Bulgaria seems to be helping women, specifically from the United Kingdom, defy the standards of being a mother while also working. Though this is not just any work these women are doing in Bulgaria, these women are studying medicine in hopes of graduating to then become doctors. For a cost much less than London’s prices and with open arms to accept these learners, Bulgaria, among other Eastern European countries such as Romania, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic, is now the place to go when other Universities become overcrowded.
One mother was interviewed by BBC on her thoughts about this entire situation. When she was asked about her interview process, which is the level she made it to in London, she noted that “’I had the required grades. When they looked at my personal statement that just said, ‘Oh, you’re a mother.’’” (BBC, 2017). So it almost seems as though because of this, she was turned away.
Thankfully, countries throughout Eastern Europe are open to teaching students from throughout the world and are continuing to help thousands of medical students receive a good education to then become doctors. “All the universities have to meet EU standards. Many of the students have A and B grades. Some universities are more flexible and accept lower grades, like Cs, but those students have to do extra entrance exams in biology and chemistry,” (BBC, 2017) notes the Head of Student Recruitment, Aris Grigoriou.
This fight for women, especially those that are mothers, has gone on for years. There have been continued stereotypes of women as leaders or in a professional career setting overall. It has been claimed that mothers in the workplace “are not as dedicated or as committed as their male counterparts, and therefore are not “exclusive material” (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 148). This does not seem to be true for those women and mothers flocking from the UK and Ireland to complete their degrees. Surprisingly enough, they have the Eastern European countries to thank for this.
Resources
Maruf, S. (30 June 2017). British students flock to Eastern Europe to study medicine. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40383998
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.
Thank you for this post. I think the fact that E. Europe is providing opportunity for a new group of leaders in medicine is wonderful. As Europe has long been a locale for affordable degrees, especially as many countries have offered EU citizens free tuition, it makes a lot of sense for women who are mothers to not only pursue a degree at an institution that supports their ambition, but is accessible financially for them.
The argument you pointed out that women “are not as dedicated or as committed as their male counterparts, and therefore are not “exclusive material” (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 148) is a poor one, and we have seen time and again the ability of women to balance and succeed in whatever they apply themselves to. It is a shame that so many communities continue to hold onto these false ideas. Hopefully as more opportunity is provided for women to access educational opportunities, the more clear the paths will become that they may choose and hopefully more easily take in the future.
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.