It meant a great deal to us, since we live in a four-member family where only my father is employed
Smiljana Ramanović – A Scholarship Holder, a student of the sixth year of the Faculty of Medicine at University of NišYou are an RSHP Program scholarship holder from the beginning of your studies. You are in the last year of medicine, an excellent student with an average mark of 9.7. How important was this scholarship to you?
It helped me and my family a lot. It meant a great deal to us, since we live in a four-member family where only my father is employed. My one year younger brother Manuel is also a scholarship holder. He is in the fifth year of medicine and he is presently in Norway within the student exchange program. While we were younger, we experienced some difficulties. We used to live as any other family in Serbia. But when my brother and I started to study... when you have two students in the family and only one salary, it is very difficult. This scholarship offered us a financial security, but also motivated us to pursue the studies. We did not have to think about whether we would be able to survive the following day of not, whether we would have anything to eat or not. On the other hand, I love studying from new text books and I could afford them. And it is well known that those for the faculty of medicine are not cheap at all. On the contrary.
The students have to apply for the scholarship every year, don't they?
That's right. This scholarship program started in 2010 and every year we have to apply over again. Being already a scholarship holder does not mean you will remain one. We do not have any advantages in that respect. We submit the documentation again; write the essays and motivation letters anew. After that, they make a selection. If you are chosen as a potential scholar, you are notified by email that you should send the matriculation book the following year, and then you are awarded with the scholarship. It is paid out in two instalments, and the condition for the second instalment is to pass a number of exams from the current year.
Like your colleagues, you also got a mentor at the faculty. How helpful was it during the studies?
Two years ago my mentor was Slađana Jović, Professor of Social Medicine, the subject that is studied in the fifth year of the faculty. I used to meet her once a week. As she has a daughter of my age, she helped me a lot in terms of my emotional condition, because at that time I left my home and family for the first time, everything was new for me – the environment, the people; and I needed support... Later I realized that it would be better if I had a mentor from my year, since, for example, if in the first year I had someone from anatomy, I would have learned the matter more easily and I would have been more conversant in everything. I called the mentoring project coordinator and told him I wanted to change the mentor, not because I had any problems with her, but simply because it would be better and more useful for me if she were someone from my year. He met my requirement and told me to choose whoever I wanted. My choice randomly fell to the biochemistry professor Ivana Stojanović. She made me interested in scientific and research work, as she herself is rather dedicated to it. A mentor at the faculty is actually most needed for such kind of work.
You had a scientific research paper whose topic was multiple sclerosis. Tell me more about it.
Most medicine students write scientific papers. Of course, mentors assist us in doing it. Afterwards, we present the papers at the National Medicine Student Congress of Serbia. I have written three papers up to now. The theme was based on multiple sclerosis and I should say that they were all well assessed.
Beside the faculty, you also study Swedish language? Why have you chosen that language?
Most of my colleagues studies German, as medical workers are in demand in Austria and Germany. I wanted to be different and chose Swedish. Besides, my aunt is married to a Swede and lives in Sweden, so I've visited the country several times; it has an interesting and well organized system. When I finish the faculty, I'd like to get a job in Serbia, but if I fail, I'll probably go to Sweden.
In your opinion, how important is education of the Roma and how much does it contribute to breaking the prejudice about your ethnic group?
The Roma education is equally important as education of any other people. I think it can contribute to reduction of prejudices about our community. Einstein said that it is harder to crack prejudice than an atom, but by becoming visible, by having examples of educated people, maybe we can reduce them. The prejudices will always exist. It is difficult to eliminate them but, as I said, they can be at least reduced. Earlier, we were known as the Gipsies /Roma who only do the dirty jobs, who lie and steal. Now, we have become different.
You and your brother as well as your colleagues are excellent examples of educated, successful young people, not only for the Roma community, but for the society in general. In your opinion, how much do the kids take example from you; do they want to be like you one day?
Of course, they do. Especially because I come from a small place of Surdulica. My grandma and grandpa live in the mahala and I grew up there and everyone knows me as the child who was interested in everything and who would always mingle where she should and where she shouldn't. I was the only Roma child from my generation who attended the gymnasium, while today there are more and more kids who attend the school.
When I go there they often ask me: ''When will you finish the school? When will you come to treat us? “
