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Posts by WhyMedSchool  

Joined: 23 Sep 2009 / Male ♂
Last Post: 28 Aug 2012
Threads: 6
Posts: 35
From: poznan
Speaks Polish?: no

Displayed posts: 41 / page 1 of 2
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WhyMedSchool   
29 Jun 2012
Law / Where can I get a money order in US dollars in Poland? [3]

thanks for the suggestion but I need to specifically provide a money order for what I'm trying to do - it's very frustrating that they are requiring it instead of allowing me to pay by credit card but I can't really do anything about it.
WhyMedSchool   
29 Jun 2012
Law / Where can I get a money order in US dollars in Poland? [3]

My wife tried to get one from the post office but they said they couldn't do it in US dollars. We've tried a few banks and even a few Western Union branches but no luck so far. Does anybody have any experience or suggestions on this?
WhyMedSchool   
17 Jan 2012
News / Poland fines singer for bashing Bible [146]

stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/6269061/Poland-fines-singer-for-bashing-Bible

Polish singer Dorota Rabczewska has been fined for saying she doubted the Bible "because it's hard to believe in something that was written by someone drunk on wine and smoking some herbs."

Thoughts on this? I can't believe she was fined as this seems a pretty blatant disregard for freedom of speech, not to mention that she's also correct.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

Is it a rule to take things literally here? Seems like that's how ppl do it
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

You're right, I don't like the idea of it. I know first-hand how it's done, and it's intrusive - and most of all - the patient often isn't informed about the sudden presence of the students.

You do realize what you've said applies to both foreign and Polish medical students right?

If you respected them, you and your ilk would bother to learn some conversational Polish to put the patient at ease. But hey, you just can't be bothered, can you?

If you bothered to read what I mentioned earlier, there are a number of students in my group and most others who are fully fluent in Polish and are able to put the patients at ease.

If that was true, you'd learn how to speak to them in their own language. But again - the same arrogance - "we from NA care more than Polish doctors".

You don't have to be able to speak to somebody in their language to have empathy for them. And when it comes to patient Privacy and Dignity we often do care more than a lot of Polish doctors. This is a cultural fact and the behaviour of these doctors is not meant in an offensive way, but it is simply their way of doing things here. For example, we had a doctor asking a 16 year old girl about her menstrual cycles in front of her father. After the interview we asked the doctor why she hadn't asked the father to leave prior to talking with the patient and the doctor said that she simply hadn't considered it.

They should be happy with foreign morons who are only there because they were too stupid to go to medical school in their own country? I certainly wouldn't be impressed!

I said they should be happy with students, foreign or Polish. However, it is obvious 99% of patients are not happy to have students present (I know I wouldn't want them there either). Unfortunately if this was the case there would be no future generation of doctors so it has to be this way.

Lol, I'd like to see that in the U.S., a foreign medical student barely able to say a few words in English allowed to "attend" to patients without a qualified translator present.

We're not making any decisions with regard to patient care, all of that is decided by their doctor so there is no risk to the patient at all.

i'm still here because of fully trained paramedics, nurses, doctors and consultants, not half-trained know-alls.

This is an extremely obvious statement

Is that because you are inherently better than Polish doctors?

I already responded to this so no need to repeat myself. I have a lot of respect for the doctors that train us.

- American students turned up and were given a list of symptoms. They were then asked to identify what could be wrong - and not one of them had a clue. None of them even tried to come up with answers, and none of them had any response when asked "what can we do to help the patient?". The doctor was also visibly pissed off with them for not even showing any interest.

This is a fault with the University which does nothing to get rid of bad students because they want our $, I totally agree with that. All I can say is that not all students are like that and there are those of us who truly care.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

Sorry for the confusion but by translators I meant that we have students in our group who are fluent in Polish and do the translating. In groups where there are no Polish speakers the doctors translate. In any case, it wouldn't be the "health care system" paying for a translator, it would be the university that we pay a tuition fee to attend funding it so don't worry.

Still doesn't excuse the utter disgrace of people getting treated like a commodity by students that can't be bothered to learn a few sentences.

You simply don't like the idea of a Polish patient encountering a foreign medical student, as if that some how takes away from the quality of their medical care.

