 times How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 5 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By metro then I take bus How much does this transportation cost? I don't remember What was the original topic of your study? Ophthalmology Did you change this topic and study another field? Yes Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Cardiology Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical and operations How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Some were and some weren't How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Easy, yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 6 Please state their nationalities Tunisian, Romanian, Turkish, What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

It was organized The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Be organized and give special care to patients How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Very helpful, yes What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Nothing

DEBRECEN -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mostafa Assem El Halaby 2Year of study: 5th 3Home University: Cairo 4Mobile phone: 0122425089 5Email address: elhalabox@yahoo.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Hungary City of exchange: Debrecen University and/or Hospital of exchange: Debrecen University Month of exchange: august Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

NO -

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment?

Was it easy to prepare the required documents?

How many days did it take to obtain your Visa?

How many times did you apply for this Visa?

How much did your Visa cost?

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How many days was your Visa valid for?

Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 2400 How many hours did the flight take? 2.5 h What was your flight agency? Egypt air Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? No we had to go from Budapest airport to the train station by bus then ride a train to Debrecen then someone was going to meet us there

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Dorm Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? 3 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Egyptian How clean was the room? Good Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) internet bathroom shower small kitchen Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom? No How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Laundry What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? I don’t know How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief in the kitchen Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) no

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Yes Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? German What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Mon to Friday Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Budapest, egar, miscoltz, hortobagy How did you travel from one city to the other? Bus, train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Don’t remember Please describe the night life… regular Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Vienna, and Prague How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Train-bus What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Prague

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Very How expensive do you consider the country? Normal for Eastern Europe or slightly expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 11 000 What is the currency of the country? Forint One Egyptian pound equals? 28 huf Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Yes to eat If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once? once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) 15 000 huf Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yes Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Discounts How useful was this card? Very Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) very Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No, but Budapest yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Arena mall in Budapest

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What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

6-

FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 60 le Please state some native dishes of this country goulash How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) say “disno nem” which means no pork How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 0 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 0 What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things McDonald’s meal which is small is for about 40 to 45 LE 7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 16 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Romanian, Turkish Czech, Japanese, Armenian and Italian How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

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How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Mobile sms + Skype Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? Yes How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 40 How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? You can’t How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 0.5 le How did you find an internet access?

How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? No Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No

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During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4-5 h How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By tram How much does this transportation cost? Included in the monthly transport ticket What was the original topic of your study? Traumatology Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Operations Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Not very How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Not easy, no Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Respect How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 2 Please state their nationalities Egyptian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

The system, they respect the rules and regulations What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Be clean How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? That the doctors only talked in Hungarian and rarely in very poor English

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

12345-

Name: Ahmed Hussien Shara Year of study: sixth Home University: Tanta University Mobile phone: 0126518450 Email address: a_sharr3@hotmail.com

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6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Hungary City of exchange: Debrecen University and/or Hospital of exchange: Debrecen University Month of exchange: November Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section (yes) How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 2 weeks Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 12 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 60 EUR How many days was your Visa valid for? 26 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

2-

FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 2150 EP How many hours did the flight take? 3:30 What was your flight agency? Egypt air Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel.

Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) 60 EUR as insurance.

How many people stayed in your room? 2 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Egyptians (me &friend) How clean was the room? Excellent Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) all of them except TV Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Private bathroom clean How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Laundry (inside the hostel) What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief (microwave, boiler, heater, spoons, dishes, cups, glasses) Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people?

Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Deutsch What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country What are the other cities you had the chance to visit?

How did you travel from one city to the other? By train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? About 30 EUR Please describe the night life… crazy Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) (Austria),no need for a visa.

How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By the international train What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Forints How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Everywhere How expensive do you consider the country? Cheap Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 10000 EP What is the currency of the country? Forint One Egyptian pound equals? 33 forint Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? 15000 forint If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once (once) How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yes (1500 ft) Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Completely free How useful was this card? V useful Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) saves a lot of money and effort Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Not bad What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? (West end center, Budapest)& (forum, Debrecen, recommended) What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Don’t go for electronics How much were the discounts? (If there were any) not a lot of discounts at November Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 1000 to 2500 per day Please state some native dishes of this country u have to try sausage and desserts How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) at halal grocery.

How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? One How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 5 days per week What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 (10) How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) lasagna, spaghetti, rice, chicken, fish, potato, salad If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things burger king meal:1500 ft, KFC meal 2500 ft, Pepsi 200 ft.

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? None Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Palestinians, Belgium, Czech, and Italian…

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Via e mail Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Online, and by phone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Hungarian phone line How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) don’t remember How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Didn’t try How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 39 ft, don’t buy Vodafone line try other companies How did you find an internet access? Internet café, try to take your laptop (much easier to use internet) How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) about 250 ft per stay Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

week?

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How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 1 hour How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Walking How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Internal medicine Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Internal medicine

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Yes -

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Yes How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Being friendly with patient How many students were there studying with you in the same field? No Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

SZEGED -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Hungary City of exchange: Szeged University and/or Hospital of exchange: Gyna/Obst department Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

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Did you need a Visa for your travel? Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? About 2 weeks Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Not easy nor difficult How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 10 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 60 euro

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How many days was your Visa valid for? 45 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yep How much was the flight ticket? About 2600 How many hours did the flight take? About 4 hrs (excluding transit) What was your flight agency? Alitalia Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yea Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? There is no airport in my city but the hostel was in best location possible (beside everything I could need)

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds Cant remember How many people stayed in your room? 4 (including me) What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? They changed many times but all were either Romanians or Egyptians How clean was the room? Average or a bit below average Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yea What were the facilities provided in your room? A small fridge, 4 closets (3 of them weren’t really usable), 2 sofas and a small sink in the middle Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? A large window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Just in front of our rooms and it was somehow clean How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Washing machine (found in the bathroom) What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? TV & a free internet connection downstairs How did you get your food cooked? There was a microwave, stove, few utensil and dishes Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? The people in the reception only speak Hungarian so if you need anything from them you should ask the help of your contact person (but probably you would only need them to give them the key and get it back every time you leave the hostel and that could be done with gestures alone :D) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? You will cope with it Did you have any problems using English? Most people don’t speak English except students (generally young people) who are relatively fluent in English What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Nothing required but few Hungarian words would impress the people What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Can't remember Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country: In Szeged there was that main street in the downtown (few mins from the hostel) with an ice cream shop (that everyone would be telling you about), banks, shops, exchange office and supermarket. Also there was Tisza River which was 3 mins from the hostel and votive church which is a main site in that city What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Budapest (capital) & Lake Balaton in Hungary, How did you travel from one city to the other? Train or Bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? From my city to Budapest, it costs about 55 Egyptian LE (at my time 1 Euro = 230 Hungarian Forint) Please describe the night life…? Szeged in July and august are relatively empty compared to any other months because szeged is a university town and students travel back to their cities in Hungary on those 2 months so you will find the city a bit empty and everything closes by 8 pm (except McDonald's, cafes, clubs and the ice-cream shop(that I wrote about above)).

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them)? Vienna in Austria and Prague in Czech Republic (none need extra visa, all are in the Schengen agreement) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Train or bus What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Budapest of course & Prague

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? 5 mins from hostel How expensive do you consider the country? The same range as any European country Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? About 850 Euro including traveling to other cities and accommodation there What is the currency of the country? Hungarian Forint One Egyptian pound equals? About 28 Forint The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) none Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? HUNGARIAN Student card (not the normal ISIC) which gave us discount in few seasonal transportation tickets Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yea (but cant remember how much) Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Discounts How useful was this card? It's worth it Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yea How useful was this card? (In case you had it) it was only useful in Vienna and Prague (not inside Hungary) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Maybe in Budapest but not in Szeged What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Malls in Budapest (there was that good mall in a famous train station which I can't remember its name) What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Nothing in particular How much were the discounts? (If there were any) don’t know Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? Can't remember but a meal would cost about 1200 forint (40 Egyptian LE Please state some native dishes of this country? Goulash (with paprika) How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food)? You will have to ask on everything you get and most probable you will find in any restaurant there is a young person speaking few English words at least and he would help you How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? One meal at odor restaurant (you could take it between 11 to 3 pm) How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals. can't remember What do you think of the quality of these meals? 6/10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Mostly fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) most days there is 3 meals you could choose from, meat or chicken or pork or fish but some days there would be 2 pork dishes out of 3 so you would only have one dish left to choose from If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things?

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Water is about 8 LE but there is a famous supermarket called tesco which offer very cheaper prices for water and some other stuff Pepsi bottle (1.5 liter) is about 12 LE Macdonald's meal was about 40 LE Gyros meal (like fatet shawarma) 35 LE Big pizza slice 15 LE Milk (1 litre) was about 8 LE Chocolate bar as twix was about 5 LE Ice cream 5 LE

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 23 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet? Italian, Spanish, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, German, Romanian and of course many Hungarian students How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Internet Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there? Well nothing specific but I guarantee that any IFMSA exchange to even any country would be a trip that will always be remembered especially if you have MANY other people with you attending the same program

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Hungarian line Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Both but used mainly the Hungarian Vodafone line How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 60 LE but each card you buy costs at least 100 LE How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? About 10 LE How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 1 LE or maybe less How did you find an internet access? In the hostel How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Free Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No except for the fact that you maybe be outside your hostel for most of the day and you will find difficulty in finding a nearby mosque of course Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Before traveling I searched the net for mosques (http://www.islamicfinder.org/prayerDetail.php?country=hungary&city=Szeged)and you could easily find the mosque if you use a map or ask a contact person of a specific street and of course you can easily reach a church (few mins from the hostel) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No (but some people may ask to know more about your religion and its practices and even some may debate with you concerning any aspect of your religion) During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

Nope Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 4 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? From 4 to 6 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? 1 min walking How much does this transportation cost? Free What was the original topic of your study? Gynecology/Obstetrics Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Gynecology/Obstetrics Please classify your study? Operation mainly, some clinical and lab How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Any Hungarian doctor has to speak English (but nurses mostly don’t speak English) and they would answer any question I ask and could explain to me the operation steps while we are doing it Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Didn’t yet What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Nothing in specific How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 2 (By the 3rd week there was a new student) Please state their nationalities Romanian, Italian (new student was Turkish) What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

One day before I traveled to Hungary I went to the Gyna/Obst department in Kasr El Einy hospital so as to compare it to the Hungarian one. The differences are unbelievable, the cleanliness, the respect, the professionalism, everything was different.

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Well there should be rules concerning each person duty and when each person should be there and limitations of his/her duty and also there should be a minimum level of sterility within the operation room (not just the surgeon), more specifically in gyna/obst department there should be at least 2 neonatologist in the delivery room not just a nurse How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference? It was helpful in the areas concerning operations and deliveries as I could just recall the operation

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I assisted in and remember its details but I don’t think it would make a difference in grades or such stuff What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? My department was perfect so nothing to say but other students in other departments in Szeged as for example cardiology was complaining because they did nothing and the doctors didn’t help them in anything they needed.

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Italy Brescia Naples Bari Rome Verona BRESCIA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Italy City of exchange: Brescia University and/or Hospital of exchange: Spedali Civile Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

YES -

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? Around 6 weeks Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? Around 10 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? Nothing (Free if you’re going for educational purposes)

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How many days was your Visa valid for? 6 months (Till the end of your insurance period) Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? You need an invitation letter so you have to let them send it to you so you can take it with the other required documents

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 398.42 Euro How many hours did the flight take? 3 Hours What was your flight agency? Alitalia Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) 50 Euro insurance upon arrival and we got them back before we left How many people stayed in your room? Only me What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Clean… there was someone to clean the room twice a week Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …)? 1 closet, a disk and chair, a big table, several shelves, a private bathroom Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No but we paid if we needed the washing machine Did you have windows or balconies in your room? A large window taking up a wall How reachable and clean was the bathroom? In the same room How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Washing machine (you buy 6 coins for 10 Euro and use a coin for every time you wash) What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Internet service (but not WIFI so you have to have a cable to connect your laptop to the wall), vending machines (for hot, cold drinks, chocolate and fast sandwiches), cleaning service twice a week

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How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief. Microwave, stove, oven, fridges, freezers but you need to have your own plates, forks, knives and cups Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)? Smoking is only allowed outside the building, no guests are allowed inside the hostel… they are only allowed to sit in the reception area. The Fransciscanum hostel is run by nuns and has a church so they have some rules and are pretty strict about them

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Not everybody speaks in English but a lot can especially the younger ones Did you have any problems using English? It’s a bit of a problem because not everybody can speak in English and the people at the hostel cannot speak ANY English so we always needed somebody to translate for us What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Italian What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Sat after 12 and Sun off Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country. Rome, Cinque terre, Portofino, Verona, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Milano, Lago di garda (Desenzano, Sirmione, Riva del garda) What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Bologna, Bergamo, and Mantova How did you travel from one city to the other? Train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? According to the distance (Milano which is an hour away costs around 5 Euros) Please describe the night life… Brescia in August was somehow empty coz most of the shops were closed and everyone was on vacation but there are nice cafes in the main squares and are usually crowded on Fri and Sat nights. The parties are at Lago di garda which is 30 min away by train but there are no means of transportation at night Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) No How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

No What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Venice

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PAY MENT

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What method(s) of payment did you use? ISIC (student card CIB), Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Everywhere How expensive do you consider the country? Relatively expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?

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What is the currency of the country? Euro One Egyptian pound equals? At that time it was 8.7 EGP Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? We bought a bus card for a month for 27 Euros to be able to go to the hospital Did you have to pay anything for such cards? 30 Euros Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Free bus transportation in Brescia How useful was this card? A must, to go to the hospital Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) VERY useful because they always ask for an ID if you’re paying with a card and it serves as both Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Brescia and Venice are more expensive than the other cities so you should shop at Milano What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Murano Glass from Murano island in Venice How much were the discounts? (If there were any) There are lots of discounts in August Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? Yes… Don’t remember

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 5 Euros coz they provide lunch and dinner but you have to pay in the weekends around 20 per day Please state some native dishes of this country. PASTA How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) Didn’t need How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? Lunch and Dinner How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) Everyday except weekends but there were some problems because lots of the restaurants were closed in August or closed at 3 so we sometimes couldn’t make it if we were stuck in surgery What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10: 6 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) 1st plate: pasta, 2nd: meat or chicken or vegetables, 3rd: desert and a drink. Dinner two plates and a drink If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things. Small water: 1 Euro

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 8 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet.

Mexican, Tunisian, Portuguese, German, Russian and Polish How do you still keep in touch with these friends? E-mails and Facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Roaming phone, Emails (there were computers at the hospital coz I didn’t have a laptop) Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Roaming How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access? At the hospital and at the hostel (but there are no computers at the hostel) How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) nothing Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Churches are everywhere Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No but there are lots of thieves in Milan Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 but didn’t have to How many hours did you spend in there everyday? From 8 to 1 but it was mainly up to me How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Bus How much does this transportation cost? Around 30 Euros for the month What was the original topic of your study? Head and neck surgery Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? A bit of pediatrics What did you study in this country? Head and neck surgery The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) Clinical and operations How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes but some of them didn’t speak English Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Some of them What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 1 Please state their nationalities. Russian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Cleanliness and equipment What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Better Hygiene How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference? It’s a lot easier now to understand things after you’ve seen them live What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? That I didn’t get involved in surgery

NAPLES -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Shady Said Hussin Abd-alla 2Year of study: 4th 3Home University: Cairo University 4Mobile phone: +20 0121359054 5Email address: mr_ssha@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Italy City of exchange: Napoli University and/or Hospital of exchange: universitario Federico II Month of exchange: September Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 2 months Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? Many How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 time How much did your Visa cost? Nothing How many days was your Visa valid for? 30 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 4250 LE How many hours did the flight take? 3h 45 min What was your flight agency? Dahab agency Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? No

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? No one with me What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Clean Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) yes Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Very clean The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How did you get your clothes cleaned up? I did wash them using the washing machine What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Kitchen How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief they served us 2 meals daily Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) no one with was me

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? With the contact person, it was easy but with the native people, it was very difficult, as they do not speak English Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Italian What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices)?

