Forty students of the General Medicine programme at the UP Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry have joined the ranks of Palacký University graduates in recent days. These Doctors of Medicine are now setting off to serve under the Hippocratic Oath all over the map, from Argentina to Egypt, from the UK to Singapore. One of them is Linoy Ratush from Israel, who wants to work as a general practitioner back home.
“I chose the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at Palacký University mainly because I knew a few people who were already studying in Olomouc, and they were very happy with the studies here. When I came to see this place I really liked how beautiful and student-friendly Olomouc is,” says the fresh doctor, who has always seen her future in medicine and helping other people.
Linoy Ratush achieved the best grade average among her classmates, but as she recalls, studying was not always easy. She even called it a crazy adventure, one she’d never forget. “Crazy in the sense of ʻgood crazyʼ. The stress before the exams and the happiness afterwards, no words could ever describe it….”
“I think in the beginning anatomy was a challenge – to remember all the minute details. Later on we had pathophysiology, where we had to learn the exact mechanism of the development of disease. But generally, it is a matter of understanding what you are studying and doing it from the heart,” she said, looking back on her classes in retrospect. “And as far as the teachers are concerned, I’m very proud to say that they were all so supportive. Any questions we had they immediately answered and tried to explain in the best possible way.”
Ratush has words of praise not only for the educational standards at UP, but also the way the faculty and the university took care of their international students during the pandemic. “When Covid came around, it was really difficult to adjust to the situation, but UP did an amazing job in keeping us updated and safe even when we were far away from home,” adds the graduate, who already has plans about how to use in practice what she has learnt in Olomouc.
Ratush is considering becoming a general practitioner. She likes the nature of such a job, combining both disease prevention and maximal medical care and bringing in a diverse range of patients. “Olomouc will always be remembered as a place where I finally accomplished my goal; it is an amazing place with amazing people and a fun, supportive community. I wouldn’t choose any other place to study,” she concluded.