He alth care in Germany is one of the best in Europe and the world. Modern medicine in Germany is distinguished by the highest quality of services: the whole of Europe travels here for treatment. The German government allocates huge funds for the development of he alth care and the research component of medical science. Well-equipped clinics can be of a very different profile and type of ownership: public, as well as private. Therefore, students of medical faculties have someone and where to study.
Unique Features
There are only 39 medical faculties in Germany. Four are in private medical universities, the rest are part of the public free education.
Germans are distinguished by loy alty to foreigners in almost all areas of activity and study. This fully applies to medical schools. It is believed that cultural diversity has a positive effect on the development of science, including medicine.
This fact is great newsfor those who want to get a German medical diploma. And if you add that 34 medical faculties teach medicine for free, then great prospects open up for almost everyone. Because medical education in Germany is a very real opportunity to get a decent profession. You just need to want and prepare well.
It's all about the contest
Germany is not afraid of this fantastic availability of medical education. It's all about an effective and trouble-free barrier - tough competition for applicants. In addition, such a policy attracts the brightest minds to the country, from which excellent doctors will later emerge.
Each year, about forty thousand applicants apply for nine thousand medical training places. The competition in this case is quite serious, but not prohibitive: 4.5 people per seat. These are average figures, because sometimes the peak of the competition has 20 - 30 people per seat. But Russian applicants need to focus on other statistics.
Quotas for foreigners
In Germany, there is one frozen expression - Numerus Clausus. There is literally no need to translate it, but it means unpleasant news for applicants: admission to universities for this speci alty is limited. Medical faculties are favorite departments for this very Numerus Clausus. But everything is not so scary, we understand further.
Exactly 8% is the quota for foreigners from countries outside the European Union, which includes the Russian Federation. From ninethousands of general places, this proportion is quite a lot: 720 people from countries that are outside the EU can begin to receive medical education in Germany every year. Sometimes the competition within this quota can be even lower than for German applicants.
Admission conditions
The average score on the Russian scale should not be lower than 4, 5. If it is far from brilliant, not everything is lost. It will be enough to pass an additional TMS test for admission to medical speci alties. Then, when submitting and analyzing your documents, the test score will be taken into account (if you pass it successfully, of course). The test includes several sections to test the applicant's abilities: work with complex texts and graphics, memorize visual data, analyze information and think logically. This test can only be taken once. A high score significantly increases the chance of getting into university.
Requirements for foreign applicants
Basic entry requirements are as follows:
- The main criterion for success at the time of admission is knowledge of the German language. The certificate is required. The level of the German language must correspond to C1 - C2.
- It is possible to study in English. In this case, a TOEFL or IELTS certificate is required. But there is still no escape from the German language, the results of the test in German must correspond to the level B1 - B2.
- To enter directly from high school, you must successfully complete two semesters of the Studienkolleg preparation course (see below). On thesecourses, students can choose their speci alty. If the applicant has studied for some time in a higher educational institution in his native country, he can enter a university in Germany only in the same speci alty.
Quest for applicants
There are many details and reservations in the conditions for entering German universities. Each university has the right to make its own adjustments to the rules, but usually these rules are unified. Here are some "universal" examples for Russian applicants:
- If you have a certificate with a gold medal of the sample until 2014 inclusive, it is possible to enter a Studienkolleg in Germany, and directly to a German university - only after 2 years of study at a university of your native country recognized in Germany.
- A sample certificate until 2014 without a medal gives the right to enter the preparatory course after only one year of study at a university recognized by Germany, directly to the university after two years of university studies.
- Certificate of 2015 and later: possible admission to the preparatory course directly, to the university - after one year of study at a university recognized in Germany.
Students of Russian medical universities can also go to study in Germany. It will be more like a transfer: 3rd year students and above can apply for admission to a German university, while fulfilling the mandatory requirements for applicants from other countries. In principle, a transfer is possible even to a higher rate. Decisions are made by university commissions, taking into account all the details of the courseeducation and German language proficiency.
About knowing German
The unified European system of language tests includes German testing. The main difference between German language tests and others is the possibility to pass it only in Germany.
Reading, writing, listening comprehension, speaking skills are tested. Each of the three levels of language proficiency is divided into two sub-levels, resulting in six levels of German:
- A1 - understanding simple words in everyday communication;
- A2 - Understanding small sentences and reading text slowly;
- B1 - the first threshold level with communication at the household level, understanding of television programs, subject to slow narration.
