Slovakia officially the Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's territory spans about 49,000 square kilometres and is mostly mountainous. The population is over 5.4 million and consists mostly of Slovaks. The capital and largest city is Bratislava, and the second largest city is Kosice. The official language is Slovak.

 

The country joined the European Union in 2004 and the Eurozone on 1 January 2009. Slovakia is also a member of the Schengen Area, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the United Nations, the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), the WTO (World Trade Organization) and the Council of Europe.

 

The Slovak climate lies between the temperate and continental climate zones with relatively warm summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters. Temperature extremes are between −41°C to 40.3°C although temperatures below −30°C are rare. 

 

Education in Slovakia is compulsory from age 6 to 16. The education system consists of elementary school which is divided into two parts, the first grade (age 6–10) and the second grade (age 10–15) which is finished by taking nationwide testing called Monitor, from Slovak language and math. Parents may apply for social assistance for a child that is studying on an elementary school or a high-school. If approved, the state provides basic study necessities for the child. Schools provide books to all their students with usual exceptions of books for studying a foreign language and books which require taking notes in them, which are mostly present at the first grade of elementary school. 

 

After finishing elementary school, students are obliged to take one year in high school. 

 

After finishing a high school, students can go to university and are highly encouraged to do so. Slovakia has a wide range of universities. The biggest university is Comenius University, established in 1919. Although it's not the first university ever established on Slovak territory, it's the oldest university that is still running. Most universities in Slovakia are public funded, where anyone can apply. Every citizen has a right to free education in public schools. 

 

Slovakia has several privately funded universities, however public universities consistently score better in the ranking than their private counterparts. Universities have different criteria for accepting students. Anyone can apply to any number of universities.

 

Advantages:

1. The Slovak universities are among the best, so you will have access to high quality medical studies, with very well equipped medical schools. 
2. The international environment at the universities provide you with the perfect preparation for your future career. 
3. The cost of living is quite low and life there is very comfortable, since Slovakia is a safe country where you will just feel good. 
4. Medical Universities in Slovakia offer education in English therefore, there is no difficulty of learning a new language.
5. The cities, as well as the old towns, such as Bratislava or Kosice, are very nice, with small streets, charming squares and historical buildings.