Study Medicine in Germany: The Ultimate Guide for 2024

Thousands of international students are seeking medical degrees in Germany. Maybe you are looking to become one of them in the near future. Indeed, the decision to study medicine in Germany is a moment of life-changing and has many advantages.

However, there is a lot of information that you may not have at the moment regarding registration, costs, and prospects. Therefore, in this comprehensive guide, we have gathered everything you need to know in order to study medicine in Germany.

Duration of Medicine study in Germany

Studying medicine in Germany takes 6 years of full-time study to obtain a general medicine degree. For high learning efficiency, the study program is organized at specific stages.

Each stage leads to a specific test, which will eventually be counted in each student’s final test score.

The first session: Pre-clinical (also known as Vorklink)

During the first two years of your studies at the university, you will learn about basic concepts and topics in medicine.

At the end of this stage, your academic development will bemeasured by a two-stage test: written and oral. It covers topics such asanatomy, biochemistry as well as physiology.

The second session: the stage of clinical science

During the next three years of your studies, you will gain important practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge by participating in intensive lectures, laboratory sessions, seminars, and internships.

At the end of this stage, you will take a test that is usually a written test.

The third session: final clinical year

In the final year as a medical student in Germany, you will pass the final state test that will assess your academic and professional appreciation in medicine. Basically, it is an oral and practical test.

As a matter of fact, you cannot obtain a license to practice medicine in Germany if you do not pass the final test.

Country test in medicine in Germany before applying for a German medical license

The final step in completing your medical training in Germany is to pass the country’s test, a standardized national test. After taking the test and passing it, you can apply for a license to practice the medical profession and then work as a certified doctor in Germany.

Later, you may decide to continue your education to become a specialist physician in a specific division, and this may take another 5 to 6. It is worth mentioning that the training program for those who want to become a specialist doctors also concludes the specialization test.

Requirements to study medicine in Germany for international students

Do you want to know the admission requirements for medical school in Germany? Then read further…

As a matter of fact, in order to study medicine in Germany, you need good knowledge of the German language. As an illustration, you will need to prove this by getting high marks in tests such as TestDaF or DSH. In addition, non-EU students will need a student visa and residence permit.

Based on this information, if you need a student visa inGermany, you must apply at least three months before you move to the country.To do this, you will need to contact your local German embassy or consulate inyour country.

The documents you usually need to apply for a German visaare:

One way you can prove that you have enough money to study in Germany is by depositing an insurance payment into a locked account – meaning you can only withdraw money after you arrive in Germany.

• Certificate showing that you have health insurance
• You may also need to present your legal record

Find out more about how to apply for a student visa in Germany

Preparatory year for medicine study

International students wishing to study medicine in Germany must study a preparatory year before starting their university studies. This preparatory year takes place in the so-called Studienkolleg.

These are educational institutions in which students with high school diplomas are prepared from foreign countries whose German equivalent is not recognized.

The most important conditions for applying for this preparatory year are:

• Provide proof of study and life funding throughout your stay in Germany
• German language proficiency and B1 level achievement, because the German language is the language in which all preparatory year subjects are being taught.

See also: Learn German language in Germany.

In order to enroll in Studienkolleg, a foreign student must pass a German-language admission test Aufnahmeprüfung. Moreover, at the end of the year, he must pass a second compulsory test called Feststellungsprüfung.

Additionally, each Studienkolleg educational institution offers diverse classes to prepare students in various disciplines.

As for medicine, it offers what is called “M-Kurs”.

That’s what matters to you, learn more about M-Kurs….

The M course is for students who want to study medicine, biology or pharmacy in Germany.

Basically, this course is offered in two semesters, and it aims to prepare candidates for the post-graduate qualification test for the above disciplines. Moreover, the M course consists of 28 hours per week, each session lasting about 45 minutes.

The best public and private medical universities in Germany

Germany has many universities that offer excellent medical education, especially with regard to human medicine and other related fields. Below is a list of the best German universities to study medicine.

University of Witten / Herdke

The University of Witten / Herdecke is one of the most prestigious universities in Germany. Basically, it was founded in 1983. Moreover, it is one of the oldest private universities.

There are approximately 1,200 medical professionals studying medicine, dentistry as well as nursing science there.

Link to apply to the University of Witten / Herdke.

University of Leipzig

The University of Leipzig in Saxony is the second oldestuniversity in Germany.

The University’s Faculty of Medicine has more than 3,000students in dentistry as well as human medicine.

In addition to the University Hospital, it is among the most important medical institutions in Saxony and hosts 48 clinics and institutes. Basically, these clinics operate in five separate departments.

Link to apply to the University of Leipzig.

University of Freiburg

The University Medical Center at the University of Freiburg believes that basic science and clinical researchers are prerequisites for the latest medical expertise and treatments. Therefore, it encourages doctors to conduct further investigations.