Every week daily except Sunday from 10 am -8 pm Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country many, many What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Milano, Rome How did you travel from one city to the other? Train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? 2o Euros Please describe the night life… was interesting and they arranged for social programs etc Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) no How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Rome

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PAY MENT

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What method(s) of payment did you use? Visa and cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Very often How expensive do you consider the country? It was expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Did not calculate it What is the currency of the country? Euro One Egyptian pound equals? 8 Euros Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yes

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Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Yes, in some places How useful was this card? Not so much Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) I did not use it at all Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Many places, especially Rome piazza de espana What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Many, many things How much were the discounts? (If there were any) no Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) varies totally Please state some native dishes of this country. pizza and pasta How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) normal How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 2 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) all the days What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10. 6 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) pizza , pasta salads water ,and sometimes fish meat or chicken If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things it totally differs from place to other but in general the MacDonald’s meal costs 8 Euros

7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? Many Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet from Portugal, Germany, Austria, Czech republic, Serbia, Mexico and brazil How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Yes, all of them Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

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How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? By mobile phone and internet Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? I bought a mobile phone line from there How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 10 Euros How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 1 min costs 4 Euros How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Very cheap How did you find an internet access? In the hospital How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) for free Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 days How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 6 or 5 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Walking How much does this transportation cost? No What was the original topic of your study? Sports medicine Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Sports medicine Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Yes What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Many things How many students were there studying with you in the same field? No one Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Not so different What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes, studying in Egypt helped me a lot What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Nothing really The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Amr Mohamed El-Sayed Ahmed Shaaban 2Year of study: houceofficer 3Home University: ain shams 4Mobile phone: 20101349425 5Email address: amr_mohamed84@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Italy City of exchange: Bari University and/or Hospital of exchange: Ospedalo policlinic di Bari Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 2 weeks Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 14 How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 How much did your Visa cost? Free How many days was your Visa valid for? 30 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? Italy may be the easiest embassy giving visa

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FLIGHT DETAILS

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Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 2500 pounds How many hours did the flight take? 2 hours to Romania and the 2 hours to Rome What was your flight agency? Tarom Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? 2 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Very Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) bathroom and internet Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? no Did you have windows or balconies in your room? balcony How reachable and clean was the bathroom? very How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Cleaning by 1 euro What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Playing ground How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief ?restaurant Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? yes Did you have any problems using English? No but Italians are not strong in English What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Italian for sure What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? All week except sat and sun Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country alotssssssssssssssssssss The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Rome pisa Florence venecia and leece How did you travel from one city to the other? Trains How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Around 25 euros each Please describe the night life… very good Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) no How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Colesseum and venecia

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? nothing How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? alots How expensive do you consider the country? Moderate Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Around 800 Euros What is the currency of the country? Euro One Egyptian pound equals? 0.2 euro Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? 80 euros If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once twice How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) 40 Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? no Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? no How useful was this card? (In case you had it) very useful Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? City centre of Bari What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? clothes How much were the discounts? (If there were any) 75 and 80 % Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? no

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 10 euros and some times less Please state some native dishes of this country pizza and pasta How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) yes very easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 1 The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 0 What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 7 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) pizzas and pastas and dessert If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Macdonalds meal is 7 euros

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 12 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet spain bosnia Russia Albania Poland mexico Austria and hungary How do you still keep in touch with these friends? yes Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Mobile and mail Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? yes How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 12 euros How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Free 200 minutes How did you find an internet access?

How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? no Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Mmm not that easy Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? no During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves? no Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? no

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

week?

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How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per 5 days How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? bus

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How much does this transportation cost? 1 euro What was the original topic of your study? surgery Did you change this topic and study another field? no Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? no What did you study in this country? surgery Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? very How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? yes What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Very freindly How many students were there studying with you in the same field?2 others Please state their nationalities russian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt? moneyyyyyy What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

A lot really How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference? A lot What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

ROME -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Sherif Abolfotouh 2Year of study: 4th 3Home University: Alexandria University 4Mobile phone: 002 0123783653 5Email address: sherifmostafa55@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Italy City of exchange: Rome University and/or Hospital of exchange: Roma la Sapienza – Umberto Primo Month of exchange: August

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Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 2 weeks Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 16 How many times did you apply for this Visa? once How much did your Visa cost? Student visas are free How many days was your Visa valid for? 31 Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? SISM Italy is a famous organization that makes it so easy to obtain the visa.

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3150 L.E How many hours did the flight take? 3 What was your flight agency? Egypt Air Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room? 2 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Armenian How clean was the room? Workers from the hostel cleaned it everyday Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) bathroom, 2 closets, 2 disks, small kitchen with a fridge Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom? In the room and clean.

How did you get your clothes cleaned up? There was a washing machine for 1 euro What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Washing machine, drier, elevator and low cost meals.

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief they provided meals only in the first few days, then they gave us food and we had to cook for our selves, nearly pasta all the time  and few other stuff, but it was enough. There was a small oven, and fridge in the kitchen.

Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) Smoking was allowed

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Without the CPs it wouldn’t be that easy, except in the touristic places were people understand English.

Did you have any problems using English? Most of the Italians don’t speak English.

What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Italian, not too much, just few words may help.

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Every thing closes at 8 except for some malls, clubs, bars and restaurants mainly in crowded areas.

Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Via del corso, piazza d’ Espagna, Piazza de Victorio Emanuello, Vatican….etc…Rome is a big touristic spot .

What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Florence, Pisa, Sienna, Venice, Milan, Genova and Chietti How did you travel from one city to the other? Trains How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? For the most distant areas train tickets cost around 40 Euros, other wise it’s in the range of 10 Euros.

Please describe the night life… clubs, and bars are amazing, but they never sell alcohol after 2 am, it’s banned by the government.

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? All Italian cities are amazing

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PAY MENT

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What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash mainly How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? It was quite difficult to find them.

How expensive do you consider the country? Compared to Eastern Europe, it’s quite expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Away from shopping and accommodation, 1000 Euros (including lots of trips and train tickets) What is the currency of the country? Euro One Egyptian pound equals? 0.13  Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? They advised us to but the tram and metro card.

Did you have to pay anything for such cards? 30 Euros for one month.

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? discount How useful was this card? Very useful, once u have it you don’t worry about transportation any more. Other wise you have to pay 1 Euro every time you use the metro or the tram.

Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) not useful at all, but sometimes, it can be used as an ID Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes, for sure What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? The city center is the main place for shopping , there are some malls but they are far away.

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? It depends on your interests, everything is available, I just don’t recommend electronics, How much were the discounts? (If there were any) in the sale period, there were lots of these Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? I didn’t know about it till I came back 

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) average 5 Euros per day.

Please state some native dishes of this country Pasta  How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) it was available especially in big cities, where lots of immigrants are living.

How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? No meals, just food to cook and a 1.5 liter bottle of water per day.

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How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Mcdonald’s meal costs 6.25 Euros, Cans around 1.5 , Water around 1.2 .

7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 17 students.

Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Armenian, Spanish, Polish, Tunisian, Austrian, French, Serbian, Thai, Romanian….,,,, How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Facebook and emails Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Phone calls Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Phone line How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 10 Euros including 5 Euros credit.

How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 1.5 Euros per minute How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 1 Euro per minute How did you find an internet access? It was available in the hospital How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) it was free in the LC office.

Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Churches are every where in Rome but Mosques are not easy to reach.

Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No, They love Egyptians  During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

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How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 6 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? Around 4 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Tram How much does this transportation cost? I used the card What was the original topic of your study? Gynecology and obstetrics Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Gynecology and obstetrics Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? So friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 4 Please state their nationalities Armenian, Romanian, Tunisian, Macedonian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Clean What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Change the whole system  How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes, I learnd alot What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Nothing

VERONA 7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Name:Mohamme Hamdy Abd Elhaleem Contact info: Country:Italy City: Verona-Italy Month of exchange:September 2008 Type of exchange:proffesional

Concerning the Hosting City: Please rate the city out of 10:

17. Quality of accommodation:very good

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Very good

Good

Poor

Very poor

18. Accommodation cleanliness:very good Very good

Good

Poor

Very poor

19. Type of accommodation:college dorms College dorms

Private

Hosting families

Hotels

Others

20. Number of students per room:2 1

2

3

4

5

>5

21. Number of cultures that you dealt with i.e. people from how many different countries:5-10 Less than 5

5-10

>10

>15

22. What are the tourist attractive areas (please specify those in your city and in other cities you’ve been to):L'Arena in Verona,piazzale Michael angelo in Florence ,Collosum in Rome

23. Living expenses (please mention how much food and transportation cost):expensive

24. Communication and language:mainly Italian and alittle bit english

25. Social program (please mention the activities, events and their cost):travelling to some cities and arranging some parties and it was of good price

26. People, culture and tradition:

27. Night life:very good

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28. Did you travel with your ISIC (International Student Identification Card) yes 29.

Yes

No

30. If yes, was it of much use:no Yes

No

31. Can you please explain:only very few places use it

32. How much did the air ticket cost:about 450 euros

33. How easy was it to book your flight, and how frequent were the flights: it was very difficult because all flights are always booked

Concerning the Hosting Organization: Please rate the hosting organization out of 10:

15. Reception at the airport:no Yes

No

16. Cooperation and help:helpful and cooperative Helpful and cooperative

Unhelpful and un cooperative

17. Very helpful members (please specify specific members by name):Beatrice Pedrinolla

18. Name of the hospital at which you were training:Borgo Roma in Verona

19. Hospital quality:excellent Excellent

Very good

Good

Average

Poor

Very poor

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20. Doctors (cooperation and communication):very good

21. Working time per day and working hours:5 or 6 hours

22. What did you find over there at the hospitals that you would like to bring with you here (no matter how strange it is):may be every thing

23. Complaints: there must be more effective social program and the food in the university must be more cheap

24. Any thing you would like to add? Thank you

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Poland Bydgoszcz Warszawa Szczecin Poznan Lublin BYDGOSZCZ -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Amr Magdy Refky 2Year of study: 6th 3Home University: Cairo University 4Mobile phone: 0100346565 5Email address: amr_refky86@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Poland City of exchange: Bydgoszcz University and/or Hospital of exchange: University Hospital of Bydgoszcz Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

YES

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section

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How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? Same day Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 20 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 How much did your Visa cost? Don’t remember How many days was your Visa valid for? 2 months Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 2500 LE How many hours did the flight take? 3 What was your flight agency? Wadi tours Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) 20 EUR as insurance How many people stayed in your room? Alone What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? It was good Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) Internet, 1 closet, 1 sofa Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? Internet 10 euro for the month Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Good How did you get your clothes cleaned up? By myself What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief. There was everything related to a Kitchen and I cooked it by myself or with my friends there Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) well I smoked freely in my room but not in the other rooms The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Very difficult Did you have any problems using English? Yes the cant speak English but a few words only What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? It depends if Poland well try the POLISH language which is difficult but may be Russian What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? All the week except sat and sun for about 10 hours Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country: salt mine, the castle, they are many but cannot remember What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Krakow, Gdansk, Poznan, Turon, Warsaw How did you travel from one city to the other? Train except Turon by bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? 25 Zt Please describe the night life… Pubs in Poland are the best but in BYDGOSCZS no they close very early Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Germany, Czech Republic How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Train What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? KRAKOW

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Visa and cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? At the other side of the road at the hospital and at the hostel How expensive do you consider the country? Not so expensive I think as Egypt Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 15000 to 18000 What is the currency of the country? Zloty One Egyptian pound equals? 0.4 Zt Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Yes, 100 Zt per week If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once: weekly How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) 100 Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yes all of its cost Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? 50% discount How useful was this card? Very useful Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes and it is very important How useful was this card? (In case you had it) very very very useful The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Really I don’t remember What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Nothing specific How much were the discounts? (If there were any) 30% to 50% Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 30 Zt Please state some native dishes of this country. All of them are pork so if you are a Muslim take care if you are a Christian enjoy How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) difficult How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? None How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Well as an example a bottle of water 2.5 Zt a bottle of Pepsi 4 Zt burger king combo 18 zt bread 3 zt 7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 14 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet: Turkish, Bulgarians, Spanish, Italian, Ukrainian, and Hungarian.

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Facebook and msn messenger Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there. Take care of the drunken people and the “thieves”

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Mobile and internet and I saw my friends in the other countries I traveled to Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Both The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) to buy it 50zt and each time you can recharge by 5 or 20 or 30 or 50 or 100 Zt as u wish How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 4 Zt a min How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 0.5 Zt a min How did you find an internet access? In the hostel and there was an internet café there beside my hostel How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 5 zt an hour Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? I didn’t find a mosque but of course there were a lot of churches Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? Never During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

One of my friends there had been stolen Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? Well it depends on u and your professor but I went 3 days per week How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 2 to 3 hours but it also depends on which department you are I was at plastic surgery How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By bus How much does this transportation cost? 2 Zt What was the original topic of your study? Plastic surgery Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Plastic surgery Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes but most of them speak English very bad Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? How to respect patients and a student and how to be organized and faithful at your work How many students were there studying with you in the same field? None Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Very big differences What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Sorry for that answer “GO AND SEE THESE PLACES HOW THEY ARE MANAGED”

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Yes -

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Nothing

Please feel free to write as much as you want about this trip as a whole, you can also write about anything you would like to change in the system…

Well don’t hesitate to try that chance really it will affect you, your personality and your career and you will learn many things that I wish all the Egyptians doctors can learn

WARSZAWA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Waleed Khattab 2Year of study: House officer 3Home University: Ainshams uni 4Mobile phone: +2 010 390 87 57 5Email address: w.khattab@yahoo.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO?

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Poland City of exchange: Warsaw University and/or Hospital of exchange: Infant jesus Hospital for obs & gyne Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

yes -

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? around 3 days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? yes

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How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? around 3 weeks How many times did you apply for this Visa? once How much did your Visa cost? 360 pounds How many days was your Visa valid for? one month(30 days) Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? yes How much was the flight ticket? 2600 pounds How many hours did the flight take? wth tranzite it's 12 hour What was your flight agency? Tarom(romanian) Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived? yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport?yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: student dormitory Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No only for better room How many people stayed in your room? in my case,2 ppl What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any)Egyptian How clean was the room? clean Did you feel comfortable in this room? yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) bathroom,wirless internet,fridge,2 closets,2 desks.

Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? yes to get own bathroom in room Did you have windows or balconies in your room? one window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? clean How did you get your clothes cleaned up? washing machine wth coins What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

TV,washing machine,kitchen How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief,only oven for cooking,u have to bring ur own pots Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) they have area for smoking(not allowed in rooms) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? lil difficult Did you have any problems using English? yes What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Polish :) What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Monday - Friday until 8-9 pm Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country.

