Combining an interest in serving people with science

Philipp Konrad is a 6th year (12th semester) student from Frankfurt, Germany, currently studying in the RSU study programme Medicine. He has been an active international student and while living here in Rīga has not only enjoyed spending his spare time, when not studying, in the countryside in Latvia and its regional towns but has also shown initiative and helped found Rotaract Club Rīga International, a Rotary-sponsored youth club which focuses on fellowship and community service.

Philippe Konrad together with his study group in 2014 after the last anatomy class with Assist. Prof. Ilva Duļevska. Philippe is standing second from left at the front.

How did you decide to study Medicine and how did you choose Latvia?

Many school leavers in Germany try to get into Medicine and it's nearly impossible to start studying Medicine immediately after completing high school if you don't have the best grades in the final exam.  So I started looking a bit broader within Europe and found RSU in Rīga, Latvia which offers medical studies in English. I thought that this would lead to an international study environment with students from all over the world which would make studies even more interesting.

I actually didn't know where Latvia was – I knew it was somewhere in the Baltic States but not exactly where, it seemed interesting and as soon as I was accepted, I decided I would start my studies in Rīga and I haven’t regretted it yet!  I also decided to complete all my studies in Latvia, and not return to Germany for the final years.

Have you always dreamt of being a doctor?

No, first I was interested in getting involved in the hospitality industry – I wanted to become a hotel manager, travelling the world and serving people to perfection but then I realised that I would prefer to be a guest in the hotel and enjoy the facilities rather than manage them. Also, I understood that I am interested in sciences and biology, so I decided to become a doctor - combining both serving people and sciences at the same time.

Did you apply anywhere else outside Germany?

No, actually I just applied here, and got accepted and then decided to take up the offer – straight after finishing school. 

How did you find out about Rīga Stradiņš University?

I went to boarding school and the sister of a friend of mine was studying at RSU while I was still at school. She invited her brother and me to visit Latvia, so I came to Rīga almost half a year before I started. 

Did you also go to an Open Day here?

No, during my first visit to Rīga there was no Open Day but we visited the university and attended one lecture here, also walked through the Anatomical Theatre. So I got an idea of what Latvia was like. I met another friend who told me that there is a Spring semester which I applied for because for all other universities abroad at that time you could only apply for the Winter semester. I applied, was accepted and started immediately.

How did you find the application process?

I remember it was quite easy. I had to write a motivation letter, I needed letters of recommendation. I know from friends who have started here just recently – as I helped them with the application – it wasn't that difficult for them either. 

What are your impressions of RSU?

The first two years were quite hard, the pre-clinics actually, but later it was much more relaxed and we had time to do other things as well, not just study. In fifth semester I didn't know what to do with my time because I was so used to coming home, studying and then going back to university. In later semesters, studying became more relaxed and I had time to enjoy Rīga, the countryside and started up with some hobbies again.  

When you study at RSU there is a very informal  atmosphere that allows a friendly and personal relationship with the professors. We are 10 people in a study group which allows us to visit patients individually and to acquire the theoretical knowledge in a very focused working atmosphere. Besides that, I only miss the opportunity for medical traineeships in Latvia or even abroad. Except for the summer break there is no time during the semester to work in a hospital for a month or two. 

How do you feel on the street, having to speak to people in Latvian?

I can understand more than I can actually speak, my grammar is probably not the best but I think I could survive. But I'm more used to the medical terms now – I could speak better in a hospital situation than on the street. Latvians – the younger generation in particular – speak English quite well too. The younger generation – when they see that you're uncomfortable with your Latvian, then they switch to English, so it's quite hard to practice and I don't have that many Latvian friends and even they speak to me in English.

And then there’s the clinical practice – you have to go into hospitals, speak to the patients...

But that's quite OK, I think. Because you ask specific questions and it's not that difficult for the patient to answer them, it gets more difficult if the patient goes into more detail, for example in agricultural work, if a tractor fell on a patient's knees...then the words they use are harder to understand.

One of the 6th year students – Martin Styrerud – has written and published The Medical Translator, a glossary of medical question to assist in treating patients in hospital. Has this been helpful? 

Yes, most definitely, it has an easy and understandable structure and contains all the required medical terms for a proper patient examination. But still you have to understand the patients’ answers! 

Which subjects were the most difficult during your studies so far?

The pre-clinical subjects – everybody found them hard. We had a large number of  exams, so that period was quite intense. 

How did you find the lecturers? 

I came directly from school, so the pre-clinics were like going to school again only in different subjects with lecturers who seemed comparable to teachers at school and as soon as we got into clinics it was more a student-lecturer relationship – more relaxed and not as formal.

Some of the lecturers, such as Assist. Prof. Aigars Reinis, who taught us Microbiology, will certainly stay in my memory – he had a unique, motivating and unforgettable teaching style.

What has it been like integrating into the student community here – was  integration with the Latvian students promoted or did you all remain quite separate?

