The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

HelMSIC Exchanges Survival Guide

Table of contents HelMSIC - Who we are

Live your myth in Greece

Important info

Before your departure

Communications: cell phones and Internet access

Social program

Greek culinary

Greek refreshments

Life as a Student

It’s all Greek to me

Find your Local Committee

3

6

7

9

11

12

16

21

22

24

26

HelMSIC | Who we are

HelMSIC - Hellenic Medical Students’ International

Committee is an independent, non governmental, non profit, non

political organisation run by medical students in Greece. It was

founded in 1958 and as of today, it has 7 Local Committees, one in

every medical faculty of Greece. Our activities and projects are

centred around six thematics, our Standing Committees. Research

and Professional Exchanges, Public Health, Reproductive Health and

HIV/AIDS, Human Rights and Peace, and Medical Education.

HelMSIC works on a national level with Medecins Sans Frontiers

(MSF), Medecins du Monde (MDM), Therapy Centre for Dependent

Individuals (KETHEA), AIESEC, ACT UP, and other NGOs and

Governmental Organisations mainly on project based collaboration.

HelMSIC is also an active member of both IFMSA - the

International Federation of Medical Students'

Associations and EMSA - the European Medical Students'

Association. Participating in HelMSIC gives each medical student

the unique chance to invest their free time in a creative and

meaningful way to benefit society, their colleagues, and themselves.

Our active members develop their communication and organising

skills, their leadership abilities and become familiar with project

management, and get in touch with medical students worldwide.

Live your myth

in Greece

Greece is a South European country, located at the east side of the

Mediterranean Sea.

Because of its strategic location between Europe, Asia and Africa, it

has always been considered a ‘crossroad’ of commerce and cultures.

Its population rises to about 11 million and its capital is Athens, with

about 3 to 4 million residents. A prominent characteristic of Greece is

the sea, as it is surrounded by it in almost every direction. Greeks

have always been known for their nautical skills and ship-crafting

talents.

Greece has the eleventh longest coastline in the world, mostly

because of the 1,400 Greek islands. Another characteristic is its rich

history and ancient civilization, as Ancient Greeks created democracy

and set the bases for almost every modern science and philosophy.

Greek is also considered one of the richest languages in the world,

having lent words to many other languages.

Important Info

Health & Safety | Insurances

In order to have access to necessary health care, tourists from

member states of the European Union (EU) wishing to visit Greece

must be holders of the European Health Card (EHIC) or any other

legal Community document issued by their competent social security

agency. You can find more info about the EHIC here. Visitors from

non-EU countries need to contact their local insurance provider.

In these cases, the necessary treatment in Greece is provided by:

- Social Security Institute Health Units (polyclinics) or doctor’s offices

in the region;

- Regional clinics (former rural clinics) or the Health Centres of the

National Health System; and

- the outpatients’ departments of the hospitals on contract

Liability insurance

A valid liability insurance is also compulsory and covers the costs of

errors/accidents during your exchange. Aside from your insurance

company there are a number of online insurance companies that can

issue it in a matter of seconds and at a low cost, including, but not

limited to, this and this.

In order to have access to necessary health care, tourists from

countries other than the member states of the European Union

wishing to visit Greece must consult their social security agency for

information before travelling.

In case of emergency…

Emergency Call Numbers

Ambulance Service: 166

SOS Doctors: 1016

Duty Hospitals and Clinics: 1434

Pharmacies: 1434

Open Line for Alcohol Drug Addiction: 210 36 17 089

Poisoning First Aid: 210 77 93 777

Police: 100

Tourist Police: 1571

European Emergency number: 112

Before your Departure

Contact… your contact person

First of all come in contact with your contact person! You can find

your contact person in your Card of Acceptance document! This is

really important because he/she is the one that will welcome you in

your Local Committee. In case of any change or problem, there is a

second contact person (Contact Person number 2, you can also find it

in your CA) , who will be a local officer of HelMSIC (LEO or LORE), to

be precise, that will be there for you.

Get your Logbook!

The Logbook (or student’s handbook) is an important document for

your exchange; it will be signed by your tutor in a daily basis

depending on your presence while working in the lab/ clinic. It has to

be filled in order to receive your certificate.

Please ask from your exchange officers to give it to you and have it

printed when you arrive

Attendance

Do not forget that you have to attend your clerkship for a minimum

of 3 weeks in order to get your certificate. Otherwise, you will lose

your right to participate in the exchange program.

Please, respect the fact that we have arranged this exchange

program for you and conform to the rules. Should you cause trouble

or not adhere to your clinic’s or laboratory’s schedule, you will cause

issues with next year’s incomings as well as yourself. We take this

matter very seriously. For more information check our Exchange

Conditions.

Working hours

Normally, the clerkship (in a clinic/laboratory) starts between 8.30

a.m. and 9.00 a.m. in the morning and lasts until 2.00 p.m. or 3.00

p.m., but working hours can vary depending on the department.

Working days are Monday to Friday.

Please ask your tutor about your timetable on your first day. If you

need a day off, please make sure you inform your tutor in advance.

Certificate

You will get an IFMSA certificate at the very end of your exchange

program after you have:

- completed your logbook successfully,

- filled both the Evaluation form on your database and HelMSIC’s

online Evaluation Form.

Please ask your tutor to sign and stamp your logbook.

Before your arrival

Please do not forget to send us back your Card of Confirmation

(CC), inform us about your arrival details, and read the Exchange

Conditions carefully.

Communications

Internet

Most probably, you will have wi-fi in your place of accommodation,

just ask the password when you get there. Inside the medical

school’s campus you can ask the LEO/LORE or your CP to provide you

with the username and password to access the network!

Mobile phones

We suggest that you get a Greek SIM card for your cell phone, so

that you can communicate more easily with each other and with us.

The SIM card costs around 10€.

To get one, you will need to have with you: a passport/ID card and

your university card. Then you charge it depending on how much you

want to use it!

Your contact person can help you buy it and he/she will give you any

further information you’ll need.

Facebook

To make our communication easier, we have created a facebook

group just for the incomings and the contact persons of each month.

So, if you have a facebook account, await our invitation for it! Αbout

a month before your exchange!

Social Program

Get ready for special surprises!

National/Local Food & Drink Party NFDP/LFDP

This party is about tasting and meeting different cultures through the

cuisine!

When? The 1st or 2nd weekend of the exchange period.

So, don’t forget to bring your national food and drinks!

As for the rest of the social program, we provide you a schedule

with several activities (tours in the city, museums, dinner, trips)

that we can do together. The schedule is flexible, so we will follow it

according to what you want to see or do.

The social program is organized by HelMSIC members and the

contact persons of the month.

We guarantee that you will have a great time!

Exploration and Trips

We’ll be more than glad to recommend you a few places to see

during your stay here. Whether it be in the Summer or Winter, Spring

or Fall, there are many destinations that are waiting just around the

corner. For more information you can visit the survival guides of your

Local Committee that are linked in the end of this document.

If you are coming in the summer, please do not neglect to ask us

about the nearby beaches. Everyone knows that the best beaches in

every Greek destination are known only by the locals.

National Social Program

For those of you that are coming in July and August, the months

where we host most of our incoming students, we also organize a

National Social Program (NSP).

Your participation in the NSP will give you the amazing opportunity to

get to know beautiful locations of our country as well as historical

monuments but also meet more students from other local

committees.

Get ready for an unforgettable experience!

Greek Culinary

Since you’re going to stay here at least for 1 month, here is what you

should definitely try!

Souvlaki

Pieces of either pork or chicken meat (you should specify which one

you want when ordering), placed through a small stick and grilled.

Usually served with pita.

Pita

A round, thin, bread-like “pie’” that is used to wrap souvlaki or gyros,

with everything else you wish to put inside, like tzatziki, fried

potatoes, sauce, tomato etc.

Gyros

Layers of pork or chicken meat are pierced through a thin, metallic

bar and placed in device which vertically rotates the bar, frying the

meat around.

Tzatziki

It is a Greek sauce served with grilled meats or as a dip. Tzatziki is

made of strained yogurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed

with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes lemon juice,

and dill, mint, or parsley.

