PRAGUE SELECTIVE – DIRECTOR’S REPORT – July 2024

It is once again my pleasure to submit this annual report concerning the annual St. George’s University School of Medicine (SGUSOM) Prague Selective, held during the two weeks of July 7 – July 19, 2024. After the CoVid-induced pause, this was the twenty-third year of the Selective!

A total of 19 students from SGUSOM attended the Selective. To-date, almost 2000 US and international medical students from a total of 57 medical schools have participated in the program, making it the largest and most successful program of its type in the world.

All students completed the Selective successfully in terms of attendance and passing the Final exam (one student was given a conditional pass pending submission of a paper), making them eligible to receive two credit points on their medical transcripts for taking the course. The students from SGUSOM who attended this year were exceptionally bright, motivated and informed and made an excellent impression on all of us who run the program.

As in previous years, the morning program featured rotations Prague faculty teaching hospitals, with group size at a max. 8 students/group. Afternoon sessions featured group discussions on history and physical diagnosis (live patients), exploration and comparison of different health-care systems, and global trends in infectious diseases as well as a lecture on the effects of digital technology on the brain.

As part of the Selective, all students were again asked to fill out and submit a questionnaire. The questionnaire continues to guide us in making the Selective better each year. This year, the responses were again hugely positive, with virtually every student rating the Selective as a positive experience, one which they would recommend to others.

This year, I can again confidently state that all of the aims of the course were met. Specifically, students were exposed to a wide variety of healthcare settings and issues, exploring both the thinking process of clinical medicine, as well as various medical systems. Virtually all students felt the experience was extremely valuable, both in terms of getting a “jump start” on certain aspects of patient care, as well as serving as an invaluable comparative experience.

It is our aim to continue the Selective for 2025; though some students wished that the Selective return to a longer three week program, it seems that the program for 2025 will again be two weeks in July. The program will be completely organized and run from our Prague offices and website (including registration and direct payment) at www.pragueselective.com

Sincerely,

MUDr. Martin Jan Stránský, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Director, Prague Selective.
Assistant Clinical Professor in Neurology, Yale School of Medicine
Visiting Professor in Neurology, SGUSOM
Lecturer, Charles University School of Medicine, Prague
Panel Physician to the Embassies of the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Prague