What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Gdansk, Krakow, tarnova, Lublin How did you travel from one city to the other? Train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? It depend 8-30 Euros Please describe the night life… wonderful Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them). Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, I didn’t need visa How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Bus, train What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? France

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash, credit How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Easy How expensive do you consider the country? not tht expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 1500 U.S dollar What is the currency of the country? zloty One Egyptian pound equals? 0.4 zloty Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? yes Did you have to pay anything for such cards? yes Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? it's monthly ticket How useful was this card? good Did you travel with an ISIC card? yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) good Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? tow plaza(Mall) What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? clothes, some electronics The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How much were the discounts? (If there were any) 50-70% if sales time Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 50 pounds Please state some native dishes of this country. perogy How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? one How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 5 What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10. 4 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) rice,meet,lots of salad,soft drink If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 25 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet. indonisa,spain,romania,turkey,ukrain,greece,lithuania,Brazilians,slovenian How do you still keep in touch with these friends? internet,facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

bought -

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? internet Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?i How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 80 pounds How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? it gives 5 or 6 min.

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? so cheap How did you find an internet access? easy How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 1 hr = 7 pounds Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? yes Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? no mosques Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No

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During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 times How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 5 hours or less depend on work How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Tramvai How much does this transportation cost? free,i got month ticket=80 pounds What was the original topic of your study? Ophthalmology Did you change this topic and study another field? Yes Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Obs & gyne Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) operations How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? it was ok How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Strict How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 3 Please state their nationalities Brazilians, Slovenian, Ukrainian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt? yes What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Improving the quality of the operations How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

No, bcoz it's different techniques What did y ou dislike the most about the scientific program? No assistance

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

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Name: Ahmed Adel Abbas Year of study: 6th year Home University: Ain shams University Mobile phone: 0122854161 Email address: dr_adool@hotmail.com

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6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Poland City of exchange: Szczecin University and/or Hospital of exchange: university of Szczecin Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 2 weeks Was it easy to prepare the required documents? yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 3 weeks How many times did you apply for this Visa? once How much did your Visa cost? 360 L.E How many days was your Visa valid for? 2 months Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3300 L.E How many hours did the flight take? 2 hours and half What was your flight agency? Egypt Air Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room? Double room What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Egyptian How clean was the room? Not so bad Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) T.V, Internet, fridge, common bathroom for 3 rooms, no sofa , two chairs and a table Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Not so good How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Using the laundry What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Kitchen How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief I didn’t cook ….but the kitchen had 3 ovens and that’s all..and u should bring your kitchen stuff Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) No

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Some language difficulties but can be managed.

Did you have any problems using English? sometimes What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? It depends on the country…if Poland.. so learn polish.

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? It closes at 7 pm .and Sunday is off Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country. The churches..gardens..historical places What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Warsaw. Gdansk. Krakow .

Wroclaw. Berlin How did you travel from one city to the other? By train

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How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? It depends on the distance but the range is100 L.E Please describe the night life…night clubs and disco Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Germany...No as Poland visa is SCHENGEN visa How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By bus What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Richstag in Berlin

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Visa and Euros How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? very easy and reachable How expensive do you consider the country? A little bit expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? I can’t remember What is the currency of the country? Zloty One Egyptian pound equals? Half zloty Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? yes If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once weekly How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) 100 zloty Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? YES Did you have to pay anything for such cards? YES Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Yes How useful was this card? Very useful Did you travel with an ISIC card? yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) useful to have discount on some places and transportation.

Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Well it wasn’t so bad..but there are better cities.

What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Galaxy center What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Nothing special…maybe clothes in sales.

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) sometimes reaches 60% and 70% Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

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How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 20 to 30 zloty Please state some native dishes of this country I can’t remember the names

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How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) it was easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? Nothing provided How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Combo meals in Macdonald’s may cost u about 10 to 15 zloty.

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 14 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet. Brazil .Portugal. Italy . Turkey. Ukraine. Hungary .

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? By mailing and sending messages Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? By mobile calls and sending messages and sometimes by the internet.

Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Used the roaming service.

How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) didn’t buy one How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access? In the room. And in the library.

How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) it was for free Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? No mosques there Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No..it was safe

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

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How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 times How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 6 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? walking How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Training in surgery Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? Yes What did you study in this country? Surgery training and observing Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

It was easy ..yes the answer any questions.

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Not so often What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? How to behave with patients and other young doctors.

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 3 students Please state their nationalities Portugal..Italy..Brazil What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Much more better.

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Many things…first to change our system of studying the to build and renovate the hospitals to provide a good ,suitable atmosphere to learn and work and be able to achieve a progress in your work.

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes..it gave me an idea about the operations abroad how it’s going and what the arrangements must be done before it.

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Nothing but I think the duration of this training “one month” is not enough to learn and gain much more experience.

POZNAN -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Amira adel Ibrahim 2Year of study: 5th year 3Home University: Alexandria faculty of medecine 4Mobile phone: 5Email address: dr_composer88@yahoo.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Poland City of exchange: Poznan University and/or Hospital of exchange: don remember Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section I did How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 27 days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 27 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 360 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 27 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

No 2-

FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3600 L.E How many hours did the flight take? 2 hours 2 reach Rome where the transit is then other 2:20 hours to Warsaw as I remember What was your flight agency? Alitalia Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yea Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yea, a bus

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ACCOMMODATION

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Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room? 2 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Egyptian How clean was the room? Cleaned well Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes, it was only somehow narrow…

What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) internet cable, there was a fridge but wasn't clean in our room, I found the others have a clean fridge, so we didn’t use ours Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Big window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? We found it clean when we reached, but they stayed whole the month not cleaning it, and we had to clean it by ourselves and throw the rubbish by ourselves How did you get your clothes cleaned up? No, I did that by myself with ma hands What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Nothing How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief no food, they gave us some money to buy food 4 whole the month, but sure wasn't enough 4 whole the month Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) No

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Fffff, sign language, they know nothing about English Did you have any problems using English? Yes What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? If anybody can get polish English dictionary but I know it is hard What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? From 7 am to 7 or 8 pm Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country old city of Gdansk ,,,sopot,,westerplatte in Gdansk ,,,zakopanie ,,,salt mine in krakow What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Worklw ,,,Gdansk,,,,,krkaw How did you travel from one city to the other? By train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Equal about 60 pounds Please describe the night life…sleepy ,,,,only pubs work The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Austria ,,czech republic How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

Train or bus What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? The bridge in Prague (Czech)

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

How expensive do you consider the country? Not expensive at all Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Don't know What is the currency of the country? Zlotiy ,,,but I think it will deal soon with euro One Egyptian pound equals? 1 zl = 2.5 L.E Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? 300 zl If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No,,we had 2 pay ourselves Did you have to pay anything for such cards? yes Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Some provide discount 4 students How useful was this card? Not so useful Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes,,,and used it alot How useful was this card? (In case you had it) discount 4 some things like transportation,,museums Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? nooooo What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Don't remember,,recommend that every thing is in Egypt,,u don’t have 2 buy anything What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? nothing How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? no

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) abt 50 L.E per day Please state some native dishes of this country zapikanka ,,,perogi How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) most of it not halal ,,,so we tried the usual ordinary food How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? none The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things look,,everything have the same (number) like here in Egypt,,say big yougurt =1 ,,,pizza =10 ,,,the same with mac. Meals ,,,clothes but multiply in 2.5 (anything * 2.5),,2 equal it by pounds,,,that’s will always be the case as long as it would work wiz zloties not euros,,,,bottle of water is sheap =,70 zl

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? Abt 25 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Italian ,,,Macedonian,,greek,,Spanish,,Turkish,,,morocco,,,czech How do you still keep in touch with these friends? facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? yea Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? I bought aline How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 30 zl,,,then after that it depends on ur calls and sms How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 20 pounds How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 1.5 pound How did you find an internet access? They gave us cable,,in case we have laptops How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) nothing Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? yesssssssss Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Only churches Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No,,,,,just talked abt it as they asked abt it alot During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves? no Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? no

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4 hours maximum How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? bus How much does this transportation cost? Don remember What was the original topic of your study? biochemistry Did you change this topic and study another field? Yes,,,general surgery Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? no What did you study in this country? I didnt Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) operations How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? So friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask? mostely Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? no What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? somhow How many students were there studying with you in the same field? Not much Please state their nationalities only polsih What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

More clean ,,organized What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Pay attention to heigene,,,it goes psychological and physical How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference? no What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? I didn learn anything new,,,the studies were irrelevant 2 our level

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mohammed Salama Gabr 2Year of study: forth year 3Home University: Tanta University 4Mobile phone: +20106358511 5Email address: msgabr2002@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Poland City of exchange: Lublin University and/or Hospital of exchange: Lublin University Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 12days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 25days How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 360 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 31days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? Nothing

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3100LE How many hours did the flight take? 11 hours What was your flight agency? Ukrainian Airlines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How many people stayed in your room? Alone What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Good Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) Internet Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? 2windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Good How did you get your clothes cleaned up? In a laundry What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Laundry and kitchen How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief. Always fast food Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) nothing

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? I think it was easy to deal in English Did you have any problems using English? No, but old people don’t speak English What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go?

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? 5 days & 4 hours Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country. Concentration camps What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Krakow How did you travel from one city to the other? By train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Very costly Please describe the night life… go clubbing or staying in the dorm.

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) no How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

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PAY MENT

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What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

How expensive do you consider the country? More expensive than Egypt

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Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 1000$ What is the currency of the country? Zloty One Egyptian pound equals? 0.5 Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards? No Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) it has a lot of discounts in public transport and other things Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? The plaza What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Jackets How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 10 dollars Please state some native dishes of this country How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) it was very difficult How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? One meal How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) everyday What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 6 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) soap and potato and rice If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things May be water for 1 dollars and a meal in Mac costs 7 dollars 7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 15 The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Italians Turkish Ukrainian Romanian Hungarian How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Via Facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Via mobile phone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? Yes How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) free SIM card How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 4 dollars per minute How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? One min. = 0.5 dollars How did you find an internet access? In internet cafe How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 1.5 dollars Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? There were no mosques in Lublin Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? A little bit During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 times How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? On walk How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? General surgery Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) operations How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

In English, yes of course Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? To respect everyone How many students were there studying with you in the same field? Only one Please state their nationalities Ukrainian The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

The major difference is the clean operation rooms What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

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Romania Bucharest Craiova Timisoara BUCHAREST -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mohamed Rizk Mohamed Shokr 2Year of study: internship year 3Home University: Ain Shams University 4Mobile phone: +20105157966 5Email address: drmohamedrizk@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Romania City of exchange: Bucharest University and/or Hospital of exchange: Carol Davila medical school –Municipal hospital Month of exchange: October Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

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Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment?i do not remember Was it easy to prepare the required documents? yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 2 weeks How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 time

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How much did your Visa cost? About 270 l.E How many days was your Visa valid for? 30 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? Make sure the contact mentioned in your invitation letter is present in the same city of your exchange.

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book?yes How much was the flight ticket? 2375 egyptian pounds.

How many hours did the flight take? 2 hours and 20 minutes What was your flight agency? TAROM Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived? yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport?yes by the car of my contact

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form:hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance)no How many people stayed in your room? 3 people What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any)egyptians How clean was the room? excellent Did you feel comfortable in this room? A bit narrow but it was ok.

What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …)a big closet enough for the 3 of us..public bathroom in the floor..a fridge..a heater..a basin ..

Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? no Did you have windows or balconies in your room? windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom?the bathroom was like 5 meters from the door  and about the cleanliness:not bad for a shared bathroom.

How did you get your clothes cleaned up?by my own What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?no facilities How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief) we used the boiler to cook noodles as there was no ktchen ..otherwise, we ate at restaurants and fast food places.

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Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)though not luxurious, it was ok ..

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Easy with people my age because they spoke English very well and they were very co-operative but u will find difficulties dealing with older people.

Did you have any problems using English?only with older people and some employees especially at the exchange offices What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go?no special recommendations.

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?everyday except Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 till 5 :00 average Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country in BUCHAREST :The house of people and nearby area(piata unirii-piata universitati)-Museums like antipa museumParks like :Herastrau (and the village museum inside it)-Arc du triumph What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Brasov-Sinaia-Sibiu How did you travel from one city to the other? BY TRAIN How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? 15-25 euros average.

Please describe the night life…many clubs and casinos and cafes to hang out in.

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? BRASOV –SIBIU-SINAIA ..amazing especially Brasov..

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash money How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?very much available.

How expensive do you consider the country?it is ok neither cheap nor expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?150 euros +300 dollar (a lot of gifts and souvenirs  ) What is the currency of the country? Lei. One Egyptian pound equals?50 Banni- 0.5 lei Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization?yes instead of the food.

If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once ? every 2 weeks How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) what equals 40 euros in lei.

Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? no The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it)very limited use-only at the house of people Do you recommend this city or country for shopping?not really What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? I do nor remember the names ..only Iris shopping mall ..

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?souvenirs  How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day)average 15 lei per day .

Please state some native dishes of this country sirmali How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) it is easy to avoid eating pork or wine (recall theses words: forra pork-fora alcohol)but to find a place that serves Halal-food is not quite easy .

How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day?

How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these thingsthe prices at Macdonalds for exmple is the same as in Egypt but with the Romanian currency so practically it is a double price meal ..you can also try Shaworma for about 10 lei .

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program?2 egyptians Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Tunisian-hungarian-jordanian-egyptian-italian-lebanese How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Through the internet Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there there is relatively big numbers of arabs in Romania to the extent that an Egyptian heared us talking Arabic together by coincidence :)..we ran into 3 tunisians 3 times by chance  The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt?through the internet and phones Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?buying a mobile phone line there is more useful ..especially Vodafone coz it had some nice offers and also many youth prefer Vodafone so it is easier to talk with your contacts .

How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one)4 euros.

How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 0.7 euro How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? There that Vodafone offer that gives you 150 free minutes for 3 euros.

How did you find an internet access?wireless internet at resatuarant like macdonalds..+internet cafes How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 6 lei /hour Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals?no.

Was it easy to reach mosques or churches?yes there are 3 mosques at an area called Regie (easy to reach by the subway) but note that one of them is SHII3A  Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country?NO During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?a friend of mine was attacked by some thives at 11:30 p.m in piata universiati (most of the thives there are gypsies) Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? no

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 days How many hours did you spend in there everyday? About 4 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? subway How much does this transportation cost? U can make a subway subscription for 23 lei which is valid for a whole month (this is really helpful) What was the original topic of your study? orthopedics Did you change this topic and study another field? Tried to attned in cardiology and surgery departments.

Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) operations How friendly were the doctors and professors to you?the majority are friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?quite well.

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Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? no What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?professionalism How many students were there studying with you in the same field?only the 3 of us Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?more organized facilities.

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?more professional administrations.

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?not really What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? We wre supposed to be there on a research program but they told us that their hospital no researches are available so we changed to a professional program.

CRAIOVA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Romania City of exchange: Craiova University and/or Hospital of exchange: Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? No Appointments required, same day Was it easy to prepare the required documents? About 2 weeks of preparation The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? One and Half month How many times did you apply for this Visa? 2 times How much did your Visa cost? LE 250 How many days was your Visa valid for? 30 days (1month) Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? - Address of the Hostel must be obtained before applying for the visa there - Schengen visa will help you to obtain your visa faster

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? Don't remember How many hours did the flight take? 2:30 approx What was your flight agency? Tarom Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room? 1 more person What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Egyptian How clean was the room? Insects were present.

Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) TV, Fridge, 2 closets, 1 bathroom Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? 1 Window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? In my room How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Laundry in the hostel for free What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief There was no Kitchen; I use to eat fast food, diary products, and other supermarket products

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Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) smoking but I succeeded in sorting this out with my room mate.

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? No, but when you start learning the numbers from 1-10, it will be easy buying things from the small shops, Supermarkets you can just read the banner, People in general there are honest, I used to take one of the contact persons with me Did you have any problems using English? Few people know English, Contact persons speak quit fair but you can go on a conversation with them What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Native language, English is a must, Russian language are quite familiar with older people What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

Sunday is Off Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Brans Castle (Dracula Castle), Pelesh and Pelishor, all that in Brasov, Craiova had some some old churches What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Bucharest, Brasov, Sulina, Senia How did you travel from one city to the other? Trains, Buses How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? The trip may reach 60100 euros Please describe the night life… mostly as any night life in Europe, There were Restaurants, cafes if you want to spend a quite night and there are clubs and House parties that you can ask the contact person about them to go Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) France, just after the end of the training, Needed a Schingen Visa for it How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)? plane What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? In Romania, Brasov

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PAY MENT

Hostel -

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Near the How expensive do you consider the country? Almost like Egypt Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Don't remeber What is the currency of the country? Ron or Lei (it has both names) One Egyptian pound equals? 1 Ron= 2.5 LE Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No

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If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Only in Historical places and Monuments to prove I'm a student Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) about 15Lie which is about 40 pounds provided that I had Lunch and Dinner for free Please state some native dishes of this country don't remember, only something called mamliga which was really awful How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) Fish and Chicken are available in all restaurants but they don't apply Halal system for slaughtering How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 3 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) all week What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 9 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) all forms Hot and cold Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) Soup/Appitizers/main dish/ desert/ and beverages but we were something special as we were only four, the hospital restaurant was closed so they manage to make a deal with a famous restaurant which has been of a famous value….

If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Water 1Lei (2.5 LE) Cola and Beverages 2 Lei Pizza 12Lei to 15 Lei (max 17Lei in a fancy restaurant) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Sandwich almost 4 to 5 Lei Coffee 4Lei

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 4 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Russian How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Internet, facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Internet through hospital Library, Mobile phones with Romanian sim cards Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Mobile lines are cheaper How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) cash How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Don't remember How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 1 min = 0.5 Euros How did you find an internet access? Hospital Library How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? No Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5times How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Walking How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Internal Medicine- Cardiology Did you change this topic and study another field? Yes Surgery Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? Molecular biology attended once or twice The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What did you study in this country? Surgery Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) Operations How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Good How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 1 Please state their nationalities Egyptian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Cleaner What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Provide a cleaner atmosphere in the Hospitals, the case is not buying new things as much as keeping the old things clean How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Sometimes the native language decreased my connection with those in the hospital or in the daily life, I usually like to be surrounded by an atmosphere that I can understand to react better!!!...but was really nice experience

TIMISOARA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

1Country of exchange: Romania 2City of exchange: Timisoara 3University and/or Hospital of exchange: University of victor babes for medicine and pharmacy , hospital : CASA AUSTRIA hospital for Surgery .

4Month of exchange: August 5Year of exchange: 2008 6Type of exchange: Research , but had to switch there to professional clinical project .

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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1-

THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? I didn’t have to wait for the appointment.

Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Very easy How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? Around 15 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 How much did your Visa cost? 235 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? Almost 2 months Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 2450 LE round trip How many hours did the flight take? 3 What was your flight agency? Spring tours ( talaat harb st ) Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room?

1 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Turkish How clean was the room? 3 out of 5 Did you feel comfortable in this room? yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) Internet , fridge , 3 closets , 3 beds , table , chairs Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? no Did you have windows or balconies in your room? A window

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How reachable and clean was the bathroom? It wasn’t far from the room , and was averagely clean.

How did you get your clothes cleaned up? I hand washed them myself , although there was a laundry nearby .

What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief ( I didn’t have a kitchen , they offered us ready made food ) Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Not easy Did you have any problems using English? I didn’t , they did ( Romanians ) What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? A little Romanian which really helped me a lot there.

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? depends Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country : bran castle , constanta , house of parliament ….etc What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Sibiu , Bucharest , brasov , Sinaia , Arad , Craiova .

How did you travel from one city to the other? By train.

How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Depends , but around 250 LE round trip from timisoara to one of these places .

Please describe the night life… : Awesome…Romania is full of spectacular clubs and cafes .

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) I didn’t cause Romania is not schengen zone How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Busteni Mountains ..Sinaia ..Romania

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash.

How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? So numerable and close .

How expensive do you consider the country? Average Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 4800 LE The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What is the currency of the country? LEU One Egyptian pound equals? 1 LEU = 2.5 EGP Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? no If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? no Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) used it in a few places for discounts.

Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? somehow What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Iulius mall in timisoara , plaza in Bucharest.

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Footwear and electronics.

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) depends !!!

Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No I didn’t .

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) they gave us tickets for food to eat and drink in a very good restaurant called ROY'S .

Please state some native dishes of this country : sarmale How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) : very easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? : tickets How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) : What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 : 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) So fresh .

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things : pepsi can ( 5 LE ) …1.5 litres of water ( 5 LE ) ….macdonalds meal averaging * 25 LE "

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 10 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet : Romanians , Italians , Turkish , German , Dutch , Polish , Czech , Egyptians , Cypriot , Russian .

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How do you still keep in touch with these friends? IN a very good way .

Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Internet and mobile phone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? I bought a mobile phone line .

How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 45 LE How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 7 LE per minute How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? I cant remember but it was reasonable.

How did you find an internet access? Other friends who had laptops or internet cafes.

How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) in internet cafes 1 hour : 2,5 LE Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? I didn’t find any mosques , but I heard there was one in the city.

Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? NEVER .

During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves? no Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? no

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? From 3 to 5 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? walking How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Microsurgical procedures in experimental animals.

Did you change this topic and study another field? Yes, plastic and reconstructive surgery .

Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? no What did you study in this country? plastic and reconstructive surgery .

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) Both Clinical and operatios.

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very.

How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? One of them yes.

What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 2 Please state their nationalities : Polish and Italian .

What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Very different in aspects of cleanliness and hygiene .

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

To direct more money and care to the health industry .

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Not now , maybe later.

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? That I had to switch to clinical project.

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Serbia Novisad Nis NOVISAD -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Serbia City of exchange: Novi Sad University and/or Hospital of exchange: Novi Sad Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Research

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? Didn’t wait, Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 3 weeks How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? No money How many days was your Visa valid for? For the month Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? They were Very helpful at the embassy

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 2800 How many hours did the flight take? Transit in Italy,, so like 12 hrs till reaching there What was your flight agency? Alitalia Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Sort of, bus then bus again…

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: student's dorm Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) didn’t like the student restaurant, so was eating outside How many people stayed in your room? No one What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Good Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) Bed, lots of closets, Bathroom, a desk Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? A window How reachable and clean was the bathroom?

How did you get your clothes cleaned up? I cleaned them What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? Didn’t use any How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief, didn’t use any Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Loved the people, youth better in English Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? None

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What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Every except sun and sat, stores close at 8, except few, Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Belgrade, sonbor, How did you travel from one city to the other? Train, bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Train something equivalent to 30 LE ,, bus ,, 80 LE Please describe the night life…cafes…discos in a lane there, or walking in the city centre Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

How expensive do you consider the country? Multiply costs here by 3, or 4 Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?

What is the currency of the country? Don’t know I spent something 6000 LE, don’t remember One Egyptian pound equals? 1 euro=78 dinars Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) only used it in the train station, didn’t work in anything else Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Not very much, same stores in Egypt What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? City centre What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No, there were none

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) don’t know, Please state some native dishes of this country, all with pork How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) I asked and people told me, they are available How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 2 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) all What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10? 3 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Didn’t eat there except a couple of times, but was warm Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Don’t remember 7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? About 7 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Portuguese, Lithuanian, Spanish, Italian How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Yes Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Facebook in the dorms computer room for free, only had 3 computers, very slow internet, and hard internet access there in the city Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? Yes they gave me, but they had gifts from some event, don’t think it’s expensive How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Don’t know how much exactly, but I bought like 6 or 7, each for 20 LE How did you find an internet access?

How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? No mosques there, lots of churches Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? Never...

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During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? Everyday How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? 2 How much does this transportation cost? Walked What was the original topic of your study? Endocrinology Did you change this topic and study another field?

Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Good Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Very helpful How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 1 Please state their nationalities Egyptian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt? I guess no much difference What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

NIS -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

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Name: Peter Moheb Year of study: 4th Home University: Tanta Mobile phone: 0107454484 Email address: ppeetteerr1988@yahoo.com

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6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Serbia City of exchange: Nis University and/or Hospital of exchange: clinical center of Nis Month of exchange: august Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Bilateral

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section.

Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 1 month Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Quite difficult How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 1 month How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 time How much did your Visa cost? Only life insurance I think 120 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 1 month Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Quite difficult How much was the flight ticket? 4000 LE How many hours did the flight take?

Actually 2 hours & half + 7 hours transit What was your flight agency? Turkish air lines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes on bus station Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: dormitory Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? 2 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Russian How clean was the room? Acceptable Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) well Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Acceptable How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Washing machine What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Nothing How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief there was cooker & some dishes Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) no

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Quite difficult Did you have any problems using English? A bit What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Nothing What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? All except Saturday, Sunday Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Novi Sad What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Belgrade & Novi Sad How did you travel from one city to the other? By bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Ticket about 100LE Please describe the night life… shopping, café, festivals …

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) nothing How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)? ….

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What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Nis

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Easy How expensive do you consider the country? Only in transportation Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? About 8500 LE What is the currency of the country? Dinar One Egyptian pound equals? 80 dinars Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards? ……

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? ……..

How useful was this card? ……

Did you travel with an ISIC card? No How useful was this card? (In case you had it) ….

Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Tempo, merkatoor, others What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Souvenirs How much were the discounts? (If there were any) a little Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) don’t remember Please state some native dishes of this country. don’t remember How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 3 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) all days What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 6 to 8 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) don’t remember

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If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? About 30 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Russian, Romanian, Italian, Brazilians, polish, Tunisians, Egyptians, & more How do you still keep in touch with these friends? With Facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Net & mobile Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? both How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) about 20 LE How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? About 8 LE for a minute How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Cheap don’t remember exactly How did you find an internet access? In our dorm or net café How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) free in dorm & cheap in café, don’t remember exactly Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Difficult Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

week?

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How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? Average 2-3 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By bus or walking How much does this transportation cost? About 3 LE What was the original topic of your study? Clinical pathology

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Did you change this topic and study another field? Yes Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? Yes What did you study in this country? Plastic surgery Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Good How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? They were very friendly How many students were there studying with you in the same field? About 5 Please state their nationalities Romanian, polish What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Nothing What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Nothing How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

No What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? It is not scientific it is social program

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Spain Barcelona Oviedo BARCELONA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Spain City of exchange: Barcelona University and/or Hospital of exchange: hospital can ruti, hospital saint pau Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? Nearly 1 month may be few days less!!!

Was it easy to prepare the required documents? No special difficulties the usual paper work headache How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 15 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 time then I had to apply again to change the dates as they gave me wrong dates.

How much did your Visa cost? 500 LE each application How many days was your Visa valid for? 45

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Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

The whole process sucked!

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? Don’t remember around 280 Euros How many hours did the flight take? Don’t remember with connection flights it's hard to tell exactly I think may be 4 hours both flights What was your flight agency? Alitalia Yes

Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? not really it was easy from the airport coz a friend of the NEO picked me with car but it was difficult by transport when I was going back better take a cap pretty expensive but it's worth it especially if u have much luggage

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: student's flat it was better than the hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) U have to pay for food there they don’t offer meals only 70 Euros for the food for the whole month!

How many people stayed in your room? 4 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Taiwan & Slovakian How clean was the room? It was ok depends on the mood of my roomies Did you feel comfortable in this room? I was ok What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) nothing there was a fridge in the kitchen of the flat 2 fridges no TV & we stole the internet from the neighbors, in my room were 4 beds 1 couch & 1 table & no closets just some stupid shelves !!!

Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? Nope Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yup How reachable and clean was the bathroom? 3 bathrooms shared by all the people in the apartment it was common to find the bathroom busy when u need it especially when The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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everybody is coming back from the beach but we set a rule that people have to clean bathroom after using it.

How did you get your clothes cleaned up? By myself in a washing machine or by hand What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? Don’t understand How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief There was an oven & microwave & pots & spoons ...etc.

I cooked my meals for my self there were no body to do anything just students in a flat.

Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

Don’t understand

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Mm... not really easy not very much people know good English Did you have any problems using English? Nope What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? CATALAN or at least some Spanish What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Don’t know when they open probably early like 8 or 9 & most of things close around 9 or 10 Don’t know about that government offices thing Other stuff varies & most stuff close from 2_4 for a nap However in august almost every thing is closed & every Spanish person is on holiday Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country sagrada familia church mountjuic parc guell citadella olimpique port vell aquarium portaventura isla fantasia There are lots of others especially modernist artistic works & old buildings & such stuff I don’t remember much & I don’t know all of them coz am not so much into history & arts Am more into nature, partying, exercising & shopping

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What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Sitges - tarragona How did you travel from one city to the other? Train - plane How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? 5 euro - 10 euro Please describe the night life… describe what!! Its Barcelona u sure heard about it Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) France & Italy no visa required How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

By plane What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Tour Eiffel at night!

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash & credit cards How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Didn’t use any of these stuff so not sure but I think they were reachable How expensive do you consider the country? Something like 4 times more expensive than Egypt but Spain was the least expensive.

Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Who needs a cerebral stroke after coming back!! I didn’t calculate & I don’t want to!!!

What is the currency of the country? Euros One Egyptian pound equals? Nothing!

Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Yes If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once. once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) 70 Euros!!

Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? Nope Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? No cards How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) not very useful only some discounts at museums & that's it Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Sure!

What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

They r lots more than I can state I’ve been to every single shopping place I could reach What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Cloths cloths cloths cloths How much were the discounts? (If there were any) not many discounts in august but some discounts were up to 70%!

Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? I think so although I think it's not much I only got 30 Euros back!!!

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They give u back the tax provided u spend 90 Euros in one shop in 3 months

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) ready meals in a restaurant costs around 10 Euros / meal & to cook an ok meal at home at might cost 2 Euros or less!

At some hospitals u can buy a meal for 2 or 3 Euros Please state some native dishes of this country paella, tabas, tortilla de patatas How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) Didn’t bother I ate pasta, rice & chicken nuggets for the whole month How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? None How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) none What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Mm... I can hardly remember MacDonald’s meal was about 6-8 Euros The stupid double cheese burger of Mac would cost 2 Euros there A big tank of water that was enough for me the whole month I think it was 8 liters may be!! Was 1 or 2 Euros not sure 1 packet of pasta was 60 cents 1 box of chicken nuggets was like 3 Euros may be Don’t remember other stuff.

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? Don’t know may be 40!

Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet I’ll state countries it's easier, France, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, check republic, Taiwan, Japan, Holland, turkey, Bosnia, Tunisia, Greece, that's what I remember so far How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Online Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Both How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 15 Euros or something How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Never called How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Don’t know but not much How did you find an internet access? Stole the neighbors or in the public library & the hospital How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) nothing Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? Nope Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? I didn’t reach a mosque in Barcelona but I heard there's one anyways u can pray at home Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? Nope During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

Nope but I know people who got stolen Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? a laptop & an mp3 & a mobile phone

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? Don’t remember probably I went when I wanted How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4 or 5 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By bus or underground How much does this transportation cost? A ticket for all methods of transport for the whole month costs 46 Euros What was the original topic of your study? Sleeping disorders Did you change this topic and study another field? I studied sleeping disorders for 1 week & pediatrics for 2 weeks Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

What did you study in this country? I studied sleeping disorders for 1 week & pediatrics for 2 weeks Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) sleeping disorders academic.. Pediatrics clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly I like them so much How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yup, It was easy with the doctors supervising me they speaks some English but with other doctors or nurses usually they only spoke Spanish Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Nope but I’m planning to do so The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? Only me Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt? I can’t describe the differences in words, sorry What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

May be they should send some representative to check 1- The level of awareness of the paramedical team there 2- How clean the environment & the infrastructure of the hospitals there 3- How is the patient’s rights & privacy kept in the PUBLIC hospitals there with no more than two patients in one room & how all the doctors & other workers in the hospital to warn the patient about every new procedure he's undergoing & it's value.

I don’t think I can make recommendations the gap is really massive & I don’t think the systems in our country are changeable How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference? To the study itself, I don’t think coz the training was for something I already finished studying but it was useful in my way of thinking as a doctor What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? 1 month was not enough I’d really liked if I could go for the hospital more

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mohamed Islam Abdel hay Gadelhaq 2Year of study: fourth year 3Home University: Ainshams university 4Mobile phone: 0164567111 5Email address: mo7amedislam@hotmail.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Spain City of exchange: Barcelona University and/or Hospital of exchange: Hospital clinic Month of exchange: august Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: research

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Yea, I need How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment?

Three days Was it easy to prepare the required documents?

Yes, It was. It took from me 10 days to prepare all the required documents How many days did it take to obtain your Visa?

15 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? once How much did your Visa cost?

I don’t remember How many days was your Visa valid for?

32 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

All the required document should be written in spanish or english not Arabic 2-

FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? yes How much was the flight ticket?

I don’t remember How many hours did the flight take?

About two hours and half What was your flight agency?

Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes, there was Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport?

Yes, very easy

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ACCOMMODATION

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Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: A flat Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room?

Two , me and another student What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Russian How clean was the room?

It was very clean Did you feel comfortable in this room?

Yes, I did What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …)

Nothing except two beds, two bureau and few coat-hanger Did you have to pay for any of these facilities?

No, I didn’t Did you have windows or balconies in your room?

A balcony How reachable and clean was the bathroom?

Opposite to my room , not very clean How did you get your clothes cleaned up?

There was a washing machine in a private room in the flat that we could use it any time for free What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

The flat composed of six big beed-rooms with two big balconies, big kitchen with a 2 fridges, oven , microwave and all other kitchen stuff , private room with a washing machine beside free internet access How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief We cooked our food by ourselve in the kitchen that contain all the stuff anyone coould need for cooking Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) nothing 4-

THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people?

Not very easy Did you have any problems using English?

No, I didn’t The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? spanish What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

Everyday except Sunday from 7:00am till 7:00pm Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country What are the other cities you had the chance to visit?

Valencia, madrid, cordoba and granada How did you travel from one city to the other?

By the bus and the train How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost?

From 25-40 euro it depends on the distance, time Please describe the night life…

Big party Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? visa How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Every where How expensive do you consider the country? It’s expensive relatively , and Barcelona is much more expemsive then madrid especiaslly in August b Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? About 800-1000 euro What is the currency of the country? euro One Egyptian pound equals?

Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? About 70 euro If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once . once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? no Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yes, 50 euro Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? Unlimited free transportation for the whole month How useful was this card? Very useful Did you travel with an ISIC card? no How useful was this card? (In case you had it)..

Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes, I do . but it’s not cheap What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

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What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) about 5-15 euro daily Please state some native dishes of this country How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) yes very easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? nothing How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program?

About 20 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet From russa, lebanon, tunisia, greece, france, poland, italy, japan ,taywan, check republic, slovakia and turkey How do you still keep in touch with these friends?

All of them Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt?

Using the internet and local cell phonenumber Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

I bought one How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) I bought a mobile with the line by 15 euro How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

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How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access?

It was avaliable in the flat How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals?

Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? no During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

Yes I and three other students were robbed in the underground station Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country?

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? Five times How many hours did you spend in there everyday?

3-5 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility?

By the underground How much does this transportation cost?

I bought a card that allow me to use different means of trasport the whole month by 50 euro What was the original topic of your study?

Breast cancer Did you change this topic and study another field? no Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? no What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) research How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Well, it was not easy as not all the doctors can speak english well. Yes, they did Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? no What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? two The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Please state their nationalities From slovakia and turkey What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Peter Semaan 2Year of study: 6th Year 3Home University: Tanta University 4Mobile phone: +2-0105531675 5Email address: pepoo11170@yahoo.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes -

EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Spain City of exchange: Barcelona University and/or Hospital of exchange: Barcelona University - Hospital Clinic Month of exchange: October Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Research

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 1 month Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 12 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 60 Euros How many days was your Visa valid for? 2 month Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? it`s quiet hard to get it if your passport is clean (no visas) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3000 LE How many hours did the flight take? 3:30 What was your flight agency? I bought it online.

Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes but you have to change a lot of transportations 3-

ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Apartment.

Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? 1, but the room was for 4 people What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Macedonian How clean was the room? Wasn`t but we cleaned it ourselves Did you feel comfortable in this room? No What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) there was stolen internet and sure there was a bathroom, actually 2 of them Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom? It was dirty but we cleaned it.

How did you get your clothes cleaned up? There was a washing machine in the apartment.

What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Nothing How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief in the kitchen, there were a stove, microwave and the oven was out of service.

Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

4-

THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

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How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Not so good Did you have any problems using English? Little coz they don`t speak it.

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What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Spanish What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Hours, don`t remember exactly, days, markets r opened 7 days a week but they close earlier during weekends, offices, sure closed during weekends.

Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country a lot What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Madrid, Granada, Malaga, figueers How did you travel from one city to the other? Buses, trains and planes How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? a lot Please describe the night life… amazing Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? All 5-

PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Credit cards How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Everywhere How expensive do you consider the country? Extremely expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 1700 Euros or more What is the currency of the country? Euro One Egyptian pound equals? 1 euro = 7 LE Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Yes If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) once Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card?

How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Barcelona is nice for shopping but expensive, Andorra is a tax-free zone and it`s like 3 hours from Barcelona.

What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? There are a lot What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Nothing special, they have good clothes, but if you drink...They have best wine...

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) don`t remember exactly Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No, I forgot

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 25 Euros Please state some native dishes of this country. Tortilla potatoes, very good How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) I don`t know How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 0 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 0 What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things: okay, a bottle of water costs like 1.4 Euros, milk starting from 2 Euros, bread, starting from 1.5 Euros, Macdonald`s the cheapest sandwich starts from 4.6 Euros, burger king starts from 5.6 Euros..A normal restaurant at least u pay 10 Euros...

7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 7 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Serbian, Dutch, Austrian, Swiss, Turkish, Italian and Macedonian.

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Kind of Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there 8-

PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Phone calls or SMS Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? Yes I did How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) like 10 Euros How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 2 Euros a mint How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Around 40 cents How did you find an internet access? There was internet in the Apartment, the stolen one.

How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) stolen Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? Yes, The permanent officer there Maria something...she hates Egyptians...she called us liars, not trustable...bla bla

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During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No 9-

THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 times a week How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 2 or 3 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Metro How much does this transportation cost? You will have lots of kinds of tickets to choose from.

What was the original topic of your study? Pharmacological studies on Schizophrenic patients receiving medical treatment.

Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) academic research How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

We were more than friends...

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Yes What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? How to be friends with your students How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 0 Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Ha Ha Ha What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

I`ll let you answer this one for me.

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Still not but I’m sure it will in the future What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Nothing

OVIEDO -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1-

Name: Ahmed Abdelkhalek ElShiekh

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2Year of study: 5 3Home University: SCU 4Mobile phone: 0101804877 5Email address: redeagleonline@yahoo.com 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Spain City of exchange: Oviedo,Asturias University and/or Hospital of exchange: Asturias,oviedo Month of exchange: 8 Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 1 month Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Not at all How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? Like 3 months !!!

How many times did you apply for this Visa? 2 How much did your Visa cost? 500 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 45 Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? It was very hard,very bad ,a hige set of papers were required & even thought I had rejection & I had to reapply !!

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? yes How much was the flight ticket?

2600 LE How many hours did the flight take?

Indirect flight (3 hrs+3 hrs) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What was your flight agency?

Romanian airlines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

NO, I had to travel to Madrid Oviedo alone & someone waited me at Oviedo station Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? yes 3-

ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? 1 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? good Did you feel comfortable in this room? yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) fridge one sofa, 2 beds NO internet  Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? no Did you have windows or balconies in your room? yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Very bad no hot water How did you get your clothes cleaned up? no What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? kitchen How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief kitchen Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) yes we had to be in a flat not in dormitory & we didn’t have gas for hot water & this was completely different than the exchange criteria uploaded on the website of the hosting LC

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people?

Not able AT ALL SPANISH PEOPLE DON’T TALK ENGLISH “SOLO SPANIOL “ ONLY SPANISH even little number of doctors in hospital can speak good English (understandable one !!)

Did you have any problems using English?

Althought I have fluent English I couldn’t use it NO one in spain can talk this “strange” language !! & I can also talk French but people in spain don’t even know about it !!

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What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go?

SPANISH & ONLY SPANISH What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

I don't know or I don't remember" Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Madrid,Barcelona,Granada,Andalucia,ribadeseilla What are the other cities you had the chance to visit?

Ribadeseilla,Madrid,Santiago,avilles,gijon How did you travel from one city to the other?

By public transport How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost?

5 hours by bus costed 30 euros Please describe the night life…excellent in the weekends otherwise there is no !!

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? MAdrid

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? excellent How expensive do you consider the country? Very cheap except for transportation Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 500 euros What is the currency of the country? euros One Egyptian pound equals? 1 euro makes 7 LE Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? no If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? no Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? yes How useful was this card? (In case you had it) not useful at all in spain Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes much What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? I don't know or I don't remember"

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What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

Cloth, Spanish fans ;),souvenirs,bags,watches How much were the discounts? (If there were any)great up to 50 % & even more Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? no

6-

FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) not much but I don't remember" Please state some native dishes of this country How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) couldn’t reach it !! I was obligated to be vegetarian during my stay  How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 1 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 30 What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 8 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) fresh & great  Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) salade(either fish salade,pork salade or green salde),fish(or meat or chicken),small loaf of bread,coca,desert If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Macdonalds sandwished prices 1 or 2 euros per sandwish 1 litre coca 1 euro 1 litre of milk half euro French (half metre length ) loaf of break 60 cent A kilo of uncooked chicken 2 euros Average one person meal in a good restaurant (full filling comelete meal ) average 6-10 euros) 7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program?

4 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Polish,Egyptian,spanish How do you still keep in touch with these friends?

Phones ,emails,facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt?

Phone,email,facebook Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? roaming How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access?

In hospital & free in public liraries How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) For free in hospital & public libraries Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? no Was it easy to reach mosques or churches?

NO Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country?

Not at all During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? no

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week?

5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday?

6 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility?

On foot ( 3 minutes) How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study?

Vascular surgery Did you change this topic and study another field?

No, I wanted but but the LEO was totally non cooperative!!

Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

No because the LEO was totally non cooperative What did you study in this country?

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Vascular surgery Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) ALL that How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? EXTREMELY FRINEDLY TO THE BEST DEGREE EVER BEEN How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask? great Do you still contact your doctors after you came back?

Emails & phones What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? A lot How many students were there studying with you in the same field? none Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

Cant tell about it we have facilities in Egypt but we don’t use them well Besides for sure the facilities in spain are much more in number & quality What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

To start an infection control procedures in our hospitals How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Great a lot of difference it made, it made me decide that I have to immigrate to europe What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

I t was all Great I loved it !

Please feel free to write as much as you want about this trip as a whole, you can also write about anything you would like to change in the system…

The LEO of the hosting Lc didn’t not reply on my mails except after about 2 months if she replied at all !!

The LEO was totally non cooperative & non helpful, not caring & I didn’t see her during the whole month of exchange except 2 times only !

She even didn’t live in the same city !!

My contact person was great a very nice person & she showed me around in the first week But for the next 3 weeks of the exchange programme she had exams !!!!

On the LC website we were said to be in a student hostel with rooms & internet & free 3 meals per day But we were informed after that by the LEO that we will be in a flat with no internet & only 1 meal a day We had to change the gas of the water heater in the bathroom by ourselves & the LEO didn’t even help us about that & we couldn’t do that & it was horrible to have to path with that cold freezing water or to boil it in the kitchen !!!

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Sweden Umea Lund UMEA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1- Name: Youssef Helmy 2- Year of study: Fifth 3- Home University: Cairo University 4- Mobile phone: 0106701437 5- Email address: yh5587@gmail.com 6- I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

1- Country of exchange: Sweden 2- City of exchange: Umea 3- University and/or Hospital of exchange: Norrlands University Hospital (NUS Norrlands Universitetsjukhus) 4- Month of exchange: August 5- Year of exchange: 2008 6- Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

1-

THE VISA

- Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Yes - How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? I had my appointment the same day I went (No wait just waited for my turn on 1 day) - Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes - How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 2 weeks - How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once - How much did your Visa cost? 450 LE - How many days was your Visa valid for? For 1 month (28 days) - Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? Non

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FLIGHT DETAILS

- Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes - How much was the flight ticket? 5500 L.E - How many hours did the flight take? 4 hours approx.

- What was your flight agency? Decastro tours and I flew via Lufthansa and SAS - Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes - Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes by Bus and car

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ACCOMMODATION

- Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hotel Bjorken (excellent 3 star hotel) - Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) Non - How many people stayed in your room? 2 (including myself) - What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Egyptian - How clean was the room? VERY Clean - Did you feel comfortable in this room? Very Very much - What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) T.V, Fridge, bathroom, sofa bed for my roommate, phone - Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? Just the phone - Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes big windows - How reachable and clean was the bathroom? We had a bathroom in our room which was very clean - How did you get your clothes cleaned up? In the self served laundry room - What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Internet, breakfast, Billiard table and table tennis, living room, oven (only for milk and water!!) microwave - How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief. By microwave and oven there was a fridge and cutlery was accessible from the kitchen when required - Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) Smoking was not allowed, the Hotel is PERFECT It was one of the highlights of my trip, the staff are nice and very very friendly the food in breakfast was ok and there was accessible laundry and recreational facilities

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

- How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Very easy most Swedish people speak good English - Did you have any problems using English? Non at all - What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Non (It helps if you know German or Swedish obviously but neither are required)

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- What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Weekdays (Mon-Fri) from 9 to 6 (Weekends I don't know) - Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Around Umea there are the Vindelin Rapids for rafting, Holmon and Norbysyre two beautiful Islands, Cirona in Lappland, Stockholm I don't know much because I only spent 24 hours but I know about the archipelago, the museums and the guided river tours - What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Vindelin, Lycksele (Lappland), Holmon, Norbysyre, Stockholm - How did you travel from one city to the other? Rented Cars and Plane to and from Stockholm - How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? The cars costs are variable according to type, mileage and number of the people travelling in the group.

