Slovenia (Slovenija) is a member of the European Union, Schengen Agreement and NATO. Previously one of Yugoslavia's six constituent republics, present-day Slovenia became independent in 1991. Slovenia has four universities, located in Ljubljana, Maribor, Nova Gorica and Koper.

A Doctor of Medicine is a highly advanced degree that requires about six years of work. Many M.D. programs require a combination of classwork, research papers, and hands-on clinical practice to certify students as medical doctors.