Hey everyone!
First, I'd like to say what an amazing forum you have here, I've been reading through the threads all morning.
So as the title suggests, I'm interested in going to medical school in Hungary. The main university I've been looking into is Semmelweis, located in Budapest. However, others like Debrecen look very appealing as well.
As you may know, many Americans use international medical schools as their "last ditch effort" when they do not get accepted into a med school within the United States. However for me, studying in Hungary has been a dream of mine for a while, and even though I have high grades and could take the MCAT and could get into an American Med school, my sights are still set on Hungary for many different reasons.
First off, I do qualify for Hungarian citizenship, I contacted the consulate near my house in Los Angeles and they told me that I would just have to bring in my parents birth certificate and I would receive my passport and paperwork. Going to medical school in Hungary is already relatively cheap (around 8,000 USD a semester) and for many Hungarian universities, it is covered by American Financial Aid (typically loans). However, would being a Hungarian citizen have any advantages over just receiving a student visa? Is there anyway I could receive a scholarship from Hungary or the EU to help mitigate the cost of attendance? In America we have a website called Fafsa (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Basically it is an application that you fill out once a year and universities use it to grant you money based on your financial need. Have you heard of anything like that for Hungary or the EU, or is it solely dependent on the University? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!
Overall, what do you all think of my decision to study in Hungary? I've already had a few Europeans tell me to look into medical schools in Western Europe instead of going to Hungary. But I see this as a way for me not only to get an education, but also as a way to reconnect with my culture. If you have any comments, suggestions, or concerns please feel free to let me know
Thank you all for your time!