“The Best Way Is To Be Here, Live It, And Experience It”

Born in Winnipeg and raised in Calgary, Annamária Vörös is now in her third year of medical school at the University of Debrecen. From early childhood, her path has taken her from the prairies of Western Canada to the rigorous academic journey of medical school, where she is pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor. Read her interview as she describes the journey that brought her to Hungary.

Last year Annamária won the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship’s Excellence Student’s Award and now we had the chance to interview her about her experiences studying in Hungary.

Can you describe the moment when you realized you have a Hungarian heritage?

Hungarian heritage has always permeated my life. My parents tried to create a Hungarian environment inside our home. They talked to us (my siblings, cousins, and I) in Hungarian, we had Hungarian books at home, and audio recordings, like fairy tales, to make sure that we wouldn’t lose the language and culture.

Annamária grew up near the subarctic zone, under the northern lights

You grew up in a Hungarian community in Canada. Can you share more about how this influenced your sense of identity and connection to Hungary?

As I mentioned, my parents tried to create a Hungarian environment at home, but outside our home, we had Hungarian friends and relatives. My mom’s sister lived close by, and we had my grandparents often in our home. On the weekends my siblings and I were attending the Hungarian school where I met other children who also spoke Hungarian. We were learning the basics of the language and the Hungarian history and also preparing performances for the Hungarian community.

Wildlife sightings of bison and black bear in Canada

In your motivation letter for the Excellence Award, you described how growing up being around Hungarian-speaking physicians inspired you to pursue a career in medicine. Can you elaborate on how these early experiences shaped your professional goals?

My parents, who both have Hungarian heritage, have quite an unconventional practice. They provide medical services in various communities of Northern Canada. It is a fascinating work. They traveled the Arctic and sub-arctic, and my siblings and I traveled with them. Imagine that these are isolated communities, hundreds of kilometers away from their closest neighboring community, and often the only way to reach them is to fly there as there are no roads. In these isolated places anything can happen, and things do happen. I know my parents have to deal with various traumas, and cardiac events, if needed they do deliveries, and this list just goes on and on.

She learned a lot about medicine and community from her parents

What is your favourite memory from studying in Hungary so far?

I have really fond memories of the city, the buildings, the bridges and the night lights of Budapest all interwoven by history on every corner. But I think my favorite memory from studying here so far happened just when I was able to go out to Lake Balaton for a trip with the Budapesti Orvostanhallgatók Egyesülete (Budapest Medical Students’ Association) students for their annual Train the Med gathering. It was the first time I really got to be with Hungarian students for an extended period, and I really loved the experience (I believe the joint suffering in the cold really brought us together as a group).

Getting around Canada by floatplane and boat

The Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship allowed you to meet other Hungarian students from around the world. Can you share any memorable experiences or friendships that came from these connections?

Students with Hungarian heritage usually find each other in various classes and the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship acts like an accelerator or catalyst in this process.

One of my friends is also a Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship recipient. She is from the US. The Diaspora events are also how I came to learn that one of my new classmates is also a Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship recipient, after we first met at one of the Diaspora events last year, and it was a nice surprise to know that we would be classmates.

What is the best way, in your opinion, to reconnect with your ancestors’ culture and heritage?

The best way is to be here, live it, and experience it.

Growing up far away from Hungary has never stopped Annamária from nurturing her Hungarian heritage

What would you say to young Hungarian diaspora members considering applying for the scholarship? How has it shaped your personal and professional journey?

There are many ways to come and study in Hungary, but the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship helps you to get through the initial hurdles and helps you along the way.

Here I’m not just thinking of the significant financial support that I’m grateful for, but also helping to connect with people who are in a similar situation and background with whom we are building the foundations of our future collegial networks.