WHY STUDY AT UNIVERSITY OF EAST SARAJEVO – FACULTY OF MEDICINE IN FOCA

Choosing a place of study is one of the most important decisions a person will make in his or her lifetime. We believe that the Faculty of Medicine Foča degree and experience will prove to be one of your key investments, as it will open the door to new opportunities and prepare you for a world beyond the classroom.

The Faculty of Medicine was founded in 1993. For 27 years, the Faculty of Medicine in Foča has grown into a respectable teaching institution and its diploma is highly recognized and accepted. In 2008, higher education has been reformed in line with the Bologna process. The doctors who have acquired knowledge and skills here, have improved health care in BiH as well as in surrounding countries, Europe, and in the world, which is the greatest acknowledgment and pride of the Faculty.

This is the first higher educational institution in BiH that has received external accreditation and it is important to emphasize that it has also educated large number of its own scientific and medical staff.
The classes are organized into four study programmes for native students: medicine, dentistry, nursing and special education and rehabilitation. Study programmes in medicine and dentistry are integrated and last 6 years, while study programmes in nursing and special education and rehabilitation last 4 years in the first cycle, and 1 year in the second cycle. Study programme in medicine for foreign students has started recently. Our mission is to offer our students education that responds to the demands of modern society and trends in the field of medicine by focusing on the future. We believe that study programmes in English will consolidate their position in the sphere of higher education and will thus continue to carefully follow and respond to current demands; as well as to set new goals in order to enable our students to fully maximize their potential.
We have strived to keep the student in the center of the teaching process by creating curricula with clearly defined learning outcomes and competencies in terms of what the student knows, understands, and is ready to implement and apply independently and responsibly after the learning process.

All this time, we have been working hard to provide 3 basic foundations: space, staff and equipment – the faculty building has around 5000 m 2 which is an adequate space for carrying out the teaching process. There are two modern equipped amphitheatres, many classrooms, the center for research, laboratories for histology, anatomy, pathology, chemistry and biochemistry, clinical skills laboratory, two computer centers and a modern library. Concerning the staff, about 240 professors and assistants participate in the teaching process. Most of them are our own staff and 30% of staff is coming from other centers in BiH and surrounding region.

People at the Faculty of Medicine in Foča are dedicated to development of science and research for new medical solution to improve health care system and help the population. Our motto is that “investing in young researchers secures our future”. For that reason, we pay special attention to scientific research which is a highly important segment of teaching process, and in 2014 we were proclaimed the best scientific research institution in the Republic of Srpska by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Center for Biomedical Research, consisting of 3 laboratories, is the only one of this kind in the Republic of Srpska. It is equipped with the latest standards, and hopefully, it will grow up into a Center of Excellence. In the Center, our PhD students have been doing very serious research on stem cells, nanomaterials, etc. We have certainly been stimulating the students to engage in scientific research from the very beginning of the teaching process.

We have participated in over 30 international projects: Tempus, Erasmus +, WHO, and numerous national projects. We also have an active students’ association that offers both educational activities and social events. The students’ association regularly organizes a variety of student events, providing you the opportunity to attend special lectures and seminars given by guest speakers, take an active part in research, participate in students’ exchange or sports competitions, express your musical talent, and so much more.
Health care in Foča has a long and rich tradition. The first hospital was founded in 1896. From that period, the hospital has had a long development path. In 1993 it was transformed into the clinical center, thus becoming the teaching base of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of East Sarajevo. In 2007 it was named The University Hospital Foča, which provides secondary and tertiary health care. Today, it is modern medical and university center. The Faculty of Medicine together with the University Hospital (5 pavilions) on the first glance, looks like the campus. They are around 2 kilometers away from the city center, and are located on the right bank of the Drina River.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION – the place of impressive nature The Faculty is located in Foča, famous tourist, university and health care center in the South East of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the entity of the Republic of Srpska. This town with twenty thousands of inhabitants lies on two rivers – the Drina and the Ćehotina. It is located 80 kilometers away from Sarajevo, the capital of BIH, 170 km away from Dubrovnik, Adriatic Cost, 340 km away from Belgrade, the capital of the Republic of Serbia, which is the most significant center of this part of Europe. Foča is in the centre of the National park Sutjeska, where you can find attractive mountain peaks, rich forests, rivers, beautiful lakes, the river Tara canyon, which is the longest canyon in Europe and, at the same time, it is the second longest canyon in the world after great canyon Kolorado in America. There is also the biggest primeval forest in Europe named Perućica. Many tourists from all over the world come to visit these attractions every year.

Foča is an ideal city for students – a small place that has succeeded in making a serious and prestigious university community consisting of Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Orthodox Theology which are the part of public University of East Sarajevo and have about 2000 students all together. Full of vitality and fun, it has all the advantages of a university centre, with the friendly atmosphere of a small town. It is cosmopolitan in outlook, with local charm and warm hospitality. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, its compact city centre is full of clubs, cafes, restaurants and shops, and as a centre of learning, Foča is a vibrant hub of student life.

We are proud of what we have achieved over almost three decades of hard work, especially of the fact that we provide our students, not only from our country and the region, but also those coming from many countries of the world, with education both in Serbian and English. Become one of our graduates who are knowledgeable intellectuals, skilled professionals, and critical, caring and compassionate citizens who can contribute to economic and social development in your societies and the worldwide.
We wish you much success in the years ahead at the Faculty of Medicine in Foča. Welcome to a place of knowledge, a place of hope, a place of aspiration, and a place of inspiration!