Link to apply to the University of Freiburg.

University of Münster

The University of Münster is famous for its excellent staff of 5,000 accredited experts and 37,000 students. Indeed, the University works through knowledge assessment as well as scientific research.

Link to apply to the University of Münster.

University of Tübingen

The University of Tübingen is one of the most prestigious universities and its name is associated with numerous Nobel laureates, especially in the fields of chemistry and medicine.

Likewise, the medical department, including the clinic, scientific institutes and technical facilities of the Institute for Medical Training is the most important in the Baden-Württemberg region.

Link to apply to the University of Tübingen.

How can I get into medical university in Germany?

Each year, many students apply to study medicine in Germany. However, the number of seats available allows only a small proportion of them.

The admission process is therefore regulated in a highly restrictive and selective admission policy known as numerus clausus. Furthermore, all international students (outside the EU) will need to investigate whether their chosen university is a member of uni-assist.

If so, you can apply through the centralized unilateral assistance process. If not, you must apply through the university of your choice, with submitting copies of any relevant documents (e.g. high school diploma).

The application deadline is usually July 15, for the study applications starting in winter, and  January 15 for study applications of the summer semester.

Get more details about it in our guide on the requirements to study medicine in Germany.

Can you study medicine in English in Germany?

If you are wondering if you can study medicine in Germany in English, the answer is: Yes!

You can complete your medical studies in English at one of the following universities:

Jacobs University of Bremen

Jacobs University Bremen is a private university founded in2001 in Bremen and ranks 82nd in Germany.

The number of students in the university is about 2000 students and the number of teachers is 400 teachers. Moreover, it is an accredited university of the German Ministry of Higher Education.

Link to apply to the Jacobs University of Bremen.

University of Ulm

The University of Ulm is a public university accredited by the German Ministry of Higher Education. It was founded in 1960 in the city of Ulm. Besides, the number of students at the university is about 5000 students.

Link to apply to the University of Ulm.

Also learn about how to earn a master in English in Germany.

The cost of studying medicine

Would you like to know the cost of studying medicine in Germany?

Here’s the answer…

If you study medicine in Germany at a governmental university in any state, except Baden-Württemberg, you will only pay the semester fees to cover the costs of administration and registration – usually no more than 250 euros per semester (about US $ 290).

As for in Baden-Württemberg, tuition fees for non-EUstudents have now been imposed, which means that non-EU students must pay a feeof 3,000 euros (about US $ 3,500) annually at state universities in the state.

Of course, private universities charge much higher fees.

You will also need about €10,000 (about US $11,000) per year to cover your living costs, although expenses will vary depending on where you study.

Read also our tips on how to study in Germany at the lowest cost.

Medical study scholarships in Germany

Do you want to study in Germany and need funding?

Find out about some scholarships from some German universities:

University of Hamburg Scholarship

The University of Hamburg offers a scholarship program to support eligibility and merit among outstanding international students and doctoral researchers in all subjects and degrees.

The Merit Scholarship allows outstanding students to focus entirely on their studies and give them the opportunity to develop their skills.

This scholarship is open to students who are 29 years old or younger, who are pursuing a master’s degree. It’s also for those who are 33 years old or younger who are pursuing a doctoral degree.

Benefits associated with the scholarship include:

• The maximum monthly funding amount is EUR 650. Depending on the availability of funding, individual PhD researchers may be awarded a scholarship of € 1,000 per month.
• Merit scholarships are awarded for two semesters (a total of 12 months). After 6 months of funding, you must report on the progress of your studies.

You can get details about the scholarship and start the application by clicking this link.

Heidelberg University Scholarship

Candidates will have access to the latest research technologies in modern cellular and molecular biology (gene expression profiles, bio-informatics, flow cytometry, cell imaging, optical tissue scanning, animal models).

You can get details about the scholarship and start the application by clicking this link.

Learn about the types of scholarships in Germany.

Work as a doctor after study

If you pass the country test, you will be granted the necessary license to practice your profession, and you can start working as a doctor. The medical license is permanent and valid anywhere throughout Germany. On the other hand, if you are from outside the European Union, you can apply to extend your residence permit for up to 18 months, in order to find work relevant to your study.

Currently, there is a high demand for doctors in the labor market in Germany, especially in rural areas. As a matter of fact, the average starting salary is very good, ranging about 49,000 euros (about US $56,800) a year. This is, in fact, more than the initial salaries of graduates of any other discipline.

At the end of this article, we can only encourage you if you wish to study medicine to go to Germany. This is due to the fact that German medical schools have a good reputation around the world. Hence, no matter where you live, hospitals will be keen to hire you.

In addition, the German Medical Certificate will teach you a wide range of skills, which in turn will give you a wide range of career options. Most importantly, doctors are among the highest-employed and highest-paid in the world. Consequently, getting a medical degree in Germany guarantees both high job opportunities and high salaries.

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