I'm originally from Finland. Even though Riga is only 364 km away from my hometown, the differences in the culture did shock me. I had previously thought that Latvia and Finland, both being very East in Europe, would have similar cultures. While that is true in some aspects, I would say there are more differences than similarities.
University life in Latvia also has a stark difference to that of Finland. The university culture has been something to get used to in many aspects. This blog post is strictly an opinion post, based on my personal experience as an RSU student.
Best parts about studying at RSU
Although RSU isn't perfect and there are many (many) places for improvement, I'm still glad I chose to come study here. Many people apply to study medicine in Finland for up to seven years. I admire that commitment, but to me that time would feel wasted. The reality of applying for medicine in Finland is: You really don't know what's going to happen. There are so few spots, and so many people applying. The entrance exam is always different, and many people don't even know how to improve after each year. I truly admire the commitment of the people who apply many years in a row. I didn't actually even apply for medicine in Finland. If you want to read more about my journey, you can read about it here.
The best part about my studies at RSU is the fact that I'm doing it. The fact that with each year that passes, I'm getting closer to being a doctor. A year and a half ago I was just starting out. I was scared and excited about my studies starting here. Then I blinked. And now I'm here, in the middle of my second year.
The time passes by so fast. Mostly because you don't even have time to think about it passing... But it passes! Every student at RSU says the same. First it feels like such a long time, because well, six years is a long time. But it really does go by.
And in the end, you will become a doctor just like the people who studied at their home country. I've already gotten a summer job following a doctor for this summer. It's starting in a month! I'm going to be writing about it more after.
To summarise, the best part about studies here is that there is no more fear of when I'll get in to study medicine. I'll be a day closer to my goal each day.
Study materials and structure
I had expected to be met with a very clear structure to what I have to study. In reality, it took me some months to get used to how e-studies (the study platform) works, where to find study materials, what materials are necessary to learn, and even when exams would be held.
In Finland, the study platform we used had a very clear calendar, where exams were marked very clearly. I always knew when the exam would be just based on the schedule. In RSU, there isn't any system like that. Usually, in the first class of the course the professor would let us know which class the colloquium would be in. So basically, they'd say something like "The colloquium is on the 9th class". I had to go through the schedule and count the weeks to find what the date is. Some professors were nicer and would inform us of the date. Sometimes, the professors would only let us know a few weeks before the colloquium.
The materials quality really varies based on the course. Generally, the materials are presentations which we just had to study. Although sometimes, some courses won't really have proper presentations for the colloquiums so it's a bit confusing. It's enough to get through, though. I'd say the materials are often better than worse. The structure of the studies is something to get used to, though. That's why I started writing this blog. I'm someone who appreciates clear instructions to what I'm supposed to do and when. Not having that definitely impaired my ability to study well in the first semester.
Least favourite courses
My least favourite courses of the first year were physics and molecular biology.
Physics really just felt useless. The theory we learned was so basic and I won't ever use it in my career, like ever. We had to do lab reports weekly, and do an "oral exam" once or twice a semester (you would be picked randomly to go in front of the class to do it). I have written more about it in this post. It kind of just felt like a humiliation ritual at times... Of course, it's important to learn to perform under pressure, but I felt like the stress about the physics course was pointless, as the topics weren't really relevant at all to my studies. I'm pretty sure we're doing physics just because of the Germans anyway. (They need it in order to transfer back to Germany)
Molecular biology was a quite difficult course, and the teachers were very strict. There were weekly tests that you had to do for your grade, and if you missed it (even with a sick note), you wouldn't be able to redo it. The colloquiums were very difficult.
(If you don't know what colloquiums are, read my post about exams at RSU)
B-courses (electives)
In the second semester, we had to choose a B-course, in other words an elective. These courses are, in my opinion, quite pointless. A lot of the B-courses (such as psychology), are very demanding. So even though this course isn't necessary for the medical degree, it takes significant time from your day-to-day life. This time, in my opinion, could be used better studying for subjects that actually matter. Of course, you could argue that as a medical student you need to be able to allocate your time properly, but the reality of the studies is that when you have time pressure from subject B, subject A will get less priority.
