‘The Roma population barely has an intellectual stratum of society, and in the meantime, we have almost 200 unfilled general practitioners’ practice in Hungary,’ said Prof. Dr. László Rosivall at a meeting where fresher Roma students of Semmelweis University talked with Dr. Miklós Szócska, Minister of State for Health.

That is why it is so important to integrate the Roma minorities in the field of education and science. A few years ago, the professor started a financial support program for the medical education of gifted, young, multiply disadvantaged Roma. The aim of the project was to help them to reach a high level of education and to give them a chance for the future and in the same time to ease the shortage of healthcare workers.

In the previous year, there were 10 participants in the preparatory programme, out of which 8 succeeded to be admitted to the University, two of them to the Faculty of Health Sciences (B.Sc), while six of them to the Faculty of Medicine. This year, the preparatory programme has 11 participants. During the meeting, the students said they were past a very difficult and challenging semester, but now they know how to manage their time and intellectual capacity in order to be successful in their studies.

During the meeting, Dr. Miklós Szócska shared his university experiences with the students. He also told them that the State Secretariat for Health puts great emphasis on supporting doctors. He mentioned for example the Resident Scholarship Programme and the establishment of the Practice Fund, by allocating 300 million HUF to support young doctors in purchasing a practice.

At the meeting, Prof. Dr. László Rosivall and Dr. Miklós Szócska agreed with the students to meet again in 6 months’ time, because the success of this programme is to the benefit of all.

(Nemzeti Erőforrás Minisztérium)