The plane was prepaid in Egypt - Please describe the night life…It was quite dull night life in Umea.

- Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) Non - How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

- What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? The Rapids of Vindelin and Mountain climbing south of Umea

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PAY MENT

- What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash - How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? There is an ATM in the hospital, but exchange offices are twenty minutes away by foot in the city centre - How expensive do you consider the country? Quite expensive - Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Nearly 5000 L.E give or take - What is the currency of the country? Swedish Kroner - One Egyptian pound equals? Nearly 1 Krone - Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Non - If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once - How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) - Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No - Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

- Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

- How useful was this card?

- Did you travel with an ISIC card? Yes - How useful was this card? (In case you had it) I didn’t use it - Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No - What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Nothing significant - What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Vasterbottens Cheese - How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Non - Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? Non

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FOOD

- How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 60 Kroner

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- Please state some native dishes of this country Salmon,Vasterbottens cheese.

- How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) There was vegetarian food in the hospital but no HALAL meat at all. I had to ask continuously about it,but there was a lot of fish and the people understand English so It wasn't a problem - How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? Breakfast and Lunch in the hospital - How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 20 days (Lunch we had coupons and there were extra but we only needed 20 for lunch) and 28 Breakfast - What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10. 7 to 8 - How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Lunch was hot - Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) Breakfast: Bread, cheese, eggs and cornflakes (There was a lot of ham and meat but I don't eat pork), Lunch was variable mostly pastas and sometimes vegetarian food - If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things McDonalds fish burger 70 Kronor Cola Can 10 Kronor

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FRIENDS

- How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? We were a total of 15 students - Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Italian, Palestinian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German and Polish - How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Internet especially Facebook, cards and letters - Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there. nothing weird I just made some very good friends there

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PERSONAL LIFE

- How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? By Phone and internet - Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? I bought a Telia Phone line - How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 100 Kronor for the Line and 100 Top up credit - How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? I don't know - How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? O don't Know - How did you find an internet access? In the hotel there was internet access - How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 10 kronor for each 10 minutes - Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No, I downloaded the prayer times online but the day and night time in Umea is a bit strange as they have a very long day and very short night in July and August

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- Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? I asked and I was directed to the closest mosque - Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? Not at all - During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves? No - Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

- How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? Every day (5 weekdays) - How many hours did you spend in there everyday? From 4-6 - How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By foot as they are opposite each other - How much does this transportation cost? Nothing - What was the original topic of your study? Urology - Did you change this topic and study another field? No - Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? I attended once in general surgery, Orthopedics and the ER - What did you study in this country? Urology - Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) I attended the outpatient clinic, ward rounds, unit meetings, radiology meetings, Stone therapy and I scrubbed in on 8 procedures as an assistant and observed others including laser surgery - How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? They were very friendly - How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes they all spoke English and were helpful - Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? Only one of the student trainees - What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? To relax and enjoy medicine because they were very relaxed - How many students were there studying with you in the same field? I was the only IFMSA student there were 2 local students training and under pay - Please state their nationalities they were Local Swedish students - What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

The number of patients is extremely less in Sweden, the hospital has a surplus of supplies and equipment and much less students in relation to the staff. However in I felt that our Egyptian surgeons were more skilled maybe because of the number of patients they see.

In addition neurology in Egypt is more advanced than in Sweden, the chief of Urology had been in Egypt in Mansoura training on Cystectomy procedures - What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places? I recommend the ministry of health to motivate more doctors (Junior and senior) to work in remote hospitals because NUS is the only hospital serving the North of Sweden - How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference? It was very very helpful; Urology is a branch of special surgery that is very important in Egypt because of shistosomiasis and Cancer bladder .It is only studied for 2 weeks in our final year and only a few students train in urology during the internship year. I got to train for 4 weeks in urology as an undergraduate - What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? Just the lack of patients

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(Elective procedures are sometimes postponed in the summer and there was only 1 emergency in the whole period

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Mena Nashat 2Year of study: house officer 3Home University: Tanta univ 4Mobile phone: 0020123701210 5Email address: ----------6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: Yes

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Sweden City of exchange: Umea University and/or Hospital of exchange: Umea university hospital Month of exchange: august Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: professional exchange

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section Are you kidding?!!!!!!!

How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment?

It depends on the season but Swedish embassy doesn't have much pressure so it takes 4 to 5 days with vodafone service for have an appointment.

Was it easy to prepare the required documents?

Quiet ok, similar to the other embassies of westen Europe.

How many days did it take to obtain your Visa?

From 14 days to 21 days.

How many times did you apply for this Visa?

Once, but it always the same How much did your Visa cost?

Since 2008 all countries with chengen visa applies 60 euros for short stay visa which we need.

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How many days was your Visa valid for?

The period of the exchange like in the invitation letter, in Sweden its 4 weeks Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

If u have previous chengen visa its better, but its not a rule 2-

FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book?

Yes, I think the Czech airlines are the best for the budget and the quality, also Egypt air is ok.

How much was the flight ticket?

It depends on the season, but it’s around 3800 in the summer time.

How many hours did the flight take?

3 hours to Prague, then 2 hour to Zagreb.

What was your flight agency?

The Czech airlines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

No, as my contact was travelling, but if u asked they will arrange to pick u up.

U should bear in mind that if you're going to Umea there is a bus heading to the city center half an hour after each flight arrival to the Umea airport but if you’re arriving late at night around 10 till 10:30 pm u got to catch the bus rapidly cause its the last bus going from the airport , If u miss it there is only taxis and u got to call it if it’s not in front of the airport and its expensive.

And at 11 pm the airport closes so don't miss u bus like i did ;) Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport?

Yes, its only 3 or 4 stations from the airport, (the university hospital station, a big bus station) – If u're travelling with bus from the capital stockholm u can even have busses to drop u off at this station ( the university hospital station ) or in the city center where its easy to get to the hotel where u stay .

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: It’s a 3 stars hotel for patients’ accomodation, i thought they wrote a hotel as a mistake but it was really a hotel not a hostel It lies just infront of the hospital of our training Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) If u want to use the phone inside u room to do phone calls so be careful ;) - if u want to use the laundry of the hotel, just like any hotel.

How many people stayed in your room?

Usually u stays in a double bed rooms.

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What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) My fellow Egyptian friend How clean was the room?

Very clean Did you feel comfortable in this room?

Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) usually it has 2 closets , 1 private bathroom , TV , 1 disk , 1 bed + 1 sofa bed , small fridge , electricity and internet connections .

Did you have to pay for any of these facilities?

Internet – laundry – pool room – ping pong room Did you have windows or balconies in your room?

A nice window How reachable and clean was the bathroom?

U got a very clean private bathroom in your room How did you get your clothes cleaned up?

There is a laundry in the hotel for 30 koruna What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Pool room – ping pong room - laundry, internet room, TV room, restaurant, meeting room, bikes and car parking How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief There was a common kitchen in every floor provided with ovens, cookers, fridge and a microwave but cooking a meal is abet restricted from the hotel management so u got to arrange that with u contacts , but u can always use the microwave to warm something , cook a frozen pizza like we did everyday for dinner or to make u self a sandwich , The kitchen is like a living room with a place to sit down and watch TV while u eat Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

Smoking is not allowed at all because its patient’s hotel and it’s related to the hospital too, but u can go on the balcony of the floor (small one) or outside the hotel to smoke.

U got to preserve the quietness at night cause its patient’s hotel.

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people?

The people are nice.

Did you have any problems using English?

Everybody can speak very fluent English in Sweden old people before young ones :).

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What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go?

German is quiet close to Swedish, but English is enough.

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

Everyday except Saturday and Sunday, from 7 am to 5 pm, some times to 6 pm Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Plenty, a lot of sports also u can do, from river rafting, mounting climbing, ice skating What are the other cities you had the chance to visit?

Lapland region ( lycksele , vannas , vindeln ), Stockholm , Umea , uppsala , linkoping .

How did you travel from one city to the other?

Buses are much better than trains How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost?

Depend on the distance but its quiet reasonable in comparing to the prices in Sweden Please describe the night life…

U can give it 5 out of 10 Better in Stockholm for sure but not like rest of Europe, in Sweden there are strict rules for the clubs, so most of the clubs open around 10 pm and close around 3 am, in smaller towns like Umea clubs close at 2 am by the law , and at 10 its very empty , it gets more packed around mid night , but watch out of the queue ( it last for an hour in some places ) Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) In Sweden u get change visa so u can move freely, easily with ferries from Umea u can go to Finland, By land u can go also to Norway which is close.

How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

Lapland region :), river rafting in vandal, an island near nearby (noroby shire) not sure of the spilling

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use?

Credit cards in accepted everywhere or cash.

How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

Very good How expensive do you consider the country?

Very expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?

Around 10 to 12 k, if u want to travel around and stay in hostels.

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What is the currency of the country?

Koruna One Egyptian pound equals? , 90 k Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization?

No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card?

How useful was this card? (In case you had it) U get a youth reduction if you’re under 25 with u ID card, also a valid ISIC give some reduction in touristic areas entrance and bus ticket.

Do you recommend this city or country for shopping?

No What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

Cloth How much were the discounts? (If there were any) 20, 30, 50 % it depends according to the season.

Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

I didn't try it this time but usually its 22 % and u get it from the airport.

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) Please state some native dishes of this country The elk meat in all forms, it’s a big industry there, also the salmon fish.

How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) It’s not very common to find halal food but u always has (McDonald and subway) shops, in Stockholm there is Halal shops and bigger variety.

How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day?

Breakfast in the hotel, and lunch capons from the hospital restaurant How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) Everyday What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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It was very good, I can give it 9 or 9, 5 out of 10.

How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Fresh and u can have lunch box.

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) Breakfast: like any hotel breakfast plus, fresh juices, milk, coffee machine with chocolate and cappuccino, cereals with a lot of additions, boiled eggs, variety of salami.

Lunch: potato mainly with chicken, meat, vegetables, fish, big selection of salad, bread according to the menu of the day.

If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Don’t remember but it’s more expensive than Western Europe.

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program?

Around 13 students Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Italian , German , polish , Japanese , Spanish , Portuguese , Russian , Egyptian , Israelis , Palestinian ;) How do you still keep in touch with these friends?

Still friends Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there I arrived late at the Umea airport and I missed the last bus going to the center from the airport , there was no taxis and the airport closed at 11 pm just after my flight arrival so I was there standing alone on my 1st day outside the closed airport with my heavy bags , Then a Swedish family who comes from a small town 150 km out of Umea offered me a ride with them to the hotel where I’ll stay :) So u can understand my appreciation to such nice, courage attitude from the native people.

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt?

Through internet, mobile phone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Definitely u got to go for having a new SIM card and use it, much better, much cheaper to do local and international calls, Also if u have similar network like u friends there u can call each other for free!!!

Most of our phones in Egypt are SIM free so u can use it freely in Europe How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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The SIM card is around 90 to 100 k How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

Around 10 to 20 k a minute How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

1 to 2 k a minute How did you find an internet access?

In the library of the hospital How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Free of charge.

Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals?

Not at all Was it easy to reach mosques or churches?

Yes there was zaway or a small mosque near the hotel, and I think there was a zawya in the hospital but I’m not sure Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country?

No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country?

No, it’s a very safe country with almost no stealing, There was a broken bike on the way to the town center in the beginning of the exchange, till the end of the month it was still there on the pavement :)

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week?

5 days a week, but if u wants to go more u can.

How many hours did you spend in there everyday?

Around 6 or 7 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility?

Walking, its 100 meters from the hotel where u stay How much does this transportation cost?

Single way ticket is 18 k with student card What was the original topic of your study?

General surgery Did you change this topic and study another field?

No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

I didn't try but u can move freely in the hospital What did you study in this country?

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Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

Clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you?

Very friendly and the staff were great , they are very welcoming and u can ask what ever u want , a big advantage was that , they speak English very good .

How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Very easy to communicate with, yes they always answered.

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back?

Sometimes What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

Discipline, working hard, caring for the scientific fidelity How many students were there studying with you in the same field?

3 students in spite of me so we were 4 Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

The techniques are similar but the possibilities are huge!!!!!!!!!! , students less in numbers so the difference was grand What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Increase utilities fund, better working conditions, renovation of our local hospitals, building new facilities and increase doctors wages.

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

In the present circumstances, no What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

Its pretty short, 1 month is never enough to gain enough clinical experience or to know the country better, I hope we can do like Mexico, as the student can choose between 1 month and 3 month period for exchange.

LUND This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

13.

14.

15.

16.

Country: Sweden City: Lund Month of exchange: August 2008 Type of exchange: Research exchange

Concerning the Hosting City: Please rate the city out of 10: The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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34. Quality of accommodation: Very good

Good

Poor

Very poor

Poor

Very poor

35. Accommodation cleanliness: Very good

Good

36. Type of accommodation: College dorms

Private

Hosting families

Hotels

Others

37. Number of students per room: 1

2

3

4

5

>5

38. Number of cultures that you dealt with i.e. people from how many different countries: Less than 5

5-10

>10

>15

39. What are the tourist attractive areas (please specify those in your city and in other cities you’ve been to) In the city:botanic garden and some museums In other cities:Stockholmthe old town BodarbThe woods Island of lanscrona City and port of Ystad

40. Living expenses (please mention how much food and transportation cost): Bus card for one month to move in the city 54$

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Bus to near by cities around 20$ and distant cities 55$ Food for one moth (raw materials) 120$

41. Communication and language:English is used everywhere NO communication prolem at all

42. Social program (please mention the activities, events and their cost):

Hang-outs (the cost depended on the place and kind of activity) Summer house week-end (at rasmuses summer house, it only costed the tranport) Sight seeing ( avarage museum ticket about 4$) Visiting copenhagen(train ticket around 70$

43. People, culture and tradition:Swedish people are the nicest, no racial problems ,they accept all nations The culture is more of a mix of all nations due to many imigrants from everywhere,

44. Night life:not much as everything sleeps by midnight all around sweden only pubs are opened

45. Did you travel with your ISIC (International Student Identification Card) Yes

No

46. If yes, was it of much use: Yes

No

47. Can you please explain:it offers discounts for some of the transport and museums

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48. How much did the air ticket cost:4000L.E

49. How easy was it to book your flight, and how frequent were the flights:yes , flights were almost daily

Concerning the Hosting Organization: Please rate the hosting organization out of 10: 4

25. Reception at the airport: Yes

No

26. Cooperation and help: Helpful and cooperative

Unhelpful and un cooperative

27. Very helpful members (please specify specific members by name):Rasmus Arvidson

28. Name of the hospital at which you were training:Biomedical centre(BMC)

29. Hospital quality: Excellent

Very good

Good

Average

Poor

Very poor

30. Doctors (cooperation and communication):My supervisor was busy for most of rhe time but h managed to help as much as he can but not as much as i was supposed to learn

31. Working time per day and working hours:From 8:00am till 3:00pm everyday except Saturdays and sundays

32. What did you find over there at the hospitals that you would like to bring with you here (no matter how strange it is):the best i liked was the team spirit and high co-operation between members

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I also liked the small kiitchen where you can cook ypur own lunch(i need to bring that home) 33. Complaints:  For the first two weeks we( the exchange group was left with no guide at alland one was actually in charge of us , we travelled on our own, luckily no problems happened .  I was informed that the city i’ll be staying in has changed by an SMS i got in the airport after my arrival  Pocket money was not enough to cover all the meals and the excuse was “they spent all the money in july”

34. Any thing you would like to add?

I’d like to thank Rasmus for taking care of us in the last two weeks , he did a great job and made our stay pleasent in those two weeks

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Macedonia SKOPJE -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Macedonia City of exchange: Skopje University and/or Hospital of exchange: Skopje Month of exchange: July Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section.

