Accepting cultural differences in the integration of foreign medical students

Abstract

In the increasingly multicultural social environment of the 21st century, intercultural knowledge as a social skill is gradually becoming a key competence. One of the possible areas of acquiring this competence is international student mobility, which is of increasing importance worldwide, including Hungary. The focus of our study was to examine integration processes and the development and improvement of intercultural competence and sensitivity among Hungarian and international students, both in relation to the approximately 60 different cultures arriving in Pécs and in relation to the Hungarian host environment. In the course of our research, we sought - among other factors - areas, in which the differences between the original and the host culture are the most prominent, and we aimed at identifying those factors that are slowing down or supporting the integration during the adaptation period to another culture. In our research, we used both quantitative and qualitative methods, in the form of a self-administered questionnaire and focus group interviews. General medical students of the University of Pécs studying in the German-, English- and Hungarian-language programmes participated in the survey during the spring semesters of the academic years between 2010 and 2018. We used our self-developed questionnaires (number of completed questionnaires: n = 13084), which were filled in on a voluntary basis and anonymity was ensured. The questionnaires were supplemented with seven semi-structured focus group interviews over three academic years (n = 92 students). Regarding the adaptation to the host environment of foreign medical students studying in Hungary, relationship building arising from socialization, language and communication differences, proved to be a challenge. However, it can be stated that as the training time progressed, the difficulties arising from the differences decreased, so that the students gradually became more able to move towards an ethno-relative direction and evaluated the positive aspects of the multicultural environment. During studies in a multicultural university environment, the emergence and development of intercultural connections and collaborations enable and support the acquisition of intercultural competence for all of the students, which will be of great benefit for them, even beyond the university, in their future medical career. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(25): 978-987.