Medical Faculty Foča: The Medicine Curriculum

Six years, taught in English: which subjects you take each year, how clinical training at the University Hospital Foča works and how you are examined.

Overview

Studying medicine in Foča at a glance

The Medical Faculty Foča is part of the state University of East Sarajevo. The curriculum follows the Bologna system and the classic Central European structure: two pre-clinical years, then pathology and pharmacology as a bridge, followed by three clinical years with placements at the University Hospital Foča. The subjects largely match the medical curricula of Central Europe.

Duration

6 years, 360 ECTS

Twelve semesters, starting in October.

Language

English

Lectures, practicals and exams in English.

Programmes

Medicine and Dentistry

Both share the science foundations in the first semesters.

Clinical training

University Hospital Foča

Placements in small groups, directly with patients.

Exams

Semester and subject exams

Written and oral, graded from 6 to 10.

Internship year

In year 6

Clinical rotations, partly possible at hospitals abroad.

Tuition fees, recognition and life in Foča are covered on the Foča university page.

Curriculum

The medicine curriculum year by year

Open a year to see its subjects. The order of individual subjects can shift slightly from one intake to the next; the overall structure stays the same.

Year 1: Science foundations

The first year lays the foundation. Anatomy is the largest subject and runs throughout the year, including dissection in the dissecting room.

Subject	Focus
Anatomy I	Musculoskeletal system, chest and abdomen
Histology and Embryology	Tissues under the microscope, development
Medical Biology and Genetics	Cells, inheritance, genetic diseases
Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry I	Chemical basis of metabolism
Medical Physics and Biophysics	Physics of the body, imaging
First Aid, Language Course	Emergency basics, Serbian for everyday life

Year 2: How the body works

In the second year you complete the pre-clinical phase. The focus is on how the healthy body functions.

Subject	Focus
Anatomy II	Head, neck, nervous system
Physiology	Heart, circulation, respiration, kidneys, nerves
Biochemistry II	Metabolic pathways, hormones, enzymes
Immunology	The immune system and its disorders
Medical Psychology	Behaviour, communication, doctor-patient relationship

Year 3: Pathology and disease

Now you learn how diseases develop and how drugs work. At the same time, clinical propaedeutics begins at the bedside.

Subject	Focus
Pathology	Pathological changes in organs and tissues
Pathophysiology	Disordered body functions
Microbiology and Parasitology	Bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites
Pharmacology and Toxicology	Active substances, dosage, side effects
Internal Medicine, Propaedeutics	History taking and physical examination

Year 4: Internal medicine and neurosciences

The clinical subjects take over. In the mornings you are on the ward, in the afternoons in seminars.

Subject	Focus
Internal Medicine	Cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology
Neurology	Stroke, epilepsy, neurological examination
Psychiatry	Mental illness and its treatment
Infectious Diseases	Infections in everyday clinical practice
Radiology, Dermatology	Imaging, skin diseases

Year 5: Surgery, obstetrics and paediatrics

The fifth year covers the surgical subjects and the major specialties.

Subject	Focus
Surgery	General, trauma and abdominal surgery
Obstetrics and Gynaecology	Pregnancy, birth, women's health
Paediatrics	Children's ward and neonatology
ENT and Ophthalmology	Sense organs and their diseases
Orthopaedics, Anaesthesiology	Musculoskeletal system, anaesthesia and intensive care

Year 6: Internship year and graduation

The final year is practical. You rotate through the main subjects and work as part of the ward team; part of it can be completed at hospitals abroad by arrangement.

Subject	Focus
Rotations in Internal Medicine and Surgery	Supervised ward work
Family Medicine	General practice and outpatient care
Emergency Medicine	Emergency department and ambulance service
Forensic Medicine, Social Medicine	Post-mortem examination, health systems
Final Exam	Proof of clinical competence

Exams and graduation

How you are assessed in Foča

As at most universities in South-Eastern Europe, each subject is completed separately. There is no national state examination; the degree ends with the Doctor of Medicine diploma.

Colloquia

Interim tests during the semester that count towards your final grade and keep you studying continuously.

Subject exam

At the end of each subject there is a written and usually an oral exam; in anatomy and the clinical subjects also a practical one.

Exam periods

Several exam periods per year give you the chance to resit exams you have not passed.

Graduation

After the sixth year you receive the Doctor of Medicine diploma from the University of East Sarajevo.

FAQ

Questions about the curriculum in Foča

How is the dentistry curriculum different?

Dentistry shares the science foundations of the first semesters with medicine. After that come the dental specialties such as restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, orthodontics, periodontology and oral surgery, with treatment courses on phantom heads first and later on patients.

Do I have to learn the local language?

Teaching and exams are in English. Because you talk to patients from the third year onwards, basic Serbian is worthwhile, and you learn it alongside your studies.

Can I do the internship year abroad?

Yes, parts of the sixth year can be completed at hospitals abroad by arrangement with the faculty. We help you plan it.

Where is the degree recognised?

The University of East Sarajevo is a state university, and its Doctor of Medicine diploma is the regular medical qualification in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Which recognition steps apply in your target country is something we clarify in a free consultation.