It is very nice that RSU offers these B-courses, but I think the concept of "elective courses" being mandatory kind of defeats the idea of them being electives. I can understand this in other degrees, where you just need to get a certain amount of ECTS points, but medicine as a degree should have better structure, and focus and weight on the subjects that are mandatory.
I did my B-course in medical plants. This course was interesting in some aspects, sure. But in the end, it felt like a waste of time. I felt like I could have better spent that time studying anatomy or histology.
Practical aspect of medicine
Unfortunately, the first year of medicine studies at RSU barely have any practical aspect to them. In the physics course we got to try out an ultrasound machine once, but in the end it didn't really teach us anything, since we weren't being taught what to look for, just how the machine works in physics.
The first clinical course (Introduction to Clinical Medicine) only happens in the second half of the second year. I'm yet to have that course (I am to have it next semester), but when I do, I'll write more about it.
Professors and academic staff
This is a controversial topic at RSU. Latvia is quite an old-fashioned/conservative country when it comes to values. This can be seen in how professors and the academic staff interacts with the students at RSU. On multiple occasions during my studies, when students have come forward with issues in the study process, the complaints haven't been met with a compassionate answer. (Sorry for that mouthful of a sentence, I tried to put it very respectfully)
It's not untypical for students to not want to come forward with issues, because they're afraid of retaliation from the departments.
Of course, all of this sounds very dramatic. The truth is, most students don't have any major issues during their studies. But the ones that do, often run into problems trying to resolve them. So, the consensus usually is: hope that nothing goes wrong.
Attendance
One reason why I wouldn't recommend RSU to some people is this: strict attendance.
RSU gives very little room for absences. Some courses have a 100% attendance requirement. There is no possibility for being sick for some weeks and making up for the classes in another way.
Unfortunately, if you require time off some months to visit family (outside of the set holidays), I wouldn't recommend RSU. The university expects you to commit to being in Latvia for the duration of your studies. Even though most people travel home for the summers, you usually won't know your exam schedule for June too early, so booking flights early on isn't as secure.
If you end up getting sick for a longer duration, you will unfortunately fail your semester and have to redo it completely next semester.
Exam formats
The exams at RSU in the first year are mostly MCQ-based. I had never had MCQ exams in the past before. Exams at school in Finland are always open questions. Although, the exams being MCQ's doesn't mean the exams are easy. The MCQ's are often very difficult, and really only test your ability to memorise very specific information. I often leave exams feeling like my broader understanding of the topic wasn't necessary for the exam.
I do find myself often hoping that the exams would be more open questions, because it truly tests your understanding of the topic, which is much more important for a doctor than the specific numbers and details.
Of course, the details are important as well. I won't argue against that. But understanding general medical concepts ends up being much more important as a doctor. Additionally, the human brain cannot remember specific details as well as it can understand connections between topics. Therefore it is easy to forget the topics of an exam that tests MCQ type details, whereas when practicing for open questions you end up truly understanding the topic and therefore remembering more. Of course you can also study this way, but often there are so many exams that you end up just studying to perform well in the exam, not to understand.
Overall, it sometimes feels like the exams at RSU end up testing my ability to remember information, rather than my knowledge and ability to use it.
As much as this post might highlight some negative aspects of the studies, I have a lot of positive memories from my studies. The students, the friends you make, end up being the reason you love your study period. The students at RSU are super sweet, and I love that there isn't a big gatekeeping culture here, where people omit study materials from each other.
Just like everything in life, RSU has many aspects to improve on. But I'm happy I chose to do medicine. And RSU is the reason I can. So that's something to be grateful for :) This blog post isn't made to tarnish RSU's reputation whatsoever, it is simply made to speak about my personal experiences, as I haven't been able to find a lot of fully honest posts online.
If you have any questions, feel free to message me on Instagram! I try to answer my DM's within a reasonable time period...
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