Greek salad

Greek salad is made with pieces of tomatoes, sliced cucumbers,

onion, feta cheese and olives, typically seasoned with salt and

oregano, and dressed with olive oil. Common additions include the

pickled leaves, buds or berries of capers (especially in

the Dodecanese islands).

Croquettes

In greek cuisine we have many different croquettes, which we call

keftedes. You can find them made out of many different ingredients

like meat (plain keftedes), zucchini (kolokythokeftedes), potato

(patatokeftedes) or even tomatoes (domatokeftedes).

Mousakas

Probably the most famous Greek dish in foreign cinematography.

Made of potatoes or eggplants more commonly, grinded meat and

baked in the oven. One piece is capable to send you immediately to

heaven!

Gemista

One of the most popular vegetarian dishes of greek cuisine. It is

stuffed peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables. The stuffing is

typically rice-based and meatless, though meat versions exist as well.

Salty Pies

Greek pies are a culinary masterpiece that have a large variety of

scrumptious combinations! They express the Greek spirit by using

simple ingredients. They are excellent as a side dish for an elegant

dinner or even as a simple snack. Everything can become filling for a

pie; cheese, greens (horta in greek), vegetables, meat, fish, pasta, or

rice are just some of the delicious products that will give the pie a

taste lift. So we have a large number of combinations in pie

filling: cheese pie, spinach pie, leek pie, meat pie, mincemeat

pie, mushroom pie, onion pie, chicken pie, cabbage pie, potato

pie, pasta pie, nettle pie, pastourma pie or pumpkin pie; the different

variations are unlimited!

Greek variety of Cheeses

Greeks have a great tradition at cheese making and cheese plays a

dominant role in our everyday diet. You will find unique cheeses of

exceptional quality in the market, and you should make the effort to

try these cheeses, such as kaseri, graviera, kefalotiri,

myzithra and metsovone. These cheeses vary according to their

origin, taste and name. Some of these cheeses are found throughout

the country, while others are locally produced for local consumption.

The most famous is, of course, Greek feta cheese. This is a white

semi-soft, heavily salted cheese which is the basic ingredient for the

Greek Salad, but it is also used in many other recipes.

Diples

They are a Greek dessert, made of thin sheet-like dough. The dough

is rolled into long, thin strips, fried and folded in hot oil and then

dipped in syrup. Traditionally, warm honey is used in place of syrup,

and the diples are sprinkled with chopped nuts and cinnamon. Diples

can be made in different shapes, of which the most common are

bow ties and spirals

Loukoumades

Loukoumades are pastries made of deep fried dough.

In Greece, loukoumades are commonly spiced with cinnamon in a

honey syrup and can be sprinkled lightly with powdered

sugar. Loukoumades are a traditional Greek dessert with roots in

deep antiquity.

Pasteli

Pasteli is a sesame seed candy. Sesame seed candy is a confection

of sesame seeds and sugar or honey pressed into a bar or ball. The

texture may vary from chewy to crisp. In Greece pasteli is generally

a flat, oblong bar made with honey and often including nuts.

Loukoumi

In Greece, a sweet similar to Turkish delight has been a very popular

delicacy, famously produced in the city of Patras as well as on the

island of Syros and the northern Greek cities Serres and Komotini but

elsewhere as well. It is based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium

varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, and hazelnuts

or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are mostly gel,

generally flavored with rosewater, mastic, Bergamot orange, or

lemon. Loukoumi is a common traditional treat, routinely served

instead of biscuits along with Turkish coffee. In addition to the

common rosewater and bergamot varieties, mastic-flavored loukoumi

is available and very popular. Another sweet, similar to loukoumi,

that is made exclusively in the town of Serres, is Akanés.

Amygdalota

In Greece, ground blanched almonds are used as the base material

in a great variety of desserts, usually called amygdalota . Because of

their white colour, most are traditionally considered "wedding

sweets" and are served at wedding banquets.