- B2 - the threshold advanced level of knowledge of the German language, required for admission to the university to study in English. Free dialogues, long written messages, the ability to substantiate one's opinion are the requirements for this level.
- С1 - professional level with understanding of detailed texts, any films, fluent speech, full presentation of one's thoughts. Needed for admission to a German university.
- C2 - fluency in colloquial speech of any speed, the ability to communicate on any topic, the use of extensive vocabulary.
Certificate is obtained after successfully passing one of the three exam options:
- level B1;
- level В2/С1;
- level С1/С2.
For admission tothe university is enough to pass the exam for the second level of the German language B2 / C1 according to any of the TestDaF, DSH, ZOP, GDS or KDS systems.
Preparatory stage
At its core, the Studienkolleg course in Germany is a university preparation college. The demand for the services of such courses has increased significantly over the past few years. Therefore, now they function at almost every university. Of course, it is better to choose the “native” Studienkolleg at the university where you are going to enter: the chance of admission will be higher.
Education at the State Studienkolleg is free. There are also private courses where tuition is paid and usually costs several thousand euros (it is easier to enter paid courses).
The course program is well structured and consists of several standard programs that you need to choose very carefully:
- M - a course for future doctors, biologists and pharmacists;
- T - course for engineers, mathematicians and science block;
- W - course for future sociologists and economists;
- G - a course for philologists, Germanists and other humanists;
- S – special language course.
It is clear that future doctors need to choose the M-course, there are no options here.
German medical schools
There are no specialized medical universities in Germany. It would be more correct to speak of medical faculties at universities. Almost any German faculty of medicine provides an excellent level of knowledge - this is a common property of medicaleducation in Germany. But if there is a question about choosing the best educational institutions, then it is better to solve it with the help of official rankings of medical universities, which can be easily found on the net.
In Germany, there are universities with medical faculties that do not need these ratings. These include, for example, the Technical University of Dresden, which graduates the best dentists from its medical faculty. The most prestigious medical diploma with a specialization in speech therapy can be obtained in only one place. This is the famous Technical University of Aachen.
As for the classical faculties with the teaching of general medicine, here the two largest German universities with world fame are out of competition: in Berlin and Heidelberg.
Heidelberg University
The Faculty of Medicine in Heidelberg is one of the most prestigious medical training centers in Germany. This is the most honored and one of the largest German universities: it was founded in 1386, and the number of students in fifteen faculties reaches thirty thousand. There are 530 professors at the University of Heidelberg alone, and the total number of university employees is about 6000. The first photo of the article is the university library.
You need to be prepared for the fact that the competition here is higher than in other universities. The medical faculty can only be entered after two years of study at a medical university recognized in Germany.
As preparatory courses, it is better to choose Studienkolleg inHeidelberg itself with free tuition. Of the entrance exams for courses, you need to take only German.
Humbold University Berlin
The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Berlin can compete with its colleagues in Heidelberg in terms of prestige, quality of education and number of students. He is inferior only in age: he is 450 years younger than his older brother.
This is the largest scientific center: the research component at the university is the pride of its faculty and the whole country.
Another distinctive feature is the international composition of both students and teachers. The University of Berlin is extremely loyal to foreign students: every year about 5,000 people from various countries of the world study at it. There is even a special guardianship program for foreign first-year students.
Educational process at the faculty
Nowhere and never did future doctors learn easily. With regard to medical education in Germany, this “difficulty” must be raised to at least the second degree. And it's worth it if you come to Germany to get one of the best medical education in the world.
Together with the old traditions of the German higher school, the latest methods and technologies are used - everything is in order in German university clinics with this.
Students can choose the pace and volume of learning. They are also free to plan academic semesters. But the total timestudy cannot exceed six years and three months. The total number of study hours for the entire period of study must be at least 5500. These data will be taken into account when applying for a job in the countries of the European Union.
If you have a German medical degree
You can be a citizen of any country to work in German clinics. With one neat addition: if you have a German medical degree in your hands.
The diploma will open the doors of all European medical centers for you. For a civilized job search after university, an extension of a residence permit in Germany for a year and a half is provided.
Doctors in Germany are needed and in great demand, so the chance to stay and work in the sector of modern German medicine is very good. And with such hands-on experience, you will not be priceless.
This is a rare opportunity to get a brilliant medical education in Germany, with very limited resources in the form of a bright head, diligence and perseverance. After all, all you need to do is pass a test in German and show your knowledge in general sciences. Must try.
