For the school's reputation and people's lives

The opportunity to study in her hometown of Bijelo Polje, where she lives, instead of traveling to Berane and back, for a third-year medical student Ksenia Smolović it's not just a dream come true about a white coat.

By opening medical courses, and starting this year also pediatrics, it shows that the Secondary Vocational School is no longer, as was previously believed, a place for weaker students and tradesmen.

Ksenija Smolović is one of 176 students from the Secondary Vocational School in Bijelo Polje, who are attending one of the medical courses opened in Bijelo Polje in the last few years, mostly thanks to the vision and enthusiasm of the director of the General Hospital and the lecturer of the subject group, Dr. Kenan Erović.

In addition to three majors - health, pharmaceutical, and gynecological and obstetric technician, the enrollment of the first generation of future pediatric nurse technicians is planned from this year.

Smolović told "Vijesti" that she is very happy that the chapter of her education in another city has been completed, which is why her journey towards her goal - to become a doctor - now seems closer and more certain.

"Now we have more time to learn and for each other. In addition to the hospital director, Dr. Kenan Erović, there are also numerous professors with whom we gain education and practice," she said.

Director of the Secondary Vocational School Zoran Vuković says that, thanks to modernization and the strategic introduction of new majors, as well as numerous investments in improving working conditions, the school that was avoided for decades has now become the best-ranked of the three high schools, and there is increasing interest among elementary school students from other northern municipalities.

"The increase in the number of students was also contributed by the enrollment of educational programs for medical professions. We are the first in terms of the number of students enrolled in the first grade, so that at the school level during the 2025/26. year, we have 760 students. The enrollment plan submitted to the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation provides for another major - pediatric technician, all due to the needs of the General Hospital, which, under the leadership of Director Erović, has expanded its capacities and is in demand for these professions. Of course, we also meet the wishes of students and their parents who persistently seek medical professions, so as not to incur expenses and travel to other cities, and also to retain the necessary number of professional staff. We are also enrolling other educational programs, not only the fourth, but also the third level, in a targeted and responsible manner. In the enrollment plan for the 2026/27. year, we offer 10 fourth-level programs and nine third-level programs in various majors," said Vuković.

PRACTICE SINCE SECOND GRADE

What sets the medical school apart from others is its insistence on practical teaching, so that, thanks to the cooperation with the General Hospital and pharmacies, students from the second and third grades spend a third of their working week "in the field", acquiring skills that make them ready for the job market or continuing their studies. The Bijelo Polje hospital is also equipped with two separate classrooms for teaching.

One of the key figures in this process is a professor of nursing. Jelena Jeremic, head nurse of the Infectious Diseases Department of the Bijelo Polje Hospital. As her students say, she is a mentor from whom they easily learn not only "book" knowledge, but also the much more important thing - how responsibility and working in white coats really helps people.

Jeremić emphasized that the opening of medical courses in Bijelo Polje represents a key step forward for the development of the local healthcare system and education, with practical teaching being of particular importance.

"For me, as a professor and healthcare worker, these majors symbolize the creation of a base of experts who will form the backbone of healthcare in our municipality tomorrow," said Jeremić.

As the head nurse of the department and lecturer, she strives to ensure that students have the opportunity to gain practical knowledge directly in all departments at the General Hospital, as well as local pharmacies, which allows them earlier contact with patients and a real work environment.

The healthcare lecturer and chief surgical technician at the Bijelo Polje Hospital also has the privilege and responsibility to participate in the education of future healthcare workers on a daily basis. Bojan Rakočević.

"My engagement is not only reflected in the transfer of knowledge, but also in the development of humanity, empathy and professional ethics in students. I am particularly pleased to work with young people who already today show commitment and desire to be responsible and compassionate healthcare workers tomorrow. Each new generation reminds me how important it is to invest in education, because the knowledge they acquire today will be applied in the treatment and care of patients tomorrow," said Rakočević.

The healthcare lecturer and head nurse of the Intensive Care Unit are also responsible for preparing Bijelo Polje medics for the future. Ivana Konatar, who pointed out that existing majors allow students to be educated in various areas of healthcare.

"Students acquire the necessary medical knowledge through theoretical teaching, while through practical teaching in schools and healthcare institutions, they develop skills and become familiar with the real work in these institutions," said Konatar.

According to plans, this school year, the first class of medical majors will enroll 84 more elementary school graduates (three grades).

In recent years, with the help of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, significant funds have been invested in the construction of a gymnasium and the reconstruction of the school roof, and the implementation of a project to equip the medical office in the amount of 618.000 euros, as well as a cross-border project worth 170.000 euros, is underway.