BudapestStudent.com - Semmelweis University
Doing research at Semmelweis University
Semmelweis University has a long history of excellence in medical research. Few countries in Europe have such vast research as Hungary.
Each department at Semmelweis University has a large part dedicated to research
and almost all of the teachers do research on the side (or should I say, they teach on the side of doing research).
Opportunities for students
First of all, if you are not a dedicated student willing to do 'boring stuff', then there's no point in thinking about doing research.
The departments and the professors you are going to be working for will have to train you and spend a lot of their time and money (and believe me, being a researcher is not gonna make anyone rich!) on you before you can contribute to the research.
First of all, try to figure out what interests you. The more interested you are in something, the more likely you are to be dedicated and willing to sacrifice your spare-time on the research.
Secondly, do well in school. You need to master the fundamental knowledge needed for the research to be fruitful. You might have to spend hours upon hours reading articles published by other researchers and if you don't understand what they are writing or how their findings relate to the research you are doing, then it's not going to help you.
Finally, you have two options:
- either go directly to each department and see if they have any openings for research. They are always happy to see students being interested in research!
- or contact ISAS, the International Student Association of Semmelweis. They are working directly with the university to find research opportunities for the foreign students.
Foreign students and research at Semmelweis University
I have spoken with both students and professors about this.
Many professors have had poor experiences with student from the English Program wanting to do research, because the students just 'give up' after a few months.
This is a loss of money and time for the professor.
The students told me that they lost interest or they went into research thinking it would be something different from what it turned out to be.
Research can be very boring! That's a fact. Discovering something new can change the field of medicine, but getting there can be a solid trial of patience.
Alexander Graham Bell once said: I didn't fail 4000 times, I just found 4000 ways it wouldn't work.
It is important that the professor and the student have an understanding of what the student expects from the research opportunity and what the professor expects from the student.
Research takes time and unless the student is willing to dedicate himself or herself for a long period of time, then maybe research is not something they should be doing.