Dear students, dear colleagues,

As I prepare to write this message, I can't help but reflect on the difference between our lives today and what they were like at the beginning of the year. "Unprecedented" is the phrase we hear most often and which encompasses the absolute change in the way of life of all mankind. And in the midst of all the confusion and anxiety we have experienced, we have begun to use the term "heroes" for our colleagues, which expresses the respect of the community and emphasizes that not even fear can stop a doctor's desire to do good.
The events of the last months have tested our ability to adapt and reinvent. We had to take complicated decisions, which almost completely changed the paradigm of medical education and I can say, with pride and gratitude, that we have organized ourselves in an exemplary manner, both in the continuation and completion of the academic year 2019-2020, and in holding exam sessions, admission and license exams.
I would like to convey to you all my appreciation for the way you reacted to the changes and restrictions imposed on us, for the fact that you put your safety and that of your loved ones first, that you have shown perseverance and responsibility, by respecting your commitments. Despite the distance imposed, I felt you all were close and I thank you!
The beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year brings new challenges, which we’ll turn all together into opportunities and we’ll take advantage of this situation to make things better. The University management assumes the mission and responsibility to ensure academic performance and, at the same time, to maintain health and safety standards.
In the meeting of Friday, September 11, 2020, of the University Senate, it was decided that the teaching activities will take place, starting with Monday, October 5, 2020, in a hybrid system, online and in direct contact with the patient. Thus, the courses will be conducted exclusively online, and some of the practical activities will take place onsite.
We will use innovative methods to overcome the challenges of the moment, without sacrificing the quality of the teaching act. In the coming years we will recover everything we did not cover this year, so the training cycle of our students will remain at least at the level of previous generations.
The detailed way in which the teaching activity for each specialization and study formation will be carried out will be posted on the website and transmitted through the available means of communication (email groups and the InfoUtil app). Information regarding accommodation in the University dormitories for students who will participate in onsite teaching activities will be communicated in the same way.
All decisions taken apply to study programs in Romanian as well as to those in English and French.
In conclusion, I would like to say a few words to the students who, now, at the beginning of the academic year, are excited, but feel insecure about what is to come.

Dear fellow students,

Thank you for your courage and understanding during this period.
I would like to welcome in this way the freshmen of our university among the elites of medical students in Romania!
At this special beginning of the year compared to other beginnings, remember one thing: you are not alone. We will continue to be by your side and you will be, as before, our priority. Your success is essential for the University. The entire academic community remains steadfast in our mission to provide you with medical education at the highest standards, in safe conditions.
I am sure that, in the light that may be seen at the end of this dark year, we will step forward stronger, confident that we are here to fulfill your noblest destiny, that of becoming health professionals and helping your fellow human beings.
I am confident that this academic year will be a successful one too!

Best regards,
Rector,
Professor Anca Dana Buzoianu MD PhD