Medical Education International Eastern Europe

Macedonia declared its independence in 1991; prior to that it was part of Yugoslavia. It was the only country in the former Yugoslavia to declare independence without bloodshed. However, in 2001, a small conflict broke out between the minority Albanians and majority Macedonians, leading to greater representation in the parliament. In 2018, the name of the country was officially changed to “North Macedonia” to appease the Greek government. North Macedonia joined NATO in 2020 and hopes to join the European Union in the future. Skopje is the capital city of the Republic of North Macedonia.

While most of Medical Education International work is in North Macedonia, they at times makes trips into Romania, Serbia, Kosovo Albania, Moldova. This region of the world is often referred to as the Balkans.

The Macedonians are a warm, friendly people. They love their country and are highly aware of their political situation, passionate about both. About 1/3 of the people are ethnic Albanian most of whom are Muslim. Most of this group live in the western part of the country. About 2/3 of North Macedonians are Orthodox Christians, which is a cultural and ethnic identity, as well as a religion. There is a small Catholic representation while Protestant and Evangelical Christianity is typically seen as a sect. Locals are often interested in spiritual conversations, but most are nominal in their religious leanings.

Coffee drinking is an essential part of the social life here and the cafes are always filled with people. The Macedonian diet shares Mediterranean, Balkan, European, and Turkish influences. The quality of the fruits and vegetables, in season, is wonderful. Fresh produce, nuts, olives and cheeses abound and the old market in the City (Skopje) Center is a pleasure to visit and a great cultural experience. There are many small and larger grocery stores nearby. The Macedonians have several wonderful regional wines to partake of if interested.

Become more familiar with North Macedonia’s culture, history and economy by reviewing the Wikipedia Profile. Rich resources for North Macedonia’s health information include the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME Country Profile and the World Health Organization’s Humanitarian Data Exchange.

Most people involved with Medical Education International are Macedonia medical students who speak English. The two largest medical schools teach their students in Macedonian language, while the school in Tetavo, about 45 minutes from Skopje, is taught in the Albanian language.

The official language of North Macedonia is Macedonian, a language based on the Cyrillic, rather than the Latin, alphabet. Albanian colleagues will likely speak both languages and younger people will speak English quite well. Restaurants often provide a menu in English. In the hospital or clinic, students will serve as excellent translators should the need arise.

Medical Education International’s work in Eastern Europe, including North Macedonia and Albania, is primarily focused on medical education rather than on direct patient care. The major objective through such collaborations is to advance healthcare expertise leading to improved health throughout this region of the world. The venues for medical education are hospital wards and clinical reasoning workshops where differential diagnoses are explored, and educational presentations are made. Common medical education subjects include wound care, breast cancer screening, geriatrics, clinical reasoning, bedside teaching techniques, telemedicine. Recent specialist education has been provided by pediatric endocrinology, emergency medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, general pediatrics, palliative care, toxicology, adult gastroenterology, clinical pharmacy.

Medical Education International is a division of the Christian Medical and Dental Association. This Eastern Europe project was initially started in 2013 by Dr Andrew Sanders who partnered with the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Macedonia with the vision of improving health care in Macedonia through a professional exchange involving Macedonian and US colleagues. Since then, over 100 United States physicians, resident physicians and students have visited the country.

Medical Education International has developed a good working relationship with the Macedonian Doctor’s Chamber the organization that grants medical licenses, CME and advocates for physicians and patients alike.

Tim Gaul is board certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. Prior to moving to North Macedonia, he was faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center McKeesport Family Medicine Residency Program in Mckeesport, Pennsylvania.

Maureen Gaul is a general pediatrician previously in general pediatric practice in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The Gauls have been engaged with service in Skopje, North Macedonia, since 2017.

WhatsApp, Viber, and Facebook messenger are commonly used where internet is available. Most, apartments, cafes and restaurants have reliable internet.

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