UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 7, Page 11
October 14, 1993
Med scholars study in Hungary

     Five students enrolled in the Medical Scholars Program, sponsored
jointly by the University of Delaware and Jefferson Medical College of
Thomas Jefferson University, spent five weeks this summer studying health
care in Pecs, Hungary, accompanied by program director John Engel.
     They were seniors Lincoln Abbott of Bloomsburg, Pa., Philip Huffman of
Newark, Del., Renee Oberlander of Elkton, Md., and Patricia Stewart, of New
Castle, Del., and junior Elizabeth Asuncion of Dover, Del.
     A strong component of the program, which is administered by the
University's Center for Science and Culture, is studying health care of
other cultures. This was the first group to study abroad to meet this
requirement.
     Students were able to observe health care delivery systems firsthand.
     Although rates of heart disease, alcoholism and suicide are high and
the cancer rate is on the rise in Hungary, the infant mortality rate is
relatively low and there is an emphasis on infant and child care, Engel
said.
     Preventive medicine, involving diet and exercise, is not widely
practiced, and there are fewer resources and less technology available for
health care in Hungary, he said. The country is interested in developing
family medicine, and Jefferson staff have met with their counterparts in
Hungary to share their expertise.
     Qualified University students, who maintain a high GPA, perform well
on the Medical College Admissions Test and meet other criteria, can be
accepted into the Medical Scholars Program after the first semester of
their sophomore year at Delaware. They are admitted to Jefferson Medical
College after completing their senior year and have the option of an
internship or residency in a hospital affiliated with Jefferson after
completing their medical studies.
     According to Engel, the goal of the program is to give students a
broader concept of the field of medicine to prepare the physicians of the
future.
     For more information about the program call, 831-8201.
                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure