Imagine yourself a medical student. What will your life be like? Will you spend all of your time in classrooms, labs and libraries? Chances are, no matter how much time you devote to your studies, you will also find time to have an exciting, rewarding life outside the classroom. With this in mind, we invite you to browse through some of the opportunities to create a fulfilling life in medical school. From student clubs to European nightlife … you’ll find hundreds of ways to explore your interests (or develop new ones) in Sofia, Pleven or Varna …
Sports
Located between the mountains and the sea, the landscape of Bulgaria provides excellent opportunities for sports and outdoor activities. There are great activities for all seasons: from hiking, biking, caving, fishing, boating, jet-skiing, swimming and beach-bumming in the summers, toworld-class skiing, snow-boarding, ice-skating and many other forms of mountain sports in winters – all within a short distance from any of the university campuses. Many of the newer ski and seaside resorts have 5-star ratings and are frequented by tourists from all over Europe. So you can be as active – or as relaxed -as you wish during your time off.
Entertainment
Europeans know how to enjoy life – and it definitely shows in Bulgaria. Each university city is dotted with boutiques, café’s, restaurants, museums, night clubs, and spas for relaxing and unwinding during your spare time. The region is especially famous for great shopping and for natural hot-spring spas to ease the stress of a long day of shopping in the city center or lounging in the local cafés.
Menus in local restaurants offer a wide selection of international meals. Italian, Indian, Chinese and Arabic restaurants can be found everywhere. Irish-pub-style restaurants are becoming popular in the region as well. One can also find many places for fast food including: pizzerias, buffets, cafés, McDonald’s, KFC and local hot-dog/hamburger stands.
Each town has cinemas – playing English movies – and theaters which host a variety of plays, concerts and shows. You will never miss your favorite actors and actresses during your years in medical school, because they will be visiting you on the big-screen just as often as they would at home.
International Student Exchange
Due to the standardization of the European medical education system under the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) and through bilateral agreements with other EU countries, students in Bulgaria have the option to study in other European universities. One such program is called the ERASMUS program. Through ERASMUS, students can travel from as little as a week - up to a full semester - to universities in: Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, France, Greece and the Netherlands – to name a few.
Housing
Most international students live very near the universities in private apartments. All apartments are updated and some are quite ‘chic’ with stainless-steel appliances, marble tiled floors, heated tiles in the washrooms and beautiful picturesque views from all sides. Student dorms are also available for all incoming freshmen. The dorms are similar to newer dorms in the States with a number of single or double rooms on each floor sharing one or two large washrooms. The universities are renovating a few of the student dorms which will be similar to newer dorms here in the States. Internet is available in the dorms, apartments and in numerous 24-hour internet cafés near each university.