Sweet Preserves (spoon sweets)

Linked to the sweet welcome of a visitor, it is the foremost

traditional treat in Greek homes. When served, it usually fills a

teaspoon, hence its name. The majority of these sweets are

prepared during the season when each fruit ripens: wild cherries,

grapes, figs, apricots, berries, plums, quinces, bergamots and

citrons, with each ripening from the beginning of summer up to the

end of autumn. However, there are variations to these sweets, which

are prepared from fruit or seeds that have not yet ripened (e.g.

pistachios, walnuts, bitter figs), while there are also spoon sweets

with various vegetables as the raw materials (small tomatoes or

small eggplants).

Greek refreshments

The “Greek” coffee

Greek Coffee (pronounced Ellinikós) is quite bitter and served in a

small cup. It has a layer of murky coffee residue at its bottom and

when the ladies of old times were done drinking their coffee, they

would turn their cup upside down, let the residue run at the cup’s

wall and then tell their fortune based on the “designs” of the residue.

It is usually served with a teaspoon sweet or a loukoumi.

Frappe Coffee

Frappe Coffee is a Greek foam-covered iced coffee drink made from

instant coffee (generally, spray-dried). Accidentally invented by a

Nescafe representative in 1957 in the city of Thessaloniki, it is now

the most popular coffee among Greek youth and foreign tourists. It is

very popular especially during the summer.

Ouzo

Ouzo is traditionally mixed with water, becoming cloudy white,

sometimes with a faint blue tinge, and served with ice cubes in a

small glass. Ouzo can also be drunk straight from a shot glass.

Wine

Greece is not only the birthplace of Dionysus (god of wine), but also

the birthplace of wine making. Greek wines are produced from

different varieties of grapes, many of which are unknown to Western

wine lovers.

Traditional liquors

Local liquors cannot but be included among the protagonists in Greek

gustations or tastes. Products such as roses, cranberries, plums,

mint, mastic, walnuts and many more "lend" their aromas and their

tastes to alcohol with exciting results. The most well-known is the

mastic from Chios, from the renowned mastic tree which grows only

on the southern side of the island, the citron from Naxos, the koum

kouat, or as it is called, the "golden orange“ from Corfu Island and

the aromatic Tentouro from Patras made from distilled cinnamon and

clove.

Life as a student

Student Discounts

In Greece, students enjoy a variety of benefits and discounts.

Examples include:

• Ferry tickets (50%)

• Intercity Bus tickets (25%)

• Public transportation tickets (% depends on the city)

• Museums & archaeological sites (some have free entrance)

• Theaters, shows, restaurants, e.t.c.

In order for you to qualify for them yourself, you need to provide

proof that you are a student. Some Local Committees provide their

incomings with papers that state that during the month of your visit

you are considered a student of the university that you have been

placed in and thus you can enjoy most of the discounts that we do,

but this depends on your Local Committee.

Alternatively, many businesses now recognize the ISIC (International

Student Identity Card) that you can get here. For most cases it offers

the same kind of discounts.

Please keep your Student Paper/ISIC Card with you at all times and

especially inside public transportation as you may be checked for it.

Store hours and National Holidays

Store Hours

In Greece most stores and services aren’t available every day of the

week in the afternoon. Here is an approximate chart that a great

number of stores, markets and shopping districts follow:

Mondays: 08:00 - 14:00

Tuesdays: 08:00 - 14:00 and 18:00 - 20:00

Wednesdays: 08:00 - 14:00

Thursdays: 08:00 - 14:00 and 18:00 - 20:00

Fridays: 08:00 - 14:00 and 18:00 - 20:00

Saturdays: 08:00 - 14:00

Sundays: Closed

*Supermarkets, restaurants and cafeterias tend to be open all day long

until 20:00, unless stated otherwise.

During the Summer, stores tend to close one hour later in the

afternoon.

Pharmacies usually take turns between themselves to be open at night

or even during the day, with a weekly schedule that they keep posted

to the front of their shops. Should you require any medication, please

advise the schedule at your local pharmacy, or ask your Contact

Persons to see which pharmacies might be available close to you.

Public Holidays

Greece also has a number of public holidays, where stores and services

are not available for that day, with the sole exception of restaurants

and cafeterias and other entertainment businesses. You can check the

list of public holidays here.

“Periptero” - Kiosk

In Greece there are not many 24-hour stores available where you can

purchase amenities and consumables, especially during the night.