The program is offered as an English language program which means we are not expected to have a working knowledge of Polish to be here. Most importantly, just because we don't all speak Polish doesn't mean that we treat patients here with any less respect and dignity than we would in our home countries. We all have extreme empathy for the patients we encounter and students from NA often give far more care and attention to a patients privacy and dignity than most Polish doctors care to consider.

Most patients should be happy to have an encounter with students (Polish or foreign) because that means they often have 5-6 fresh minds considering the state of their health in addition to their regular health care provider.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

Part of a medical examination involves taking a history from the patient.

Translators
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

Foreigner4

Lol I assure you I have no problems living in Poznan, I just needed to vent was all and this forum has been a great outlet. A lot of what people have said about missing home is definitely true. I've done my best to focus on the positives about living here while trying to ignore the negatives but every now and then it's good to blow off some steam.

I pretty much figured out on day 2 in Poznan how to give the stare-down to drivers that cut me off and how navigate my way around dog crap on the sidewalks like a pro. Here's the major difference - people from this city grow up with those things and would go mentally insane if they let it bother them every time it happened so they are good at brushing it off whereas I am not. The following forum I think summarizes this well:

Automobiles vs. Pedestrians in Poland

So let me turn it around - if you live in Poznan do you really not care about the crap-covered sidewalks that are falling apart? Are you really not bothered when you're almost run over by a careless driver? Or are you that driver? Just because things are the way the are, doesn't mean they have to stay that way.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

The OP would have a much richer time if he just bothered to pick some of the language up. And it would save him future embarrassment when he tells people he spend six years in Poland and can't hold a simple conversation.

I actually have a very good knowledge of Polish vocab and an ok understanding of basic Polish grammar. I can speak enough to get by with no problems, including talking to patients in the hospitals. My grasp of the language has nothing to do with my fear of dying due to poorly thought out intersections and terrible drivers.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

Poznan is my favorite city in Poland and one of my favorite in the world

I'm not trying to say Poznan is a crap whole. To be honest, I was just venting after almost being run over by a car for the 100th time at the same intersection I cross every day. Of course there are places that are better/worse but I still stand by my assertion that there things they could do to make it safer for pedestrians, not just in Poznan but in Poland and Europe in general it seems.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

How long, out of interest?

It depends on the program. There are four year and six year MD programs, and there is also a five year dentistry program.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

Let's be honest - the real reason they don't learn is because they think they're better than the "stupid locals" who should all speak English anyway.

That's utter nonsense. The "real" reason they don't learn Polish is because they are students and not permanent citizens. They are all acutely aware that their time in Poland is limited so there is very little use in learning detailed Polish. I have never said anything in my posts about the locals being stupid and for you to say something like that makes you look very insecure.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

@delphiandomine

I guess as a medical student you know what you're talking about right??? Oh wait, you have no idea and just talk sh*t hahaha

Why not come to the hospitals and follow around a group of medical students before you talk about our language competence. Most students will use the most basic phrases they know in Polish with patients such as greeting them politely, asking them to breathe deeply (prosze głęboko od dychać) etc. You talk about my arrogance but it's your assumptions about the way we conduct ourselves that really stands out.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

nd medical students can hardly claim they aren't any good at learning things...

Medical students have far to much important material to commit to memory rather than to waste their time learning Polish. Would you rather know how to speak Polish or recognize the signs and symptoms of a myocardial infarction?
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

I understand now what you are saying and do believe you are correct as the standards for admitting foreign students in to Polish medical schools seems to be little to none. As many reading this will take the opportunity to flame me I want to point out that there are a minority of foreign students who actually do come here to study their butts off and become competent doctors.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

What you don't say is that in case polish graduates from the same medical school took the same tests(USMLE etc) they would get higher grades than the american graduates from polish school despite the tests being in English language.This can be proved.

So please prove it.

yes. Torontonians are the worst.

This is true

Side note - please don't get me wrong, Poland has some of the best and brightest young people of any country, but the schooling system here turns them in to a bunch of cheats which is really unfortunate. There are no consequences for this and as such it becomes rampant. If they actually managed to crack down on this and hold students accountable to the same standards as elsewhere the quality of the medical graduates (and graduates in other fields respectively) would increase dramatically.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

No, the tests here are comparable to the tests in the USA or Canada. Your problem is that you are judging the level of the tests given to Polish-speaking students on the basis of the level of the ones given to the students whose sole purpose is to finance the university, i.e. the vastly simplified tests given to the likes of you.

