Estonian Medical Students’ Association (EstMSA) is an NGO that connects and represents all medical students in Estonia. University of Tartu is the only university in Estonia that has a medical faculty, therefore EstMSA is also located in Tartu.

 

EstMSA has been a member of IFMSA since 1993. Our vision is that one day the happiest and healthiest people (in the world) will live in Estonia, and we are working hard in the form of different initiatives and projects to achieve that goal.

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EstMSA consists of 10 standing committees: SCOPE & SCORE, SCOME, SCOPH, SCORA, SCORP, Standing Committee on Environmental Health, Standing Committee on Involvement in Science, Standing Committee on Sports and Physical Activity, Standing Committee on Internal Events, and last but not least, the standing committee that publishes our NMO’s magazine Curare.

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EstMSA is led by an executive board consisting of 5 officials together with the Heads of all standing committees. All standing committees provide our medical students with a wide range of opportunities for extracurricular self-development, which helps to create a happier environment amongst both medical students and all Estonians. We organise a variety of events which enable medical students to become more aware about different problems in our society and help them acquire medical skills which are not sufficiently addressed in our medical curriculum.

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Every standing committee has its own projects that are targeted at the general public. We actively provide lectures on mental health and comprehensive sexuality education for secondary schools. We also give first aid seminars in schools or organise teddy bear hospitals for younger children, where they can learn about the basics of first aid, which in turn helps to alleviate their fears related to medical procedures. In addition, we educate the elderly on how to maintain their health and mobility.

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EstMSA is also teaming up with birth and parenting courses, where our members provide young parents information on vaccination and try to combat general vaccine related myths and misconceptions. We have always assumed an active role in the society in matters related to discrimination and human rights, and come to the defence of different vulnerable groups in our society.

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EstMSA has been one of the leading voices when it comes to gender equality, marriage equality and LGBTQIA+ rights. We participate actively in societal debates on various topics, for example on alcohol excise, climate change, and the age of consent.

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Medical Education

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Students can apply to medical school straight after graduating high school, however it’s also common to have studied something else previously. Being a relatively small country, Estonia has only one medical school – University of Tartu. The studies last 6 years – the first 2,5 years are preclinical, followed by 2,5 years of clinical studies. The final year is an internship consisting of clinical rotations in various departments. At the end of the sixth year students must take the final examination. After graduation it is possible to enroll in residency programs at home or abroad.

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For more information and latest news on our medical faculty, you can check the  University of Tartu Faculty of Medicine’s website.

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Transportation

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Tartu hosts a small and cozy airport with a direct connection to Helsinki, so you have the opportunity to arrange your travel plans to arrive straight in Tartu! Tartu Airport is about 10 km from the city centre. You can easily get to and from by taking the airport shuttle bus or a taxi, or if you’re lucky, your contact person might be able to pick you up!

The most common option is to arrive in Tallinn, however. As the capital of Estonia, Tallinn Airport has a lot more flight connections than Tartu. You can easily get to Tartu from the airport by bus or by booking ahead to take the Airport Shuttle Tartaline – in case you arrive late at night. You can buy bus tickets from Tpilet or Lux Epress. There is also the option to take a train from the nearby train station called Ülemiste, which is only a few stops from the airport by tram. Train tickets can be bought onboard or purchased ahead from Elron. The previously listed links will also be of use if you want to travel around in Estonia.

In case you want to explore Tallinn, you can find public transportation options here.

If you are travelling to Estonia through Riga (Latvia), you will benefit from the regular bus connection between Riga and Tartu. There are two websites for buying tickets –ECOLINES and Lux Express. You can always ask your contact person for additional information.

Concerning the transportation and getting around in Tartu – since the hospital is about a 30 min walk from the student accommodation, we recommend registering with the smart bike service here, or purchasing your public transportation ticket here. Your contact person will help you buy the card and monthly bus pass. Be sure to link your ISIC card with the bus system, that way you can purchase a monthly bus ticket for under 10€. Keep your ISIC card with you to get student discounts at other public services, too! The bus schedules can be found here or from an app called Tartu Bussiajad.

Here you can find more information about Tartu!

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Social Program

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Be ready for an Upon Arrival Training, a welcome party, a national food and drinks party, also picnics, hikes, and excursions to wonderful places around Estonia, and occasional bigger trips to our neighbouring countries. There is a great variety of activities to entertain yourself while being on an exchange in Estonia. Some of them will be free, some events will have a fee which you will have to cover.

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Must See

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One good link is better than a 1000 words… https://www.visitestonia.com/en/what-to-see-and-do

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Cultural Differences

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Estonians are very nice in general, even though they may seem somewhat distant or quiet. But you should keep in mind to always be on time – we are not used to waiting on people and find it extremely disrespectful. Our mindset about time is that “if you arrive on time, you are already 5 minutes late”. This applies to your arrival to the clinic as well as the social program!

Estonians also appreciate their personal space a lot more than our friends in Southern Europe. We may seem a bit cold at the beginning, but if you can make an Estonian smile or better yet, actually laugh, it’s a sign that you have won our trust.

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Other Important Information

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Some funny and educational videos about Estonia and Estonians, mainly made by foreigners:

• Is ESTONIA the European SILICON VALLEY? by VisualPolitik EN – this explains our e-country very well

• Geography Now! Estonia – some actual geography and facts

• Estonia Built the Society of the Future from Scratch by Beme News – another good video about Estonia’s e-government and some information about our healthcare system