There are however small kiosks in the corners of many streets called

“Periptero” (singular) which essentially act like mini-markets that sell

everything, from water bottles to snacks and other amenities.

They are also especially useful to you because there, apart from

automated ticket-vending machines, you can purchase public

transportation tickets, for your movement inside the city. Just make

sure that you specify what kind of tickets you need (full price,

student discount, colour), in order for them to give you the right

ones.

You can find out all of these details about the bus tickets, by simply

looking it up in the survival guide of your Local Committee or asking

your Contact Person.

Economy and Cost of living

Greece’s official currency is the Euro since its inclusion in the Eurozone

in 2001. If you need to exchange currencies, we highly suggest that

you switch an adequate amount of your currency to Euros from your

local bank, prior to your arrival as most companies that are located

inside airports, tend to overcharge the exchange fees.

Since standards and costs of living vary from country to country, here

is a short list of prices for common goods and services, so that you can

get a taste of how much money you are going to spend during your

stay here in Greece. Keep in mind that these prices are just an

approximation.

It’s all Greek to me

Language Guide

Here are some Greek expressions you might hear or want to say

yourself. Please pay attention to the proper intonation of the words.

Hello/Hi! Γεια! (Yià)

Good morning!: Καλημέρα! (Kal-ee-méra)

Good afternoon/evening: Καλησπέρα! (Kal-ee-spéra)

Good night : Καληνύχτα! (Kal-ee-níchta)

How are you? : Τι κάνεις; (Tee kànis?)

I’m fine/ Alright : Είμαι κάλα/ Εντάξει. (íme kalà/ ed-à-xee)

Not so well: Όχι τόσο καλά. (ó-hi tóso kalà)

Thank you!: Ευχαριστώ! (Eff-ha-ri-stó)

Please/ You’re welcome: Παρακαλώ! (pa-ra-ka-ló)

I’m sorry: Συγγνώμη. (see-gnó-mi)

Excuse me: Με συγχωρείτε. (me see-ho-rí-te)

Yes: Ναι. (Ne)

No: Όχι. (ó-hi)

My name is…: Ονομάζομαι… (On-om-àzome…)

I’m a Medicine student: Είμαι φοιτητής Ιατρικής. (íme fee-tee-tís ee-a-

tri-kís)

Where is the…: Πού είναι… (Poo í-ne…)

University Hospital: Πανεπιστημιακό Νοσοκομείο (to pan-epi-sti-mee-

akó no-so-ko-mío)

Central Square: Κεντρική πλατεία (ee ken-dree-kí plat-ía)

Hotel: Ξενοδοχείο (xen-otho-chío)

Park: Πάρκο (to pàrko)

Medical School: Ιατρική σχολή; (ee ee-a-tri-kí s-ho-lí)

Help!: Βοήθεια! (Vo-í-thee-a)

Where can I find a taxi?: Πού μπορώ να βρω ταξί; (poo bo-ró na vró

taxi?)

Important gestures &

lifestyle notes

In most cultures, a vertical nod of the head means “yes”. However, in

Greece, a vertical nod that tilts the head more downwards means

“yes”, and a vertical nod upwards, with the eyebrows somewhat lifted

means “no”. A sideways nod means “no”, too.

Coughing in public or blowing your nose are acceptable, not frowned

upon like some societies. When you sneeze, though, you should put

your hand in front of your mouth and when someone sneezes, we say

‘yitses!’, which roughly translates to “health” of some sort.

Find your Local Committee

In the following page you will find

all 7 of our Local Committees!

Click on each one and they will lead you to their survival

guides, where you can find:

• information regarding how to get to your city

• what to see in each city and in the area in general

• information regarding the lodging and boarding, the

university, transportation inside the city &

• other important information

On behalf of

HelMSIC - Greece

We’re looking forward to meeting you!

National Exchange Officer (NEO)

National Officer on Research Exchange (NORE)

Publisher Hellenic Medical Students’ International Committee (HelMSIC)

General Secretariat

Mikras Asias 75 Athens 11527

Greece Phone: +302107462033 E-mail: info@helmsic.gr

www.helmsic.gr

Copyright © 2016 - HelMSIC