WOW - You have NO idea what you are talking about. You are obviously not a medical student because your comment is hilarious to me. I am not talking about the tests that are given to me by the university. I am talking about the tests that are administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners in the US. The tests given in Poland written by the Polish faculty are meaningless, and that includes those given to English speaking students and Polish students alike. The SINGLE final exam given to Polish medical students at the end of their six years is a complete joke as compared to the multiple multi-hour/multi-day tests that Canada and the US administer to medical students in order to allow them to graduate.

And let me clarify because you clearly don't have a clue - I am talking about the comprehensive examinations that any medical student (US trained or foreign trained) must pass if they want to practice medicine in the US. The actual subject exams that are given in Poland are not even close to comparable to those given in the US and Canada as they largely focus on meaningless details that will never help the student be a better doctor.

The Polish doctors we have met here that have actually written the USMLE Step exams know first hand how bad the testing system is in Poland, how much Polish students cheat without consequence and how much knowledge is lacking when they graduate. If a foreign student cheats his way through his education in Poland he/she will never pass the qualifying exams to get back to the US or Canada, but that same reasoning doesn't hold true for Polish students. So again, unless you've actually gone through the medical school system here don't open your mouth because you have no idea what you are talking about and it makes you look stupid.

Let me repeat, what I am talking about are the medical licensing exams administered by the actual countries (ie. US and Canada), not the university. By far the vast majority of Polish medical graduates would not stand a chance at passing the USMLE based on the knowledge they receive in their Polish medical education alone.

Because we learn from doctors who teach in highly competitive hospitals here in Poznan they were thankfully part of the minority of Polish medical students who actually learned the material well in order to secure spots in the top hospitals. They do not hold back with their criticisms of their own countries failings when it comes to medical education and this is information I have received first hand vs. you talking out your ass.
WhyMedSchool   
7 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

I don't think the city owes me anything and I'm extremely grateful that I was able to come to Poland to pursue a medical education (not purchase one). I just think as compared to other Polish cities the pride I see in Poznan citizens is well undeserved. For a city with twice the average income of the rest of country it certainly doesn't show in the city infrastructure (the roads and sidewalks are crap as has been mentioned by some other posters). The issue with tram tickets definitely does apply to first time visitors to the city getting nailed with fines for not being able to buy a ticket - a very nice welcome.

From a tourist perspective there is no reason anybody should stop through Poznan for more than a couple hours tops. The people are definitely ruder - there is a subtle undercurrent of anger that seems to be simmering just below the surface everywhere you go and it takes the dumbest thing to set people off here and I have no idea where it comes from. If you look at it from a value perspective Poznan is well overpriced for what you get as compared to other cities in Poland.

All the bashing of the medical students really shows how little people really think. Please consider the amount of money they pump in to the Poznan economy! I suspect the anger stems from jealousy at the amount of money the students are able to spend vs. the average citizen. And of course a lot of students are f-ing retarded, but if they want to practice in the US or Canada the tests they have to pass hold them to a MUCH higher standard than Poland - in fact light years beyond what is required to practice medicine here. Yes doctors here may complain that some students from abroad are idiots, but only those who are of European descent will actually be able to practice medicine back in their home countries without having learned a thing and that says something. Polish students learn to cheat their way through six years of medical education and that includes their final exam at the end of six years.
WhyMedSchool   
6 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

I think we're seeing a perfect example of the "I pay, therefore I am" arrogance that many foreign medical students (except Norwegians and Asians, funnily enough) display in Poland.

Just because I'm a student in Poznan doesn't make my criticisms any less valid - you're assertions that it somehow does is ridiculous.

A traveler, permanent citizen or student will all experience the same things that I have mentioned. You are not doing anything but shooting the messenger and because why? I'm wrong about what I've said about Poznan having some serious issues? So far you've done nothing but prove me right.

I'm really struggling not to write what I'm thinking here. Generally though - the arrogance of the student is in exact reverse proportion to the ability of the student to get into medical school in their own country.

You're ignorance is not surprising so I thought I would help you out a little by referring you to the following article:

cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/02/22/canadian-students-medicine-overseas.html

"The acceptance rate for first-time applicants in Canada is under 30 per cent."