Yes How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 2 weeks Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 2 weeks then I had to travel before obtaining it How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 time How much did your Visa cost? Don’t remember How many days was your Visa valid for? 1 month I guess Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? Yes, the embassy here probably doesn't have connections with its home country coz after applying for it by 2 weeks; the ambassador here found out that Macedonia hasn't yet even got the application!

So I had to take the risk of travelling without a visa, facing some problems in the airport but magically passing through it!

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 4500 How many hours did the flight take? 11 hours transit & 6 hours flying What was your flight agency? Turkish Airlines Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived? !!! NOT EVEN IN THE HOSTEL! Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? No

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Hostel (as they call it) Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) No How many people stayed in your room? 1 roommate What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Spanish How clean was the room? The dirtiest I ever saw Did you feel comfortable in this room? Couldn't stand it more than 2 nights, of course I spent them awake What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) 2 broken beds, 1 window locked by iron so it can't be opened, lots of cockroach friends Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you have windows or balconies in your room? See above How reachable and clean was the bathroom? No light source, broken taps, the sink had holes so your legs are automatically washed in every single attempt of washing your hands! It was A NIGHTMARE! How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Washing it!

What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? Stray dogs & cats in the lobby How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief. No kitchen Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) No

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

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How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Easy Did you have any problems using English? No

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What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? English is enough What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Don’t know Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country. Can’t remember What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Ohrid and Struga How did you travel from one city to the other? Bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Can’t remember Please describe the night life… Don’t know Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash or Visa How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Easy How expensive do you consider the country? Not expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? !!!

What is the currency of the country? Dinar One Egyptian pound equals? 8 Dinars Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? No How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? No What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Ramstore What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Not much Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No

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FOOD

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How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 8 Euros

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Please state some native dishes of this country How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) Easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 1 How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 20 What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10: 5 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 15 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet.

Ukraine, brazil, Turkey, Poland, Czech, Spain.

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? E-mails Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Phone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Bought one How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 12 Euros then about 2 Euros every 2 days How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access? Internet Cafes How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 1 Euro per hour Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Of course Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

week?

No -

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per Supposedly 5 days How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 1 hour How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? Taxi How much does this transportation cost? 2 Euros What was the original topic of your study? Ophthalmology Did you change this topic and study another field? Yes Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? ENT Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) Clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Not at all How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 1 Please state their nationalities. Turkish What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

Please feel free to write as much as you want about this trip as a whole, you can also write about anything you would like to change in the system…

Please feel free to write as much as you want about this trip as a whole, you can also write about anything you would like to change in the system…

The first day I went the training, the doctor was helpful & he gave me the ophthalmoscope & showed me how to use it & it was really useful but then the following day another doctor was in charge & he simply refused to let us in even after we showed him our IDS & this same attitude continued with all the after coming doctors,, unluckily, the first doctor we met 'the only helpful one' went for a vacation 3 weeks..

So, I changed to ENT department with the Turkish girl & surprisingly, the otolaryngologists had the same attitude as the ophthalmologists...

Another thing, it would be better if students have a watch over the place they'll accommodate in before travelling because I had to pay for the other hostel I left to two days after staying in the first one Last but not least, the other country I visited; Ohrid is amazing, it’s like paradise on earth, so let more students have contracts in Ohrid instead of the capital; Skopje But anyway I enjoyed it very very much & if I’m back in time, I would go again...

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PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Macedonia City of exchange: Skopje University and/or Hospital of exchange: University clinical center Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section YES How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? Instantly Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 2-3 wks How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 35 euro How many days was your Visa valid for? 31 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 3000 How many hours did the flight take?

What was your flight agency? Air turkey Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: student dorm Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) yes, round-country trips How many people stayed in your room? No one What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Fine Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) one closet, joined bathroom Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes, a tiny window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? not clean, but reachable How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Nearby laundry shop What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Joined kitchen, no fridge How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? Not difficult at all Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? None What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country. Ohrid What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Ohrid, kurosovo, prilep, shtip How did you travel from one city to the other? Bus How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? A total of 30 euro Please describe the night life…

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Ohrid The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Reachable How expensive do you consider the country? Cheap Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? About 1000euros What is the currency of the country? Dinar One Egyptian pound equals? 7.65 dinars Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? No If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card?

How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) Please state some native dishes of this country. Beans How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 1 meal How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 5/6 days What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10. 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) Fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 7 Egyptians Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet polish, Romanians, Spanish, Serbians How do you still keep in touch with these friends? By internet Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? By telephone Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Bought a cell phone How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 600 dinars How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 1 euro How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 7 dinars How did you find an internet access? Easy to get, fine How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? Yes, I lost a necklace moving from my room when it was flooded 9-

THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5/6 days How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 5hrs How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By cab How much does this transportation cost? 80 dinars What was the original topic of your study? Pediatrics Did you change this topic and study another field?

Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Very easy; yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Ethics & dedication How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 2 Please state their nationalities Turkish &Egyptian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

No difference What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

N.B. my room (in the 14th floor) was flooded by rain water from the ceiling!

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PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

123456-

Country of exchange: Tunisia City of exchange: Tunis ( The capital) University and/or Hospital of exchange: Charle Nicolle Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional exchange ophthalmology department

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section yes I needed visa but was easy to get and got it in 4 days How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? I got an appointment on the same day I went to the embassy Was it easy to prepare the required documents? yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 4 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? once How much did your Visa cost? 200 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 45 Days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? no

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FLIGHT DETAILS

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Was the flight ticket easy to book? yes How much was the flight ticket? Around 3000 LE

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How many hours did the flight take? 3 hours or 3hours and a half What was your flight agency? good Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived? yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes by taxi & cars of the hosting Tunisian students

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: a private hostel Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) yes I did pay an extra of 100 dinars ( equivalent to 450 LE ) to change from a double room to a single room instead How many people stayed in your room? I had a single room so , I had no room mates What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Very good Did you feel comfortable in this room? yes What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) 2 clostes 2 beds and 2 desks only and a shared bathroom in each appartment Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? no Did you have windows or balconies in your room? window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Very good, very clean & next to my room How did you get your clothes cleaned up? I cleaned and washed them my self What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? I had a kitchen and there was the living room where we had the tv and the wireless internet How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief … I cooked myself my own food and the kitchen was supplied with everything except that I bought the pan& food & sponge and soap for washing the dishes and I bought cups and dishes from the MONO PRIX supermarket next to the hostel Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) no other comments

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? We spoke in Arabic , French & very little English because their first language is French Did you have any problems using English? MY English is PERFECT But they speak in French instead of English because French is their 1st language The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? French What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Working days are from Monday to Friday (weekend days are Saturday and Sunday )& working hours are from 11 to 8 or 9 for markets I guess Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country .. We went together in Tunis to the Bardo national museum with the best exposition of Tunisian history , Mosiac collection and the best Roman collections as well as to Sidi bou Said and Carthago where we visited the wonderful Cathedral church & Roman museum. We visited Yasmine Hammamat where we ahd a breath-taking trip along the Mediterranean Sea in a Pirate Ship & enjoyed the magnificent deep blue sea , sunny golden beaches and abundant fun places , restaurants and cafes. As well as going to Tabarka to visit the Castle , the ancient Roman perfectly preserved ruins and village in Bulla Regia, Nabeul, Binzart, Kairouan and Dougga. as well as the Aquarium where we watched numerous kinds of fish and superb creatures. The last week end , we had a pool party , a dinner party, the international cooking day and went to the park.

What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? I’ve visited every other city ( all the cities) How did you travel from one city to the other? By Train or Bus or the Louage ( minibus) How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? 10 dinars ( 45 LE ) Please describe the night life… after we returned from the beach after sunset we went out to have dinar in any restaurant and went for a walk then to a café then return to the hostel at 11 or 12 maximum then stay awake chatting and playing games in the lobby with all the other foreign students till 3 a.m. then sleep and stay some time online using my laptop Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them? I always travel every summer each year abroad on a family summer vacation with my Dad, Mum & Brother so before I went to Tunisia in the same year and same summer to GERMANY & AUSTRIA How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? YASMINE EL HAMMAMAT with it’s Golden Beaches and the Pirate ship cruise in the deep blue sea

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash & Credit Card How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? There were many banks and many ATM machines near the hostel and hospital and everywhere I go How expensive do you consider the country? Very expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Around 6000 to 7000 LE What is the currency of the country? Tunisian Dinars One Egyptian pound equals? 1 dinar is equal to 4.5 egyptian pounds

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Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? 100 dinars instead of meals If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once ONCE How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? NO Did you have to pay anything for such cards? THERE WERE NO CARDS Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? YES How useful was this card? (In case you had it) YES Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? NO ( but it’s not bad but compared to Europe , it’s not good and much more expensive) What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Carefoure shopping centre What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Nothing , may be the Tunisian outfit How much were the discounts? (If there were any) 30% to 50% at end of august Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 40 to 50 dinars each day Please state some native dishes of this country TUNISIAN COUSCOUSY How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) YES How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? NO MEALS WERE PROVIDED How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 70 foreign students mostly all from Europe.

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Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet ? mostly all from Europe for example from Italy , France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Japan, Netherlands , Greece , Czech, Slovakia , Hungary & Serbia.

How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Chat online or use facebook or text messages on their mobile phones ( we exchanged phone numbers ) Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Phone calls & email & chatting online using my laptop Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? both How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 5 dinars for the Tunisian line How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

How did you find an internet access? Wireless internet in the hostel How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) for free Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? Not at all Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? Yes but rarely During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

NO Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? NO

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 days per week How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 3 to 4 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By a taxi How much does this transportation cost? 3 or 4 dinars What was the original topic of your study? Pharmacology Did you change this topic and study another field? Ophthalmology Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? NO What did you study in this country? Ophthalmology Clinical cases Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Very friendly & helpful How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Was easy and they answered all of my questions Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? no The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 4 students .. 1 Egyptian & 3 Portuguese Please state their nationalities 1 Egyptian & 3 Portuguese students What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

To make our hospital more organized and cleaner How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

YES off course .. it made studying ophthalmology easier What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? That there were no operations in August I am so Thankful for the IFMSA for giving me the chance to live this marvellous experience. I had so much benefit with my medical knowledge and met the other exchange students who taught me lots of interesting information about their countries , traditions and habits. Also, we had lots of fun working together and I was excited to let them know as much as I can about my country Egypt , our History , Culture, Geography and Traditions and my Religion as well as discussing the misunderstanding in civilised conversations.

My passion & Thrill to be introduced to the Tunisian History, Culture & Goegraphy lead to Discovering each city & exploring every part in Tunisia. I met 70 students , each with a unique personalitity , special characters and with a different nationality. They were the best medical students ever ,they were amazing companions who will stay my friends forever from all around the world , mostly from Europe Generally, this trip was so exciting and full of funny and at the same times life-threatening adventures as everyday we were facing the possibilities to get lost or looking for the large group.

The most scary adventure was the one when we were in Tabarka searching for a place to stay because most hotels were fully booked because of the carnival.Lastly, I wish I could get another chance to live this SUPERB experience again.

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PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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City of exchange: Tunisia University and/or Hospital of exchange: University of Tunis

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Month of exchange: 23 October – 14 November Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 5 days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? Yes How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 5 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? 1 How many days was your Visa valid for? 30 Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? No

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes How much was the flight ticket? 2600 LE How many hours did the flight take? 3 What was your flight agency? TUNISAIR Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Yes Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Yes

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? 0 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Good Did you feel comfortable in this room? Yes

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What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) all Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? No Did you have windows or balconies in your room? Yes How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Good How did you get your clothes cleaned up? By my self What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room? All How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief cooking by my self Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) no

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? So easy Did you have any problems using English? No What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? French What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? 18 everyday except Saturday Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Carthage What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Sousse How did you travel from one city to the other? Louage How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? A little bit a lot Please describe the night life… nothing Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) no other countries How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? Dogga

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PAY MENT

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What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Good How expensive do you consider the country? Not much Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 280 euro What is the currency of the country? Dinar One Egyptian pound equals? 1/4 Dinar Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? Yes If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once? 100 Dinar How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) 300 one time Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No

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Did you have to pay anything for such cards? Yes Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation? No How useful was this card? No card Did you travel with an ISIC card? No How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Yes What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? Markets in ALHABIB BORKIBA Street What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Hand made souvenirs How much were the discounts? (If there were any) No Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? Not useful

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day)I don’t remember Please state some native dishes of this country Dolma How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) so easy How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? Zero How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? Zero Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet How do you still keep in touch with these friends?

Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? By mobile Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? I bought a new one The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 5 Dinars How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? Not much How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? I don’t remember How did you find an internet access? Easy How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 1 Dinar per hour Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? No Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? Yes Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? No During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

No Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? No

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 3.5 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? By metro How much does this transportation cost? Not much What was the original topic of your study? Neurology Did you change this topic and study another field? No Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? No What did you study in this country? Neurology Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Good How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? No What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? Not so much How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 8 Please state their nationalities Tunisian What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt? A little better What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Nothing How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? The language as they study in French

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Turkey ANKARA -

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: Talal Mohamed Yehia Maarouf 2Year of study: 5th 3Home University: Alexandria University 4Mobile phone: +2 012 7144899 5Email address: pequeno_conocido@yahoo.ca 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO? YES

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: Turkey City of exchange: Ankara University and/or Hospital of exchange: Hacettepe University Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Research exchange

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 3 days Was it easy to prepare the required documents? YES How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? 5 days How many times did you apply for this Visa? Once How much did your Visa cost? 235 L.E. How many days was your Visa valid for? 40 days Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book? YES How much was the flight ticket? 2400 LE How many hours did the flight take? 2 hours to Istanbul What was your flight agency? Egypt Air Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

YES Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? YES

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: University Dormitories Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) NO How many people stayed in your room? 3 What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) Czech, Romanian How clean was the room? Very clean Did you feel comfortable in this room? YES What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) 1 fridge, 4 closets Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? NO Did you have windows or balconies in your room? YES, windows How reachable and clean was the bathroom? Very accessible and regularly cleaned How did you get your clothes cleaned up? Dormitories' laundry room (you have to do them yourself) but no facilities for Ironing What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Internet and Cafeteria How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief I Didn't try to cook and there was no kitchen in the dormitories Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…) we had a curfew on 12:00 am weekdays and 2:00 am weekends

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

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How easy was it to communicate with the native people? On scale of 1 to 5: I say 3 Did you have any problems using English? NO

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What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? Turkish What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? 9:00 am till 4:00 pm Sundays till Fridays Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country Istanbul, Cappaddokia, Antalya, Efes, Amasra What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Istanbul, Antalya and Capadoccia How did you travel from one city to the other? BUS How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Average of 25 – 45 YTL Please describe the night life…

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

NO What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? DOLMABAHÇE PALACE

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Cash How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Everywhere How expensive do you consider the country? Compared to Egypt, slightly expensive Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? 800 Euros What is the currency of the country? New Turkish Lira – Yeni Türk Lirasi - YTL One Egyptian pound equals? 1/3.5 YTL Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? NO If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? NO, I was not needed.

Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? YES How useful was this card? (In case you had it) I didn’t use it Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? YES What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? AnkaMall, Kizilay, Tunali, Guvaher Mall, Laleli. Please check LC Wakiki stores as well.

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Clothes , sweets and souvenirs How much were the discounts? (If there were any) up to 50% Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? NO The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) around 8 YTL Please state some native dishes of this country Döner, Manti, Iskander Kebab, Kümpir How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) It is accessible in turkey How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? 2 (Lunch and Dinner) How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) 7 days What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 8 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?) fresh Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things Water (Su): small 0.5 YTL Large 1.00 YTL Milk (Süt) : 1.5 YTL Yougart : 1 YT Bread : 0.6 YTL per loaf McDonald’s or BurgerKing Combo: 9 YTL 7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 9 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Polish, Czech, Spanish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Azeri, russian How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Internet and SMSs Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there Our Czech friend Teressa is familiar with belly dancing, we made here to perform with a belly dancer during the traditional night we had during our weekend in Cappadoccia

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Phone and Internet Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

Local Line How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) 12 YTL How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 15 credits per minute, 100 credits costs about 16 YTL

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How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? Up to 2 YTL per minute How did you find an internet access? In the dormitory Internet room How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) 0 YTL Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? NO Was it easy to reach mosques or churches? YES, there is a mosque in the campus and one near the dormitory Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? NO During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

NO Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? NO

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 How many hours did you spend in there everyday? 4-6 How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? On foot How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? Pharmacology Did you change this topic and study another field? NO Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? NO What did you study in this country? A research on pharmacology Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) academic How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? They were very friendly How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

YES Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? YES What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? About who a doctor can be modest and to dig more into resources How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 1 Please state their nationalities Spanish What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

More advanced and sophisticated What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

More attention about the quality of the medical facilities and the quality of the medical personnel How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

YES, it helps me more now in fields of research and critical thinking What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? I preferred a clinical trial than an academic, but not to forget this academic research helped me alot The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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The United Kingdom LEICESTER -

PERSONAL INFORMATION: This Student has decided not to publish his or her personal information.

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: The United Kingdom City of exchange: Leicester University and/or Hospital of exchange: university of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary Month of exchange: August Year of exchange: 2008 Type of exchange: Professional

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment? 2weeks Was it easy to prepare the required documents? not really easy How many days did it take to obtain your Visa? One week How many times did you apply for this Visa? once How much did your Visa cost? 700 LE How many days was your Visa valid for? 80 days I think Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us? The photo should be recent, not more than six months old.

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FLIGHT DETAILS

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Was the flight ticket easy to book? Yes but should be done early.

How much was the flight ticket? 3750LE How many hours did the flight take? 4 and a half hours What was your flight agency? Egypt Air

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Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Not at heathrow airport Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport? Coach or train, but better to use the coach

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: a hostel inside the hospital Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) no How many people stayed in your room? None it was a very small room What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room? Clean enough Did you feel comfortable in this room? Not very What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …) none but bathrooms were next to the rooms but outside and fridge and stove and these facilities were in the big common kitchen for the rooms. There was also a washing room with a washing machine Did you have to pay for any of these facilities? no Did you have windows or balconies in your room? One window How reachable and clean was the bathroom? very close to the rooms and were kept clean.

How did you get your clothes cleaned up? I washed them using the provided washing machine What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

Stated above How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief kitchen was well equipped with fridges stoves and microwave Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people? yes Did you have any problems using English? no What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go? none What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week? Every day except for Sunday until 5 oclock but later on saturdays Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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What are the other cities you had the chance to visit? Cambridge, London, Nottingham How did you travel from one city to the other? By train, coach(bus) and car How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost? Variable but better to book in advance, the earlier the cheaper.

Please describe the night life… in Leicester not bad but we were told that this time of year it wasn't great because there weren't any students, but in London of course all through the year.

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) none How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips? London

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PAY MENT

What method(s) of payment did you use? Mostly cash but credit card for shopping How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices? Very reachable How expensive do you consider the country? Expensive in comparison to other European countries Roughly, how much do you think you have spent? Not sure What is the currency of the country? English pounds(sterlins!)

One Egyptian pound equals?

Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization? We received 25 pounds per week for the food If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation? No, but there was a free hopper bus for medical personnel to certain places around the town Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card? No as I didn't use it much when I travelled before How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping? Same shops in all the cities but it has a pretty big town center for shopping What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend? In all the cities I've visited there were great shopping centers but London was the biggest but I didn't have much time to shop there What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country? Clothes, tea,fudge How much were the discounts? (If there were any) pretty good sales starting from june and ending in August The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it? No, not many shops use it there

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) 7 pounds but I cooked at home but around 10 when we go out per outing Please state some native dishes of this country fish and chips, scones, fudge How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) fairly reachable How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day? We were given money How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things 1.30 for a bottle of water, around 3 pouns for a burger, 2pounds for a big loaf of toast bread 7-

FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program? 7 Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet Canadian, French, Greek, Lebanese, Rowandese, Indian, Scottish, How do you still keep in touch with these friends? Facebook Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt? Email and messenger Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service? Yes I had an English number How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) nothing for the card they provided us ith it there but we charged it, 10 pounds and 5pounds How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line? 1pound for the minute, not used, better to use telephone cards for the phone booths How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country? 0.30 I think How did you find an internet access? At the library, we were provided with access How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals? no The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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Was it easy to reach mosques or churches?

Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country? no During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves? no Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country? no

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per week? 5 days a week How many hours did you spend in there everyday? About 5 hours How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility? walk How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study? pediatrics Did you change this topic and study another field? no Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study? no What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...) clinical examination and history taking and operations in the last days How friendly were the doctors and professors to you? Some were friendly some weren't.

How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Yes they answered usually but they were mostly busy Do you still contact your doctors after you came back? no What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors? A little How many students were there studying with you in the same field? 2 or 3 students from the university there but I only saw one of them frequently Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

More orgsanized maybe What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

Care to people in govenmetal hospitals should be on highest levels, for free.

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

Yes it gives experience and goal.

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program? The very busy doctors.

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Feedback THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION - EGYPT

This is a feedback form that you are asked to fill regarding your clerkship with the IFMSA (International Federation of Medical Students' Association) students' Exchange program. Please note that whatever you write in this form can be used to provide further information and clarification for the details of the program that may assist future students with their clerkships too.

Please state whether you would like to publish your personal information or not. Such information may allow future students to contact you for more inquiries and questions they have.

All fields in the feedback form are required and can be published anywhere and in any form, only your personal contact information needs your approval to be published. So, please do not leave any field empty. However, you can always write "I don't know or I don't remember" whenever you have no clue.

Thank you very much for your help. Beware that whatever you write in this form will provide much support to other students; so please use as many details as possible. You might not remember all these information, so it's ok to provide averages or mean values.

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PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1Name: 2Year of study: 3Home University: 4Mobile phone: 5Email address: 6I agree to have my personal and contact information published for other students to contact me for further information in the future: YES or NO?

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EXCHANGE INFORMATION:

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Country of exchange: City of exchange:

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University and/or Hospital of exchange: Month of exchange: Year of exchange: Type of exchange:

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THE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE:

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THE VISA

Did you need a Visa for your travel? In case you didn't, please move to the next section How long did you have to wait for your VISA appointment?

Was it easy to prepare the required documents?

How many days did it take to obtain your Visa?

How many times did you apply for this Visa?

How much did your Visa cost?

How many days was your Visa valid for?

Do you have any remarks or notes about the Visa extraction process you would like to share with us?

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FLIGHT DETAILS

Was the flight ticket easy to book?

How much was the flight ticket?

How many hours did the flight take?

What was your flight agency?

Was there someone waiting for you at the airport or the train station when you arrived?

Was your hosting facility easily reachable (by buses, metros, or trains…) from the airport?

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ACCOMMODATION

Please state your accommodation facility; whether a hostel, a hosting family or any other form: Did you have to pay any extra funds (but please state if it was in the form of insurance) How many people stayed in your room?

What were the nationalities of the people staying in your room? (If there were any) How clean was the room?

Did you feel comfortable in this room?

What were the facilities provided in your room? (T.V., Internet, Fridge, how many closets, sofa, bathroom …)

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Did you have to pay for any of these facilities?

Did you have windows or balconies in your room?

How reachable and clean was the bathroom?

How did you get your clothes cleaned up?

What were the facilities provided in your hosting facility and not only your room?

How did you get your food cooked? (Other than any meals served by the hosting organization) and please describe the devices present in the kitchen in brief Do you have any comments or remarks you would like to share with others concerning your accommodation? (Smoking…)

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THE COUNTRY (CULTURAL AND SOCIAL VIEW)

How easy was it to communicate with the native people?

Did you have any problems using English?

What are the other languages do you recommend other students to learn before they go?

What are the working days and hours (mainly for markets and government offices) every week?

Please specify as many touristic and attractive spots in the country What are the other cities you had the chance to visit?

How did you travel from one city to the other?

How much does (do) this (these) mean(s) of transportation cost?

Please describe the night life…

Please state any other countries you visited during this period, and whether you need extra VISA(s) for it (them) How did you travel from your country of exchange to the other country (or countries)?

What was the most unforgettable place among your trips?

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PAY MENT

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What method(s) of payment did you use?

How reachable were the ATM machines, banks or money exchange offices?

How expensive do you consider the country?

Roughly, how much do you think you have spent?

What is the currency of the country?

One Egyptian pound equals?

Did you receive any pocket money from the hosting organization?

If yes, please state whether you receive them daily, weekly, or once How much did you receive each time? (In case you did) Did the hosting organization provide any cards for your transportation?

Did you have to pay anything for such cards?

Did this card give you discounts or completely free transportation?

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How useful was this card?

Did you travel with an ISIC card?

How useful was this card? (In case you had it) Do you recommend this city or country for shopping?

What are the main shopping centers you have had the chance to visit? And what do you recommend?

What are the most important items you recommend to buy especially from this country?

How much were the discounts? (If there were any) Did you make use of the tax refund system? How much was it?

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FOOD

How much did you spend on food? (Roughly or per day) Please state some native dishes of this country How easy was it to reach "Halal" food? (With no pork or wine for example, or you didn't need such food) How many meals did the hosting organization provide per day?

How many days did the hosting organization provide these meals (in case they did) What do you think of the quality of these meals? Please also give rate from 1 to 10 How were these meals served? (Cold, fresh, or in any other form?)

Please feel free to describe these meals (constituents) If you please, try to write down prices for some major food or drink items, like water bottles, milk, yogurt, Macdonald's meals, bread… this will help students get a rough estimation about these things

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FRIENDS

How many students were there with you in this city taking part of the IFMSA exchange program?

Please state as many nationalities as possible you have had the chance to meet How do you still keep in touch with these friends?

Please feel free to write any weird accident or fantasy you had in there

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PERSONAL LIFE

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How did you communicate with your family and friends in Egypt?

Did you buy a mobile phone line from this country or you used the roaming service?

How much did you pay for it? (In case you bought one) How much does it cost to call Egypt from this line?

How much does it cost to call other mobile phones in this country?

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How did you find an internet access?

How much did you pay for it? (In case you did) Did you face any problems carrying out your prayers or rituals?

Was it easy to reach mosques or churches?

Did you get offended by any means because of your religion or country?

During your stay abroad, have you been attacked by any criminals or robbed by thieves?

Have you lost any valuable properties due to issues not concerning the safety measures of the country?

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THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

week?

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How many times did you have to go to your learning facility (Hospital or University) per How many hours did you spend in there everyday?

How did you go from your hosting facility to the learning facility?

How much does this transportation cost?

What was the original topic of your study?

Did you change this topic and study another field?

Did you get the chance to study any other fields beside your original study?

What did you study in this country?

Please classify your study (clinical – operations – academic – others...)

How friendly were the doctors and professors to you?

How easy was your communication with them? Did they answer any questions you ask?

Do you still contact your doctors after you came back?

What do you learn from the attitude of these doctors?

How many students were there studying with you in the same field?

Please state their nationalities What are the differences between the learning facility and the similar places in Egypt?

What do you recommend to the ministry of health and now you have seen these places?

How helpful was your training to your studies in Egypt? Does it make any difference?

What did you dislike the most about the scientific program?

Please feel free to write as much as you want about this trip as a whole, you can also write about anything you would like to change in the system…

Thank you, The IFMSA-Egypt

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The Authors THE FACTS TEAM Mona Sobhy – LEO/LORE - SCMSA – Ismailia Moataz Rasheed – LEO/LORE – TSSA – Tanta Sherif M. Aboul Fotouh – LEO/LORE – ASSA – Alexandria Omar Shabana – LEO/LORE in – AUSSS – Ain Shams Ibrahim Sadek – LEO/LORE – ZMSSA – Zagazig Mahmoud Yahia – LORE - ASSA – Assiut THE WHO TO CALL TEAM Mostafa Mahmoud Abd El-Nasser – LEO – ASSA – Assiut Mohamed Moukhtar – LEO/LORE – BSSS – Banha Omar Shabana – LEO/LORE in – AUSSS – Ain Shams Mahmoud Yahia – LORE – ASSA – Assiut THE FEEDBACK TEAM Omar Shabana – LEO/LORE in – AUSSS – Ain Shams Waleed Khattab – LEO/LORE out – AUSSS – Ain Shams Sherif M. Aboul Fotouh – LEO/LORE – ASSA – Alexandria Mohamed Moukhtar – LEO/LORE – BSSS - Banha Mousa Azer – LEO/LORE out – SSS – Cairo Mona Sobhy – LEO/LORE – SCMSA – Ismailia Moataz Rasheed – LEO/LORE – TSSA – Tanta Ibrahim Sadek – LEO/LORE – ZMSSA – Zagazig THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS AND VISA GUIDE Reem Elwy – LEO out Assistant – SSS – Cairo DESIGNERS The Facts Page Sherif M. Aboul Fotouh – LEO/LORE – ASSA – Alexandria The Who To Call page Mahmoud Yahia – LORE – ASSA – Assiut The International Federation of Medical Students’ Association – Egypt Home | Facts | Who To Call | VISA | Documents | Feedbacks | IFMSA-Egypt | Authors

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The Required Documents and the VISA Guide pages Reem Elwy – LEO out Assistant – SSS – Cairo The Feedback page and the layout of the LEARN MORE Mousa Azer – LEO/LORE out – SSS – Cairo

ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE IFMSA AND THE IFMSA-EGYPT IS PROVIDED BY THE TEAM OF NATIONAL OFFICERS OF THE IFMSA-EGYPT. SPECIAL THANKS TO THE NATIONAL EXCHANGE OFFICERS OF IFMSA-EGYPT NEO-OUT: MOHAMED GENEID NEO-IN: AHMED HASHISH NORE: NABIL MOHY The feedback form was created by Mousa Azer, and approved by the national team. And on behalf of every name mentioned in this page, we would all like to thank each and every student filled a feedback form, helping other to get more information about the program.

We would also like to thank all the members of the local teams of each local officer who have helped a lot with the work of the LEARN MORE. The LEARN MORE © A Guidebook provided by the national exchange team of IFMSA-Egypt 2008-2009 UPDATED 30/4/2009 Directed By: Mousa Azer LEO/LORE Outgoing Division The Students’ Scientific Society Cairo University If you have any comments, please refer to your local exchange officer  Thank you, The IFMSA-Egypt 2009

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