Unfortunately, there was no integration with the Latvians when I started in 2013 – if you would have told me RSU is an international university only, I would totally agree with that, as I have met so few Latvians at university. To integrate myself a bit more into the Latvian community, I started looking for a Rotaract Club in Rīga; I knew these from Germany. It is a community-serving club with people aged between 18-30 years. When I moved back from boarding school to my home town in Germany I had hardly any friends there and I decided to go to the Rotaract Club to meet new people. Sadly, there was no Rotaract Club in Rīga, so together with some friends I decided to found Rotaract Club Riga International, which gives young adults the chance to meet, learn and help each other. Also it should provide a platform to give something back to society and help those in need.

When it comes to the integration of international and Latvian students at the university these days: now there are mixed study groups and these are the most popular study groups. The interest is there for students to integrate. There is still a way to go, because it is quite difficult, I must honestly say – we're from different backgrounds, we live in different parts of the city, with different interests...

What does the Rotaract Club here in Rīga do? 

Our Rotaract Club Riga International is a community-serving non-governmental club for young adults between the ages of 18-30 years. We meet every second week and organise fund-raising events such as “Profs at Turntables” and a Pub quiz. Also, we have a soup kitchen in December for the elderly and people in need. We regularly visit orphanages in Rīga and the surrounding countryside to play with the children and hopefully give them a chance to have a fun time. We are also planning trips within Latvia and abroad to meet other Rotaractors to strengthen our friendship.

So you have had a chance to see the countryside as well?

I think if you haven't been to the countryside you haven't been to Latvia! The countryside is so different to Rīga! Small, cute villages such as Kuldīga or Cēsis take you back in time! Also the nature, huge forests and the wild, almost untouched coastline are all fascinating!

Tell me a bit about "Profs at Turntables"...

This was the idea of a friend of mine who brought it from Germany. It’s for university students who invite the professors to be DJs in a club. In Germany there is one event for each faculty, so there are several discos within the city running "Profs at Turntables" at the same time. With one ticket you can go to the medical faculty's event, and that of other faculties. Regarding the Latvian event, we sell tickets and donate the money to POGA Rehabilitation Centre for children. Previously we have donated to "Dzīvības koks", which supports cancer patients.

How popular has this initiative been?

Very! In the first year we sold all 600 tickets, last year we sold 700 tickets and this year we sold 600 tickets and raised funds and donated the 3000 € to POGA Rehabilitation Centre.  

So you invite some of the more adventurous lecturers to be DJs?

This year we had the Dean of the International Student Department at RSU and two years ago, Prof. Pīlmane, Head of the Department of Morphology at the RSU Faculty of Medicine took part – they have been our biggest stars! Everyone  knows them; especially in the pre-clinics everyone has the same lecturers. They get to choose the music, showing people what they like. There is no restriction on genre, so it's their choice entirely. There is a DJ who prepares the playlist and plays together with them, showing them how the job of DJ works. So it could be The Beatles, metal music...This year, for instance, the Dean played music from her youth – the 80s – as she wanted to show students the music that she danced to when she was young.

Tell me a bit about life here in Latvia these past few years. The accommodation, and so forth? Coming from Germany where everything is very punctual and very rigid, did you find it was a culture shock to come here?

Everything was new to me, living in my own apartment, signing a contract, it was all a shock – it would have been the same even in Germany. In addition, being in Eastern Europe it was a bigger shock because it was less formal...

It has changed a lot, though. It was quite relaxed in the beginning. Landlords didn’t really care about formalities – for accommodation we paid for our rent in cash, so we didn't know if taxes were paid by the owners, with a contract that was printed out from a sample of contracts, which wasn't very specific, yet everyone knew what was or wasn't allowed. Now it's getting more and more official, getting more expensive. The whole country has changed. In 2013 it was still a Soviet country I would say...

Maybe it was just a shock for you?

It was a shock, but when I visited Kaliningrad I realised that Rīga was not a Soviet country after all! When I started studying, the country was still using lats as currency and then euros came in and prices increased, the whole town was getting renovated, new pubs, stores opened. All the old buildings are getting renovated...It's on a good path!

The roadworks are certainly interesting – closing off and digging up whole streets for road improvements!

What other activities have you been involved in while living here?

I just ran a half-marathon, started playing the piano again. I'm interested in neurosciences, and last year I conducted research on neuroplasticity and I got in touch with the Latvian Institute for Organic Synthesis and worked there for a while...seeing how they do their research. And private lessons in the Latvian language as well.

You're nearing the end of your studies, you're in your 12th semester, so next year, what do you plan to do after you've finished? 

I don't know yet. As I said I'm very interested in neurosciences so I'm thinking about getting into scientific work – possibly a PhD – and not start work in a hospital directly after my graduation, or if I do choose a hospital career, then it would be internal medicine. I’m not quite sure yet. 

In Switzerland I found that a university in Zürich is offering a PhD in neurosciences – on how the brain computes external and internal stimuli, which might explain behaviour and the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. This seems interesting to me – so I’ll see how things turn out in the future.