Thus I am studying medicine in Poland and getting great experience with some excellent Polish doctors. In the mean time, I have to deal with the city of Poznan and it's lovely inhabitants and problems.
WhyMedSchool   
6 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

Oh yes. The fact that it allows in almost anyone to study medicine provided they pay the fees is a great example of what's wrong with it. The same university also barely bothers to disguise the fact that people on the English-language courses have a far less demanding course than those on the equal Polish language course. And of course, we don't bother to talk about the sheer arrogance of many of the American students there.

Sigh, your assumptions and angry tone in your response proves my point and shows that I struck a nerve in a Poznan citizen with much undeserved city pride who also has much anger and rudeness within haha. Also you can talk as much smack about the school as you want, but my post has to do with the dumbness of the city of Poznan and not the University.

And on a side note - most Polish medical students cheat their way through six years of education and become terrible doctors with only a select few who actually care about their patients and do their part to learn what is necessary. Polish students need to pass a SINGLE exam at the end of their six years in order to become doctors where as those who want to practice in the US need to pass an 8 hour basic sciences exam, a 9 hour clinical knowledge exam, a clinical skills practical exam and another exam (Step 3) after that - so please don't even try to compare the competence of Polish vs. American doctors.

Again - obvious that you're not well travelled. This is the normal way for European traffic lights to operate. This isn't America.

Is this really your response?? Just because it's done a certain way doesn't make it the correct way. The European system is dangerous! Walk in to the ER rooms in your city hospitals and talk to the doctors to know the truth about the dumbness of the traffic lights in Poznan. You're pride in your city is blinding you to the problems it has.

Yes, we are particularly rude to dumb American medical students who are effectively buying their medicine degree. Much of it is due to the arrogance, false self confidence and shocking lack of knowledge that they exhibit. I've seen one clown in late May struggle to buy beer from Piotr i Pawel - LATE MAY.

You are particularly rude to EVERYBODY, Polish people especially. In fact, most foreign students of non-Polish origin get treated much better than those of Polish descent and the consensus is that Poznan is by far the worst for this behaviour.

I think it's called "going to a poor EU country to receive medical education because you were too stupid to get it in the US".

You have really done nothing but prove my point entirely, that people from Poznan are angry, rude and can't tolerate any criticism of their city. Truth be told, I came to Poznan to study medicine because getting into a Canadian medical school is amazingly difficult, and the opportunity to study in Poland with my Polish wife seemed like a great experience. As a smart Canadian I was able to write my first US Medical Licensing Exam and get a passing mark better than 90% of American medical students who took the same exam. I am actually well traveled, and may have exaggerated a bit with the "every city in the world" comment due to my frustration with the simple task of crossing the road in this city without getting hit by a car Every Single Day... but I digress.

Truth is that I love Poland and Polish culture. I have been to every major city in Poland except for perhaps Szczecin and Bialystok and loved them all. Poznan for me is the exception to the rule.

You obviously like your city and I'm happy for you and your ignorance, because once you see how it is like outside of Poznan you may never look at it the same way again...
WhyMedSchool   
6 Jan 2012
Life / What is wrong with Poznan? [197]

I welcome comments to this post because in my opinion no other city in Poland has citizens with such undeserved pride in their city. There is nothing special about Poznan at all, and on top of that, it has so many issues that make it an annoying place to live. Please consider the following:

- Why do pedestrians need to press a button in order to get a signal allowing them to cross the road? Was having the pedestrian signal change automatically with the traffic lights something that Poznan city engineers didn’t consider? It is only like that in pretty much every other city in the entire world! Absolutely ridiculous.

- On a related note, why does the traffic light for a car turn green seconds before the pedestrian signal? Does nobody understand how dangerous and stupid this is? Every day I see cars that start to make right hand turns having to slam on their brakes as pedestrians step right in front of them because of their delayed signal. Stupid stupid stupid.

- This is a city that decided it would be a good idea to do every road construction project it could think of simultaneously essentially bringing all road traffic to a grinding halt. Brilliant.

- I can’t think of a city in Poland (including Warsaw) that has ruder and angrier citizens than Poznan. Why this is I would love somebody to please explain.

- This is a city that only now is starting to put ticket dispensers on their trams and buses. Come into the city on a Sunday? Good luck finding a place to purchase a billet and then risk getting caught by the conductors if you take a tram or bus – very fair system for citizens and tourists alike.

So there is it, what is wrong with Poznan and why doesn’t anything get done about it???
WhyMedSchool   
22 Oct 2011
News / Poland a top pot producer? Legalization? [30]

From a medical point of view there are mental health issues to be considered, but legalization would allow for better treatment and help. As far as consumption, eating or vaporizing marijuana is virtually free of any adverse health effects.

As far as mental health goes it's really a Chicken-and-the-Egg scenario about whether people who are crazy tend to abuse marijuana, or whether marijuana abuse causes mental health problems. A combination of genes and environment is probably the answer but obviously more research still needs to be done.
WhyMedSchool   
5 Sep 2011
Law / Buying a USED CAR in Poland, my personal experiences and TRAPS to avoid !! [133]

Merged:Buying a cheap car in Poland without getting screwed

I've only got two more years to spend here in Poznan and would like to get a decent but cheap car to help me get around for the remainder of my time - problem is that I don't know much about cars and neither do any of the other med students I go to school with.

I'm looking for suggestions on buying a car for under 10 000 Zł without getting screwed. Somebody suggested grabbing a Fiat from a dealership - any thoughts on that? I know a lot of people suggest going to Berlin but if I can avoid doing that I'd prefer it since I don't have a lot of free time.

Now that they are starting to renovate the major roundabouts in this city tram travel is no longer a good option so I'm wondering what people would suggest if they were in my position??
WhyMedSchool   
14 Jul 2011
Travel / Hot air balloon rides in Poland? [3]

Is that a thing here? They're really popular during the summers in Ontario and I figure it would be cheaper here - any feed back in the Poznan area?
WhyMedSchool   
18 May 2011
Life / Im a Black American Moving to Poland. Worried about adaptation. [47]

Living in Poland can be a real huge pain in the ass. There are no words to describe how bad the bureaucracy is - I have seen people reduced to tears by it. You will go crazy for the first while trying to sort everything out. When it comes to Polish people you will find they are either extremely friendly and open, or the exact opposite. They don't try to hide their feelings, and if they are an ******* on the inside, they will show it on the outside - and this goes from your everyday thug on the street to the cashier in your local grocery store. Don't be surprised by the attitude, rather expect it. Also, you will get a lot of looks and that is also something to prepare for. Best of luck, I hope it works out.
WhyMedSchool   
2 Apr 2011
News / Poland liberalizes drug laws in effort to focus on treatment [35]

But that is impossible since the drug empire successfully exploits celebrity slime who brainwash people into thinking that drugs are somehow cool, trendy, cutting edge, bla-bla-bla...

Comments like this highlight the hypocrisy of drug laws as they currently are written. Have you ever taken an aspirin for a headache? Ever had a cup of coffee? Ever taken an herbal supplement? Ever taken any of the Thousands of different medications that are available for the thousands of different ailments and diseases? If so, guess what - You've used Drugs! Granted some do more harm than others and should be monitored, but allowing the sale of alcohol and tobacco while prohibiting the sale of marijuana simply makes absolutely no sense and legalization is the only rational way to go.

It's not about drugs being "cool, trendy, etc" - drugs are Everywhere and are a common part of everyday life, it's just that people choose to be selective about what drugs they'll tolerate and which ones they'll demonize. When you take emotion out of it and get down to simple facts it's hard to deny that current attitudes towards illegal drugs need to change.
WhyMedSchool   
2 Mar 2011
Life / Texas Holdem - impact in Poland? [3]

During the NHL strike years back Texas Holdem took off in Canada. I'm just wondering if it had an impact in Poland, and if anybody knows where to get some poker chips in Poznan?
WhyMedSchool   
23 Feb 2011
Law / Karta Pobytu interview... what do they ask? [12]

I went through this with my wife last summer and the worst thing about it was having to pay for a translator, otherwise the interview is nothing you have to worry about as was mentioned. They asked us questions about each others families like if we knew the other siblings. They asked what we did over the weekend. They also asked what was the last gift I gave her and things like that. It's not going to be anything that will trip you up so I would not worry about it.